A tiny lesson
How to read tabs
You do not need sheet music. Tab tells you which string to play and which fret to press — that’s it.
What “tab” means
Tab is short for tablature. It is a simple map of the guitar, not sheet music. Each line is a string. Each number is a fret — the metal strip you press. A 0 means play that string open, with no fingers on the neck.
You read it left to right, like a sentence. You do not need to know notes like C or G to start — just which string, and which number.
Strings
A guitar has six strings. In tab, the top line is the thinnest string (high e). The bottom line is the thickest string (Low E) — the one closest to the ceiling when you hold the guitar.
The six strings
High e
thinnest string
B
2nd thinnest
G
middle-thin
D
middle-thick
A
2nd thickest
Low E
thickest string
The top line is the thinnest string. The bottom line is the thickest string — Low E. A 0 means play that string open, with no fingers pressing.
Frets and the number 0
- Frets are the metal strips on the neck. Fret 1 is the first strip after the nut (the white bar near the tuners).
- A number sitting on a string means: press that fret on that string, then pick the string.
- 0 means open — pick the string with no fingers pressing the neck.
A tiny example
Play these three notes on Low E, the thickest string, left to right: open, fret 3, fret 5.
Wider space = a longer note. Empty space = wait.
Three notes on the thickest string
Low E
thickest string
Rhythm: da… da… da. Leave a little space between each note.
Rhythm is a shape
Longer notes get a wider space on the tab. Short notes sit close together. If you play the spaces, the tune sounds like itself.
Wider space = a longer note. Empty space = wait.
Short, short, loooong
Low E
thickest string
Rhythm: da-da daaaa. Two short notes, then hold the last one.
How we write songs here
- Single notes only — one at a time, no full chords.
- Short excerpts — usually the famous riff or the main melody.
- Sometimes a simpler key, so small hands can reach.
- Rhythm in words, like “da… da-da… da.”