Tab, short for tablature or tabulature, is a type of musical notation, generally used with stringed instruments, that uses fret numbers placed on a pictorial depiction of the strings to let players know where to place their fingers on the instrument. Because it uses a pictorial depiction of the strings in order to convey placement of the note values, and the number of strings on various guitar types differs, the number of lines on tab will differ. For instance, bass tab has four lines, while tab for a standard acoustic or electric guitar has six lines.

It differs from sheet music which uses pictorial note values on a five lined staff system divided into clefs to describe a piece of music. It also differs from a lead sheet (aka fake sheet) which depicts a song's melody using the pictoral note values of sheet music, the harmony with chord symbols above the staff, and the lyrics (if any) below the staff.

This simple combination of fret and string representation is considered the easiest form of music notation to read and is used by beginners to advanced musicians.

Knockin' on Heaven's Door as performed by Guns N' Roses
from the 1991 release, Use Your Illusion II

Guitar Tab

Bass Tab

The tab of the week courtesty of mxtabs.net.

We'll start with a six-string guitar. Each string, E-B-G-D-A-E, has its own line, as shown below. Some tab does not include the string names on the left, but they're alway notated in the same order so the top line of tab will always be the bottom string on the guitar. The numbers signify which fret on a string to finger and the numbers appear in the consecutive order the notes are played. Information regarding tuning (i.e. if the guitar should be tuned in D) and styling (i.e. hammer on, slide, etc.) generally appear above the beginning of the tab.

Single notes in tab

E|------------------5--------
B|-1--3----------------------
G|---------------0-----------
D|-----------3---------------
A|---------------------2--3-
E|--------0------------------

So, to play the above tab, you'd start by fingering the first fret on the B string (second from the bottom on your six string guitar), then you'd move to the third fret of the same string to play the next note, and so on. When a zero (0) appears in tab, that means you play the string open, or with no frets fingered. When you play all eight of the above notes in order, you'll end up with a nice, simple little warm up exercise that goes C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.

Chords in tab

E|-0-------
B|-1-------
G|-2-------
D|-2-------
A|-0-------
E|-0-------

When you see more than one number in a vertical line, as shown above, it notates a chord. The chord shown above is an A minor (Am). To play it, finger the first fret of the B string (note C), the second fret of the G and D strings (notes A and E, respectively), and leaving the remaining three strings un-fretted, strum all six strings. Voila! You've read chords in tab and played an Am chord.

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Guitar and Bass Players Group