Guitar Tablature Explained

Guitar Tablature Explained
See the: Online Guitar Chord Dictionary. Pop-Up Chord Charts: HERE	Get the Printable Word or PDF Document.	Bottom of Page

Bend 1	Bend 2	Bend & Release	Pre-Bend	Pre-Bend & Release
Unison Bend	Vibrato	Wide (exaggerated) Vibrato	Slide 1	Slide 2
Slide 3	Hammer-On	Pull-Off	Trill	Tapping
Natural Harmonic	Artificial Harmonic	Tremolo Bar	Palm Mute	Muffled Strings
Pick Slide	Trem Pick	Rhythm Slash	Single E-note Rhythm Slashes

A six-line staff that graphically represents the guitar fingerboard, with the top line indicating the highest sounding string (high E).
By placing a number on the appropriate line, the string and fret of any note can be indicated.
The number 0 represents an open string. The 0's mean that string is played "open" (no finger)
and the other numbers indicate which fret you place your finger on.
An 'X' means to muffle, not let it ring.

×

Bend 1
Strike the note and bend up ½ step (one fret).

Bend 2
Strike the note and bend up a whole step (two frets).

Bend & Release
Strike the note and bend up ½ (or whole) step, then release the bend back to the original note. All three notes are tied, only the first note is struck.

Pre-Bend
Bend the note up ½ (or whole) step, then strike it.

Pre-Bend & Release
Bend the note up ½ (or whole) step, strike it, and release the bend back to the original note.

Unison Bend
Strike the two note simultaneously and bend the lower note to the pitch of the higher.

Vibrato
Vibrate the note by rapidly bending and releasing the string with a left-hand finger.

Wide (Exaggerated) Vibrato
Vibrate the pitch to a greater degree with a left-hand finger or tremolo bar.

Slide 1
Strike the first note and then with the same left hand finger move up the string to the second note.The second note is not struck.

Slide 2
Strike the first note and then with the same left hand finger move up the string to the second note and strike the second note.

Slide 3
Slide up to the note indicated from a few frets below.

Hammer-On
Strike the first (lower) note, then sound the higher note with another finger by fretting it without picking.

Pull-Off
Place both fingers on the notes to be sounded. Strike the 1st (higher) note, then sound the lower note by pulling the finger off the higher note while keeping the lower note fretted.

Trill
Very rapidly alternate between the note indicated and the small note shown in parentheses by hammering on and pulling off.

Tapping
Hammer ("tap") the fret indicated with the right hand index or middle finger and pull off to the note fretted by the left hand.

Natural Harmonic
With a left hand finger, lightly touch the string over the fret indicated then strike it. A chime-like sound is produced.

Artificial Harmonic
Fret the note normally and set the harmonic by adding the right hand thumb edge or index finger tip to the normal pick attack.

Tremolo Bar
Drop the note by the number of steps indicated, then return to original pitch.

Palm Mute
With the right hand, partially mute the note by lightly touching the string just before the bridge.

Muffled Strings
Lay the left hand across the strings without depressing them to the fret board; strike the strings with the right hand, producing a percussive sound.

Pick Slide
Rub the pick edge down the length of the string to produce a scratchy sound.

Tremolo Picking
Pick the note as rapidly and continuously as possible.

Rhythm Slashes
Strum chords in rhythm indicated. Use chord voicings found in the fingering diagrams at the top of the first page of the transcription.

Single Note Rhythm Slashes
The circled number above the note name indicates which string to play. When successive notes are played on the same string, only the fret numbers are given.

Please send any comments, suggestions or additions to: Mark Davis.

Created and Maintained by: Mark Davis, d.b.a. - Endless Productions
— © — Endless Productions, 1996-2012
(Braille version not available . . .)