How to Read Guitar Tablature

Although it may seem complex, learning to read tab is quite simple, and you should find yourself reading tab easily in no time.

Basics of Tab
e-----------0-
B--3----------
G-----2-------
D-------------
A------4------
E---------1---

A tab staff for guitar has 6 horizontal lines, each one representing a string of the instrument. The bottom line of the staff represents your lowest "E" string, the second line from the bottom represents your "A" string, etc.

Notice that there are numbers located smack dab in the middle of the lines (aka strings). The numbers simply represent the fret the tab is telling you to play.
For example, in the illustration above, the tab is telling you to play the second string (B) 3rd fret, followed by 3rd String (G) 2nd fret and so on.

Note: The number "0" indicates that the open string should be played.

The "-" indicates the time interval ... more "-"s mean that there is a longer interval between the notes. There is no real time measure like in Music Notations. Hence you need to listen to the song to get the timings correct.

Now if you are playing a chord (a combination of three or more pitches sounded simultaneously), the tab displays a series of numbers stacked vertically.

For e.g., The E Major chord would look like
e--0---------
B--0---------
G--1---------
D--2---------
A--2---------
E--0---------

Hence for the E Major chord, you will strum all the strings with the following frets pressed.
e - Open, B - Open, G - 1st Fret, D - 2nd Fret, A - 2nd Fret, E - Open

Tablature will additionally include the chord name (in this case E major) above the tablature staff, to help guitarists recognize the chord more quickly.