How To Read Guitar Tabs

Guitar tabs are the language this entire blog is written in. Once you understand how to read them, every song on this site unlocks for you. It takes about 10 minutes to learn the basics — and this guide covers everything.

Standard music notation is complex and takes years to read fluently. Guitar tablature — or “tabs” — is a simpler visual system invented specifically for guitar. It shows you exactly which string to play and which fret to press. No music theory knowledge required.

Understanding the 6 Lines

A tab has 6 horizontal lines. Each line represents one string on your guitar.

The 6 Lines Explained

e |----------|   ← Thinnest string (1st string, highest pitch)
B |----------|   ← 2nd string
G |----------|   ← 3rd string
D |----------|   ← 4th string
A |----------|   ← 5th string
E |----------|   ← Thickest string (6th string, lowest pitch)

💡 Memory Trick

Remember the string names with: Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie (E A D G B e — from 6th to 1st string).

• How to remember the guitar strings name
• Symbols used in tabs

What the Numbers Mean

Numbers on the lines tell you which fret to press. A 0 means play the open string (no fret). A 3 means press the 3rd fret. Simple as that.

Reading Fret Numbers

e |---0---2---3---|
B |-----------------|
G |-----------------|
D |-----------------|
A |-----------------|
E |-----------------|

Play: Open e → 2nd fret e → 3rd fret e (read left to right)

Vertical Numbers = Play Together (Chords)

When numbers are stacked vertically, play all those strings at the same time — that is a chord.

Chord vs Single Notes

        Chord   Single Notes
e |-----0------0---2---3---|
B |-----1---------------- |
G |-----2---------------- |
D |-----2---------------- |
A |-----0---------------- |
E |-----x---------------- |
         Am    (play one by one)

Special Symbols You Will See in Hindi Song Tabs

The Hammer-On (h)

Hammer-On Example

e |---5h7---|
Meaning: Pick the 5th fret, then "hammer" your finger onto 7th fret without picking again.

The Pull-Off (p)

Pull-Off Example

e |---7p5---|
Meaning: Hold both 5th and 7th fret. Pick 7th, then pull your finger off 7th to sound 5th.

The Slide (/ or \)

Slide Example

e |---5/7---|   Slide up from 5 to 7
e |---7\5---|   Slide down from 7 to 5

Vibrato (~)

Vibrato Example

e |---7~---|   Play 7th fret and wobble your finger to create vibrato effect

Reading a Full Bollywood Tab — Neele Neele Ambar Par Intro

Now let us put it all together with a real example. Here is the opening riff of Neele Neele Ambar Par by Kishore Kumar:

Neele Neele Ambar Par — Opening song line

e |-----------------------------|
B |-----------------------------|
G |-------2-------0-0---------|
D |-0-3-------3---------2-----|
A |-----------------------------|
E |-----------------------------|

Read left to right. Start on the e string, play the frets in order. The numbers on different strings at different positions are played one after another, not together.

Number Notation vs Standard Tab

You will also find songs on this blog in simple number notation — popular with piano players and Indian classical musicians. In this format, numbers 1–7 represent the seven notes of a scale (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni). This is especially useful if you are also learning keyboard or want to understand the melody in terms of Indian sargam.

Sargam to Western Note Mapping (C Major)

Sa  Re  Ga  Ma  Pa  Dha  Ni  Sa
1   2   3   4   5   6    7   8
C   D   E   F   G   A    B   C

📌 Key Point

You do not need to understand music theory to read tabs. Just follow the numbers and strings. As you play more songs, the theory will start making sense naturally — without ever opening a textbook.