Reading Tablature
Tablature is a system of shorthand music notation for the guitar that uses numbers to indicate where notes are found on the guitar. Tablature notation was first seen in the lute music of the 16th and 17th centuries and is still commonly used today.
A Tablature staff has six lines. Each line on the tablature staff represents one of the six strings on the guitar. The lowest line on the bottom of the tablature staff represents the lowest pitched string on the guitar (6th string) while the top line represents the highest pitched string on the guitar (1st string)
The lowest line on the bottom of the staff represents the 6th string (Low E) on the guitar, moving towards the top of the page with the 5th string (A), 4th string (D), 3rd string (G), 2nd string (B), and the 1st string (E) on the highest line of the staff.
We place numbers on the lines of the tablature staff to indicate the fret number that is played. Tablature does not tell us what note is meant to be played, but only indicates the fret and string location for each note played on the guitar.
Each number on the tablature staff indicates the fret number.
The Number “0” on a tablature line represents an open string on the guitar.
A “0” represents an open string.
