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Learn to read guitar tab

This page and the ones that follow give a series of examples of guitar tab. They will cover all the symbols that are used throughout this website.

1e|----------------------------------

2b|----------------------------------

3g|----------------------------------

4d|----------------------------------

5a|----------------------------------

6E|----------------------------------

Diagram 1

The standard tab grid is shown in diagram 1. Each horizontal line represents a string. The strings are marked at the left of the diagram.

• The top line represents string 1, which will be an E note if your guitar is tuned to standard tuning. (Remember that string 1 on your guitar is the highest pitched string, the string closest to the floor.)
• The second line represents string 2, and its note is B.
• The third line represents string 3, and its note is G.
• The fourth line represents string 4, and its note is D.
• The fifth line represents string 5, and its note is A.
• The sixth line represents string 6, and its note is E. (Observe that strings 1 and 6 are both tuned to an E note, but not the same E note. String 6 is a lower E note, and this is marked by the capital E.)

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