If you are learning guitar and have come across numbers written on six horizontal lines, you are looking at guitar tablature, commonly called guitar tabs.
Guitar tabs are one of the easiest ways for a beginner to learn melodies, riffs, scales and songs without having to read traditional staff notation.
At AJ’s Fret House, we use a simple tab format where the notes are read from left to right. In our tab diagrams, the High e string is shown at the bottom, followed by the B, G, D, A and Low E strings as you move upward.
Once you understand the six lines and what the numbers mean, reading guitar tabs becomes very simple.
What is Guitar Tab?
Guitar tablature is a visual system that shows you:
- Which guitar string to play
- Which fret to press
- The order in which the notes are played
- Sometimes, how notes should be performed
Unlike standard music notation, you do not necessarily need to know how to read musical notes on a staff to start using guitar tabs.
A guitar tab normally consists of six horizontal lines, representing the six strings of a standard-tuned guitar.
Understanding the Six Lines
A standard guitar has six strings:
Low E – A – D – G – B – High e
In the tab format used at AJ’s Fret House, they are displayed like this:
E ─────────────────────
A ─────────────────────
D ─────────────────────
G ─────────────────────
B ─────────────────────
e ─────────────────────
The important thing to remember is that the bottom line represents the High e string.
So, in our tab diagrams:
E = 6th string = Low E
A = 5th string
D = 4th string
G = 3rd string
B = 2nd string
e = 1st string = High e
Remember:
Top line = Low E
Bottom line = High e
This may initially feel different from the way you imagine the guitar when holding it, but once you get used to the layout, it becomes very easy to follow.
Why is the High e String at the Bottom?
You may wonder why the High e string is written at the bottom when it is physically the thinnest string on your guitar.
The tab is designed to visually represent the guitar strings from Low E to High e:
Low E
A
D
G
B
High e
This is why the High e string appears at the bottom of our tab diagrams.
For example:
E ─────────────────
A ─────────────────
D ─────────────────
G ─────────────────
B ─────────────────
e ─────3───────────
The 3 is on the bottom line.
Therefore, you need to play:
3rd fret of the High e string.
What Do the Numbers Mean?
The numbers written on the lines tell you which fret to play.
For example:
E ─────────────────
A ─────────────────
D ─────────────────
G ─────────────────
B ─────────────────
e ─────3───────────
The number 3 means:
Play the 3rd fret of the High e string.
The number does not mean the third string.
It means the 3rd fret.
This is one of the most important things to understand when learning guitar tabs.
What Does 0 Mean?
The number 0 means you should play the string open.
An open string means that you play the string without pressing any fret.
For example:
E ─────────────────
A ─────────────────
D ─────────────────
G ─────────────────
B ─────────────────
e ─────0───────────
This means:
Play the High e string open.
You do not press any fret with your fretting hand.
What Do Different Numbers Mean?
Consider this example:
e ──0──1──3──5──
Read the numbers from left to right:
0 → 1 → 3 → 5
So you would:
- Play the open High e string
- Play the 1st fret
- Play the 3rd fret
- Play the 5th fret
The important rule is:
Guitar tabs are read from LEFT to RIGHT.
Think of the tab as a sentence.
You start at the left and move toward the right.
Reading Multiple Strings
Now let’s look at a slightly bigger example:
E ─────────────────────
A ─────3───────────────
D ─────────2───────────
G ─────────────0───────
B ─────────────────────
e ─────────────────────
You still read from left to right.
The first number you encounter is:
3 on the A string
Then:
2 on the D string
Then:
0 on the G string
So the sequence is:
A string, 3rd fret → D string, 2nd fret → G string, open
When Numbers Are Directly Above Each Other
This is very important.
If numbers appear directly above one another, they are normally played at the same time.
For example:
E ───0────────
A ───2────────
D ───2────────
G ───1────────
B ───0────────
e ───0────────
Here, the numbers are vertically aligned.
That means you play them together as a chord.
In this example, the notes are played at the same time rather than one after another.
So:
Numbers next to each other horizontally
Usually indicate individual notes played one after another.
Numbers directly above each other vertically
Usually indicate notes played together, such as a chord.
Example: Reading a Melody
Let’s look at a simple melody:
E ─────────────────────────
A ─────────────────────────
D ─────────────────────────
G ─────────0──2──4─────────
B ─────────────────────────
e ─────────────────────────
Because the numbers are on the G string, you only play the G string.
Read from left to right:
G open → G 2nd fret → G 4th fret
So your fretting hand moves:
0 → 2 → 4
Reading Tabs Across Different Strings
Now let’s try this:
E ─────────────────────────
A ───3─────────────────────
D ───────2─────────────────
G ───────────0─────────────
B ───────────────1─────────
e ─────────────────3───────
Again, start from the left and move toward the right.
You play:
A string, 3rd fret
then
D string, 2nd fret
then
G string, open
then
B string, 1st fret
then
High e string, 3rd fret
The string changes as you move through the tab.
How to Know Which String to Play
Always look at the line on which the number is written.
For example:
E ─────────────────
A ─────────────────
D ─────5───────────
G ─────────────────
B ─────────────────
e ─────────────────
The 5 is on the D string.
Therefore:
Play the 5th fret of the D string.
Another example:
E ─────────────────
A ─────────────────
D ─────────────────
G ─────────────────
B ─────────────────
e ─────5───────────
Now the 5 is on the High e string.
Therefore:
Play the 5th fret of the High e string.
The number is the same, but the string is different.
The Same Fret Can Produce Different Notes
This is another important concept.
A 5 does not always mean the same musical note.
For example:
5th fret on the Low E string gives a different note from:
5th fret on the A string
and a different note from:
5th fret on the High e string.
The number tells you the fret, while the line tells you the string.
You need both pieces of information to know what to play.
Remember:
Line = Which string
Number = Which fret
How to Read a Complete Tab
Let’s look at a simple example:
E ─────────────────────────────
A ─────3───────────────────────
D ─────────2───────────────────
G ─────────────0──2────────────
B ─────────────────────1───────
e ─────────────────────────3───
To play this:
Step 1
Find the first number from the left.
A string – 3rd fret
Step 2
Move to the right.
D string – 2nd fret
Step 3
Continue moving right.
G string – open
Step 4
G string – 2nd fret
Step 5
B string – 1st fret
Step 6
High e string – 3rd fret
So you are essentially following a path:
Left → Right
while also moving up or down between the six strings when required.
What Does a Dash Mean?
The horizontal lines are mainly used to represent the guitar strings.
For example:
e-3────────────
The dashes do not represent individual frets.
They simply help show the position of the notes and the string.
The important information is the number and its position on the string line.
What About Timing?
Basic guitar tabs do not always give you complete information about rhythm and timing.
For example:
e-0──2──3──
This tells you the order of the notes:
0 → 2 → 3
But by itself, it may not clearly tell you exactly how long each note should be held.
For this reason, when learning a song from tabs, it is useful to listen to the original recording or follow the rhythm information provided with the tab.
At AJ’s Fret House, we recommend first understanding the order of the notes, and then working on the timing, rhythm and tempo.
Tabs and Fret Numbers
Here is a quick reference:
| Number | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Open string |
| 1 | 1st fret |
| 2 | 2nd fret |
| 3 | 3rd fret |
| 4 | 4th fret |
| 5 | 5th fret |
| 7 | 7th fret |
| 10 | 10th fret |
| 12 | 12th fret |
So if you see:
e ─────7─────
you play the 7th fret of the High e string.
If you see:
B ─────7─────
you play the 7th fret of the B string.
How to Read Our Guitar Tabs
At AJ’s Fret House, our guitar tabs follow this simple system:
E─────────────────
A─────────────────
D─────────────────
G─────────────────
B─────────────────
e─────────────────
Our tab-reading rules:
1. Read from left to right.
2. The top line is the Low E string.
3. The bottom line is the High e string.
4. The number tells you which fret to play.
5. 0 means play the string open.
6. The line tells you which string to play.
7. Numbers next to each other are generally played one after another.
8. Numbers directly above each other are generally played together.
Easy Way to Remember Guitar Tabs
If you are completely new to tabs, remember just these two things first:
LINE = STRING
and
NUMBER = FRET
For example:
D ─────5─────
means:
D string + 5th fret
And:
e ─────5─────
means:
High e string + 5th fret
Then remember:
READ LEFT → RIGHT
That’s it.
Once you understand these three ideas:
String + Fret + Left-to-Right
you already know the foundation of reading guitar tabs.
Practice Reading Tabs
Try reading this without picking up your guitar:
E──────────────
A-3────────────
D───2──────────
G─────0──2─────
B──────────1───
e────────────3─
Can you identify:
- Which string is played first?
- Which fret is played first?
- Which string is played second?
- Which note is open?
- Which fret is played on the B string?
- Which fret is played on the High e string?
If you can answer these questions, you are already reading guitar tabs correctly.
Final Tip for Beginners
Do not try to memorize the entire tab at once.
Start by identifying:
Which string?
Then:
Which fret?
Then move:
Left → Right
With regular practice, your eyes will begin to recognize the string and fret positions automatically.
Once you become comfortable reading basic tabs, you can move on to more advanced techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends, vibrato, palm muting and other guitar tab symbols.
Happy practicing! 🎸
Keep learning, keep practicing, and keep playing.
— AJ’s Fret House