This page has been put together to help explain the different symbols I've used in the tablature on this site. It is not by any means a complete or definitive reference, and other sites may use different conventions from those given here. Just click on the section you need, from the list below:

Contents

Basics
 Introduction
 Single notes
 Chords
 Duration

Advanced
 Slides
 Bends
 Hammer-ons/Pull-offs
 Muting
 Partial notes
 Slap/pop

Basics

Introduction

Tablature, or TAB, is an alternative way of writing music for stringed instruments (mostly guitar / bass guitar) which can be easily understood even by people who can't read traditional scores. It also lends itself to the internet, because it is easy to show tablature in plain text or HTML files.

It is based on a staff of 4 to 7 lines (one for each string on your instrument), with the names of musical notes printed on the left-hand side to indicate how the guitar is tuned (as below for standard tuning of a 6-string guitar):

E--------------------
B--------------------
G--------------------
D--------------------
A--------------------
E--------------------

The top line represents the thinnest string (and the highest open note), working down to the thickest string at the bottom.

Single notes

The notes to be played are added as numbers on the lines of the staff. The number tells you which fret to the play the note at ('0' means 'play an open string'), and the line it is printed on tells you which string to pluck. For example:

E----0---------------
B--------3-----------
G------------5-------
D--------------------
A--------------------
E--------------------

tells you to play the following notes, in order:

1. Open 1st string (don't put a finger on the fretboard);
2. 2nd string, at the 3rd fret;
3. 3rd string, at the 5th fret.

Chords

When more than 1 note is to be played at once (as in guitar chords), the notes are written directly above each other, as in the example below:

E---6-----3-----4------1--------
B---8-----4-----6------1--------
G---7-----3-----5------1--------
D---8-----5-----6------3--------
A---6-----3-----4------1--------
E-------------------------------

When a chord is strummed slowly, sometimes the notes are spaced out to show this:

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

Duration

Timing is an area where TAB falls down, because it makes it difficult to accurately determine a note's length. However, the horizontal spacing between notes is a good indication of how long the note lasts: a note with a longer space after it will usually be held for longer.

E--12------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------15-13-12---------
G--------------------------------------14-13---
D----------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------

In the above example, the first note would be held for a long time, and the rest of the notes would then be played quickly.

Additionally, bar lines can be added to separate each bar (usually 4 beats) of a piece's rhythm. This makes the timing clearer, as each bar usually lasts for the same amount of time. (This is a device I've added to the tabs in the Features section.)

E-----------------|-------------3-2-|-0---0-----------|-----------------
B-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0-1-0-----------
G-----------------|-----2-----------|---------2---2---|-0-----2-0-------
D---2---2---2---2-|---2---2---------|---2---2---2---2-|-----------0h2-0-
A-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-----------------
E-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------      etc.

Advanced

Slides

Sliding with one or more left-hand fingers from one fret to another is notated in tablature as follows:

E-----------------
B-----------------
G--5/7---7\4---4/-
D-----------------
A-----------------
E-----------------

The first symbol means 'slide up from the 5th to the 7th fret', and the second means 'slide down from 7th to 4th'. The final one requires you just to slide quickly up from the 4th fret to nowhere in particular, for effect rather than melodic purpose.

Bends

Bent notes are written using a 'b' on the TAB staff after the number, followed by another number showing where to stop the bend.

E---------------
B---------------
G---3b5---------
D---------------
A---------------
E---------------

This means 'play the note on the 3rd fret, and bend it up two frets' worth (i.e. until it sounds like the note on the 5th fret of the same string).'

There are also small 'blues curl' bends which are less than a semitone, and which I show like this:

E--------------
B------3b^-----
G--------------
D--------------
A--------------
E--------------

An 'r' in TAB means to release a bend, either partially or fully. Examples include the following:

E------------------
B------------------
G--3b5r4-----5r3---
D------------------
A------------------
E------------------

The first bit here means to play a note at the 5th fret, bend it a whole-tone up and then release it a semitone (halfway); the second bit is a pre-bend, so the note is played bent at the 3rd fret and then released.

Hammer-ons/pull-offs

Left hand hammer-ons and pull-offs are written with 'h' and 'p' symbols, between the fret numbers concerned.

E------------------
B------------------
G--5h7-7p5---------
D----------7p5h7---
A------------------
E------------------

The three examples here mean (in order): Hammer on from the 5th to the 7th fret, pull-off from the 7th to the 5, and pull-off from 7th to 5th again and then quickly hammer the note back on!

Muting

Palm muting (dampening the sound of notes by resting the palm of the right hand against the strings at the bridge) is shown as follows:

PM - - - - - - - - - \

E--------------------
B--------------------
G--------------------
D--------------------
A-14-14-14-14-14-14--
E-12-12-12-12-12-12--

If you see an 'x' on a string instead of a number, play the string with heavy muting (from either hand) to produce a percussive sound instead of a melodic note. This applies no single notes and chords:

E------------x---x---
B------------x---x---
G------------x---x---
D------------x---x---
A--x--x------x---x---
E--------------------

In the second example, I would dampen all the strings no the fretboard with my left hand, and then strum quickly.

Partially implied notes

A note in brackets:

E----------
B----------
G---(4)----
D----------
A----------
E----------

is 'partially implied', meaning it is unclear whether or not it should be played! Usually it won't make much difference to the sound of the music if notes like these are played or omitted, so decide for yourself in these cases.

Slap/pop

Thumb-slaps and finger-pops (usually only on basslines) don't have a standard notation in TAB, but I use a '.' (full stop) before a slap and a '+' (plus) before a 'popped' note, as in this octave pattern:

G-------------------------
D----+3----+3----+3----+3-
A-------------------------
E-.1----.1----.1----.1----

That's about it - if you have any problems reading my tablature which aren't covered here, consult a proper guide (the links page is a good starting point).