How to Play Guitar Tabs

You have got a new acoustic guitar and are learning the fundamentals, such as the parts of a guitar. The next thing that will come to your mind is how to play guitar tabs. Learning to play guitar tabs is a very important part of guitar lessons, and serves as a base for advancing in the skill. It is all about understanding correct placement positions of the fingers on the fretboard. You will also have to know how to read the notations on the guitar tablature sheet and place respective fingers on the fretboard.

Basics of Guitar Strings

On a typical acoustic or electric guitar, there are six strings. Many people have a misconception about the counting of the strings. They consider the thickest one the first string, just because it is on the top; and the thinnest one the last, as it is at the bottom. However, the fact is that the thinnest string is the first one and the thickest one is the last. All these individual strings have a certain open sound. The first string has a high 'e' sound, the second has a 'B' sound, the third one has a 'G' sound, the fourth has a 'D' sound, the fifth has an 'A' sound, and the last string has the lowest 'E' sound. You will be able to better understand if you refer to the figure given below.

e(1st)----------------------------
B(2nd)---------------------------
G(3rd)---------------------------
D(4th)---------------------------
A(5th)---------------------------
E(6th)---------------------------

Holding Notations on Guitar Fretboard

Now that you have got an idea of the open sounds of all six strings, you can learn to play guitar tabs. A guitar tab is a diagram of six horizontal lines that symbolize the six strings. And on these six lines, there are certain numbers. These numbers show on which fret you are supposed to place the fingertips. If there is a '0' shown on the string, it means that you need to play the string open without pressing any point on that particular string. If there is an 'X' shown on any string, it means you do not have to play that particular string at all or have to mute it with your strumming hand.

If you can see in the following diagram, the 'e' and 'B' strings need to be played open. The 'G' string has to be played with positioning the finger of the chording hand on the first fret of the third string. The number '2' on the fourth 'D' string denotes that you should place the finger on the second fret of that string. On the fifth string, you have to place your fingertip on the second fret. The last 'E' string has to be played open.

'E' Chord

e-----0----------------------
B----0-----------------------
G----1----------------------
D----2----------------------
A----2----------------------
E----0----------------------

Basic Major Chords on the Guitar

'A' Chord

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

'B' Chord

e-----2----------------------
B----4-----------------------
G----4-----------------------
D----4-----------------------
A----2-----------------------
E----X-----------------------

'C' Chord

e-----0----------------------
B----1-----------------------
G----0-----------------------
D----2-----------------------
A----3-----------------------
E----X-----------------------

'D' Chord

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

'E' Chord

e-----0----------------------
B----0----------------------
G----1----------------------
D----2----------------------
A----2----------------------
E----0----------------------

'F' Chord

e-----1----------------------
B----1----------------------
G----2----------------------
D----3----------------------
A----3----------------------
E----X----------------------

'G' Chord

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

Practicing these easy-to-play guitar tabs will really help you learn to play songs on guitar. The only disadvantage of these guitar tablatures is that they do not show how long the chord is to be played.