Misc - A Beginners Guide To Tabs And Guitar bass tab
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO READING GUITAR TABS AND (a small incite
into) PLAYING THE GUITAR!!!!
--------IMPORTANT-INFOMATION--------
--------PLEASE-TAKE-NOTICE--------
--------BEFORE-YOU-READ-ON--------
This document has been written in a way that I hope is easy for
everyone to understand, IF NOT PLEASE SEND ME ENY ALTERATIONS
WHICH YOU THINK WOULD EXPLANE WHAT IM TRYING TO GET ACROSS BETTER
AND I WILL GLADLY CHANGE THEM (and if I have made eny mistakes).
A lot of guitarists do have there guitars tuned or strung in different
ways, but for the purposes of this help sheet and for all the beginners
just starting out with tabs/guitar, I will stick to explaining
everything in standard tuning, (which is E, A, D,G,B, Low E)
Through out this guide I’ve included hints and tips which I think
may be of us to someone or just random stuff about guitars which
maybe of use to people??
FACT: NOT all types of tablature are the same!
“PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO TAB THEIR VERSIONS OF SONGS SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENTLY TO OTHER TABBERS, BUT THEY’RE EASLY FIGURED OUT
(There just different symbols which have been used, unless
you see eny American tabs, I say its “best to stay clear of them
ones”).
FIRST THINGS FIRST
YOU HAVE TO FIND UR COMFY POSISTION’S
When you have found the best way to hold your guitar, and to feel
comfortable whilst playing either sitting or standing up,
you will be better off finding your own way as it is important
that you are comfy it can in some cases, cause you to strain your
wrist or summut!!!! (Very rare thou, I think).
Abit of Useful Knowledge
By striking the strings, either by using a “guitar pick” or by
using your “fingers”, it will create the sound by causing them
to Vibrating, upon causing them to vibrate, the sound will flow
from your guitar.
Fig.1
THIS IS A BASIC TAB SHEET
E: ---------------------- a.k.a. ”low E”)----------------------------
B: ------------------------------------------------------------------
G: ------------------------------------------------------------------
D: ------------------------------------------------------------------
A: ------------------------------------------------------------------
E: ------------------------------------------------------------------
The top line of Fig.1 is known as the “low E” or “1st string”
The bottom line of Fig.1 is known as the “6th string” or the “E
string“
The “low E” string produces a high-pitched sound as where the
“E” string creates a low-pitched sound
A handy hint:
“TOP E” is the fattest string on the Fretboard, and the “low E”
is the thinnest string on fretboard.
What do the numbers on the tab sheet mean?
The numbers you can see on the tab sheet are the locations of where
your fingers should be placed on the fretboard see Fig.2.
(THESE NOTES ARE PLAYED INDERVIDUALLY NO,
“SLIDES” AND NO “HAMMER ONS”, “e.t.c.”).
Fig.2 Fig.3
E: -------------------------- ---------------------------------
B: -------------------------- ---------------------------------
G: -------------------------- ---------------------------------
D: -------------------------- ---------------------------------
A: --1—2--3--4--5--6--------- --0--0--0--0---------------------
E: -------------------------- -------------1--2--3--4----------
In Fig.3 you should notice that there is a “0” on there, this just
simply means that you play an “open note” or an “open string”.
“This means playing the STRING (however you choose to) WITHOUT
UR FINGERS TOUCHING A FRETT ON THE STRING that it’s suggesting.
When playing a note or chord make sure that your fingers are placed
firmly on the strings and that Ur fingers are somewhere between
the centre and the front of each fret.
HANDY TIP-not sounding right!
If you’re a beginner and for some reason a chord or notes doesn’t
sound right, try picking each string ONE at a time so u can locate
where your going wrong.
If you hear a muffled sound, and it sounds abit like something
is stopping it from “vibrating”. This normally means that you
need to add more “pressure” to that note you are trying to make,
If u are hitting the strings correctly then try re-tuning your
strings,
HANDY TIP-new strings wont stay tuned!
If u are using new strings they don’t tend to stay in tune
For long, but when they settle into their positions u should
notice that you don’t need to tune them as regular but you should
get into the habit of tuning ur guitar every time you play it.
After putting on new strings, to help them settle in faster,
keep bending them a for bit whilst your tuning each string it
will help stretch them into place.
HERES A FEW CHORDS
FOR YOU TO TRY OUT!!
THERE ARE 7 GREAT CHORDS HERE WHICH ARE MAIN CHORDS AND ARE USED
BY LOTS OF BANDS, I THINK THESE ARE GOOD STARTING PIONTS FOR BEGINERS
TO TRY OUT. THEY ARE EASY TO CHANGE BETWEEN AND THERES NOT REALLY
THAT MUCH TO THEM (so shouldn’t take long to learn).
On this page up until now, u have only seen tabs with 1 note played
at eny time, chords are often played with more than two strings
at once, instead of one note at a time. U can play chords with eny
amount of strings being struck at once, but obviously no more
than 6 strings, unless you’re using a 12-string guitar, that is.
Eny way deciphering eny chords from tab is very easy, the numbers
are placed in lines going down from the “low E” to the “E”, place
ur fingers on the strings and frets according to which chord
you are going to attempt to play first.
Over the top of the tab sheets, the chord names are often displayed
over the chord formations (there not always displayed thou)
Chords I believe are good for beginners
Fig.4
A B C D E F G
E: ---------------2-------1---1--------------------------------------
B: -----------1---3-------1---0--------------------------------------
G: ---2---3---0---2-------2---0--------------------------------------
D: ---2---3---2---0---2---3---0--------------------------------------
A: ---0---1---3-------2-------2--------------------------------------
E: -------------------0-------3--------------------------------------
Symbols used in tabs
“x” “~” ”/” “\” “b” “h” “p”
(This is just a possible scenario of how they would fit in on a
tab sheet).
Fig.5
E: ------------------------------------------------------------------
B: ------------------------------------------------------------------
G: ---x-x------------------------------------------------------------
D: ---x-x------------------------------------------------------------
A: ---x-x—4~~-4/6\4b-4h6p4-------------------------------------------
E: ------------------------------------------------------------------
Now there is numbers on tab sheets and there’s also letters and
the one which u will need for some of these chords I’ve listed
for you below is
“X” and this symbol tells you to play the string it’s covering
but its needed to finger muted (easy just rest ur finger on the
string and add slight pressure, u should realise soon how much
pressure you need to apply, but that’s gonna be trial and error
for you.
“~” Riverto this indicates that u should let the note ring out
for a short while.
“/or\” this means slide from 1 note to the other.
“b” Bend, strike the string and then basically bend the string
“h or p” this means hammer on or pull off, basically to hammer
on, pick ur first note then hit ur second note with ur other finger
without striking the string again, for pull offs work on the
same principles but in a reverse fashion.
If there is eny strings which have no number or letters on it then
they, don’t need to be played, as the strings are not used in that
particular chord, there many different variations of these
chords and others to, but advance to them at a later date, start
small grow big.
EG. G, G7, G+ and so on lots of chords to play with.
THINGS YOU SHOULD LEARN ABOUT THE GUITAR.
Where the notes are placed on the fret board.
How 2 replace strings
General cleaning
LAST COMMENTS FROM ME
“Make sure that u listen out for eny dud notes,
Or mistakes you may make, don’t forget that every one will makes
mistakes to start with, if we didn’t make mistakes we wouldn’t
be able to learn from them, would we???.
If you get stuck, and if you’ve been trying to play something
for a long while, sometimes its best if you take a short break
from it and try again later on.
If your having trouble trying to play it at the right tempo (speed),
just practice it at a slower tempo then build the speed gradually
as you go along.
Final comment by me
JUST REMEMBER THAT A GUITAR IS NOT A TOY IT S A WEAPON AND WHEN USED
PROPERLLY IT CAN ENTERTIAN MILLIONS
(Spoken by Robey)
