TAB is a type of musical notation specifically for stringed instruments and closely associated with guitar. In TAB the strings of the guitar are represented by six horizontal lines with the lowest string being the bottom line. Numbers written on the lines indicate which frets are to be played. In TAB, some of the standard technique indications, such as bends and trills, are indicated in the same way as they are in standard notation.
TAB is a handy way for guitarists to read music, but in its simplest form, it doesn’t necessarily tell the player everything about the piece of music being played. Since easy guitar TABS contain only the string and fret indications, anyone reading it has to have an idea how the songs goes tempo-wise or rhythmically. More advanced TABS use the tails used in standard notation so guitarists reading the TAB get this information too.
Easy guitar TABS are available online, in books, or sometimes come along with video lessons to help you follow the video lesson while you’re watching the instruction. The benefit of being able to read easy guitar tablature is obvious, From a playing standpoint, you can refer to it at any time to see how a written piece of music goes. From a songwriting standpoint, it gives you a way to put your own musical thoughts down on paper so others know what you want played.
Let’s take a look at the following example of the chords built in the key of E. Notice how the chords are indicated on the six strings with fret numbers to show you where your place your fingers. The O indicates the string is to be played open (no fingers on a fret). An X on a string indicates a string should be muted (not played).
Check out the next example, an easy TAB arrangement of the famous riff in the Aerosmith song “Walk This Way.” The pattern is sixteenth notes, which may seem a little advanced, but if you listen to the song and get a feel for the rhythm while you follow along, you’ll see that it’s pretty easy to replicate.
There are a lot of easy guitar TABS like this available online. Just be sure when you look for a song you want to play that you get the easiest version available. Some songs aren’t too difficult anyway, but the ones that are more advanced will often be arranged in a more simplified version for beginners.
