Acoustic Guitar Tabs - Know Them And Play Better

By Mark Thompson

In order for you to play the acoustic guitar properly, you need to understand a little bit more about guitar music. Firstly, the musical notations used for when playing the guitar or any other stringed instrument are different from those used for other musical instruments. Where as other musicians use staffs, notes, note values, ledger lines and key and time signatures in order to play music. A guitar player will only use musical notations referred to as tabs. The main advantage to be had from using acoustic guitar tabs is that you can learn to play this instrument without actually having to learn to read music as well.

All of acoustic guitar tabs are a form of musical notation, which is known as tablature. However, when you look at an acoustic guitar tab, you will actually be looking at a diagram showing the strings on the guitar. The lines on the diagram represent the strings, with the first string being at the top and the sixth string being at the bottom. On the lines, you will also see numbers that represent which fret you are actually meant to play. When a Zero (0) appears on the lines this indicates an open string, whilst an X represents a muffled string.

However, if you are not sure by what we mean when we say fret, this is a located between two of the metal bars that are found on the fingerboard (neck) of the guitar. In most cases, a good quality acoustic guitar will have between 21 and 24 frets on the neck of it. It is the dots on the diagram that clearly indicates to you the position in which your finger(s) should be placed on the neck of the guitar.

However when looking at these tabs you notice that all of the numbers appear on the same line one after another and the same goes for which fret you need to be by. Then all you have to do is place your fingers in the location required and then just pluck that one string and no others. This tab clearly shows that you must only play this note and this one note only.

If however a number appears on each of the lines and they are stacked one on top of the other, the tab is telling you that you need to play all of these notes at the same time. You do this by strumming all six strings together at once.

But as well as the tabs mentioned above there are other types that you will have to learn about including hammer on, bends, slides and pull offs if you want to be read acoustic guitar tabs. The letter "H" denotes the Hammer On. Whilst Pull Offs are denoted by the letter "P" and Bends by the letter "B" as for slides these are denoted by a slash "/". So for example, you may see a notation for a Hammer On, which reads 7h9 on the diagram in front of you.

Once you are able to read acoustic guitar tabs you then need to start looking for some that you can practice. Ideally go online and search for some easy acoustic guitar tabs and then pick a song (basic as possible) that not only do you know well and then start to play it. But be warned you will find it will take some time before you are able to read and play these tabs as they take some getting use to. But you will be surprised just how quickly you are able to pick them and read others ones as well.

Also being able to hear the song that you are trying to learn makes it much easier for you to learn it as well. Even if you do think that you remember how it goes, by listening to it whilst you are learning will help you with rhythm and detail of the song as well.

Using acoustic guitar tabs in order to learn how to play this instrument will be much more fun than you first thought. You will soon find that you are able to play several different songs all of which you can then use to entertain friends and family as well as yourself. - 18762

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Above we have provided details on what acoustic guitar tabs are, but if you would like to find out more about acoustic guitars including courses then please click on the link Acoustic Guitar Information.