Guitar tabs for beginners
Hi,this hub is about guitar tabs for beginners, that's getting the feeling of making music which is of course a quite natural sensation, makes you feel good, people take notice when you play, attracts the opposite sex - well they may show some interest. Whatever,here we are.
I will try to show you the basics about getting started with the guitar.*Please take it a step at a time.Don't just jump down the page and pick bits out.You will only get frustrated and disheartened if you do that. Do bit,take a break,then come back do a bit more..and so on. Even mark the the page in your favorites.
The beginning.
Guitar tabs or tablature, as it is sometimes called, is a very old way of music notation or writing music down so other musicians can understand the song. They can be used for other instruments as well as the guitar,like the drums,banjo and a number of others.To start we will look at a blank tab of a guitar.Picture 1 below.
A blank guitar tablature - Picture 1
Now you see the 6 horizontal lines, they are the 6 guitar strings. The bottom of the tablature staff starts with the low E string (the thickest string), then come strings A, D, G, B and the high E string (the skinniest) is on top of the staff,just as in the picture 1 above.
Next we are going to put numbers on the tablature lines. The numbers tell you what frets you have to place your finger on. A 1 means you have to put your finger on the first fret of the appropriate string, 2 means the second fret, 3 the third one, ... A 0 on a guitar tab means and open string. So lets see how you go about learning guitar chords.
Here's an example to make it more clear for you: the guitar tab for the C chord:
Guitar tab,picture 2, C chord
The picture above is the Chord 'C' using traditional type of notation.While the same can be represented by a Tab seen below.
C chord represented in tab form.
That was a Strum!
In the above notations the pictures represented a Strum. All the numbers were all together,or on top of each other if you like.When you see that,it means all the indicated notes should be play together and at the same time.Thats called a strum,they are stummed together. You are now playing a chord.
In the next example,below,you will see the numbers follow each other. So now the notes follow each other in time and should be played after each other as you play.
Notes follow each other.
In the example above,you play the 5th fret on the low E string first.Then the 3rd fret on the same string,next the 5th again,now move up to the 3rd fret on the A string and so on.
That's the basics on playing guitar tabs but there's more.We need cover a few more symbols you will see on tabs.
The Pull off. Here you play the second note of the tab.Not by using your pick but pulling your finger of the 7th fret,while another finger is on the 5th fret.See the little 'p' on the tab below.
The 'Pull off'.see the little 'p'on the tab.
The Slide. The next guitar technique is called the slide.You do this by sliding your finger from the 5th fret to the 7th fret without lifting your finger,as shown below
The Slide.See the little 's' on the tab.
We have now covered the most used guitar techniques on guitar chords and seen on tabs.There are other more advanced techniques but we are only doing beginners here so we shall leave that for now.
Guitar tabs are sometimes combined with the standard note script as seen in the big staff below - nearly at the bottom of the page. When you first see it, It looks a bit scary but take closer look.This is useful as you can see the guitar tab and the the rhythm.Rhythm is not shown on guitar tabs.
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I hope you have found this little guide helpful. This is only a beginners outline but the real musical pleasure comes after learning and practicing. Practice and yet more practice. The feeling of music coming from your instrument, seeing the reaction the faces on people around you, is quite magical when you really can play well. As in most things, there is a price to pay. That is learning, understanding and practice. Courses can help, you have to put yourself into it, to get the pleasure and rewards that are waiting for you on the other-side. Many, many people have done this, you can too. Don't give up! You can do it.
Well this just about rounds off my page but I put a little example of how some of this used in a real song below. Which guitar to use? There is no real best guitar for beginners but you won't go far wrong with an acoustic one.
Malcolm
