how to read notation for guitar

Source:Internet    Posted by:learnguitarsonline.com   Date:2010-01-28   Click:

I had a question from some absolute beginners that they wanted the chord info in tabular format with dotted lines and numbers. What they actually meant were tabs/leads and not chords. Representing chords that way is cumbersome and a waste of space so I won’t be doing that. But tabs will always be represented that way. See below.

Tabs / Leads RepresentationAs you can see the above format is used for representing tabs/leads. The lines represent the strings and the numbers represent the frets. The topmost line is the thinnest string and bottom-most one… you guessed it, the thickest string. Move from left to right and play the frets mentioned as is. This representation has a flaw that it does not give any information about the delays between each plucking. You will have to judge that by yourself. If you are creating music, don’t use this type of notation.

Special Effects NotationsYou will find below notations in more advanced songs but they are not at all complicated if practiced well. Here I will list the symbols used for various special effects. I have discussed these effects in detail here: Raise Your Guitaring Level By Mastering These Basic Effects.

Symbolsh – hammer on
p – pull off
b – bend string up
r – release bend (optional)
/ – slide up (to higher frets)
– slide down (to lower frets)
v – vibrato (sometimes written as ~)
t – right hand tap
x – mute the specific note by damping.

Pehla Nasha is one song where these notations are used extensively. You might think of avoiding these effects for easy guitar playing, but remember you will never sound great without these effects. They are the tools to better guitaring.

That should get you started if you are a complete newbie. To all my pro readers, if I missed something, then remind me in the comments and I will add it up.

If you are interested to learn how to play guitar, we definitely have to say that Jamplay is our top choice for online video guitar lessons. The quality of the lesson material is exceptional, the support is great and the price is affordable.Highly Recommended!