Reading Tabs (Kinda like guitar sheet music?)

Gouryella91

New member
I can read sheet music with staffs and stuff but i was wondering where can I go, or if someone can explain it to me, how to read tabs (so I can transcribe it to midi or piano). Most of my favourite songs are rock songs, and unfortunately midi files for them are not always provided so I feel like I need to know how to read tab music if I want to study and replicate certain melodies/hooks. thx.
 
Tab is straightforward as long as you keep it in a font like courier so that every character occupies equal space.

The basics are


E[sub]3[/sub] = 1 = E+-o-0----
B[sub]2[/sub] = 2 = B+-o-0----
G[sub]2[/sub] = 3 = G+-o-0----
D[sub]2[/sub] = 4 = D+-o-0----
A[sub]1[/sub] = 5 = A+-o-0----
E[sub]1[/sub] = 6 = E+-o-0----


that is, the note E3 is equal to the 1st string (thinnest string) of the guitar played open, which some people represent with the number 0

As we progress up the strings things get slightly trickier, but the basics still apply: each number represents a note

e.g.


F[sub]3[/sub] = E+-1----
C[sub]3[/sub] = B+-1----
G[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub] = G+-1----
D[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub] = D+-1----
A[sup]#[/sup][sub]1[/sub] = A+-1----
F[sub]1[/sub] = E+-1----


better still


E+-o---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10--11--12--
xxxE[sub]3[/sub]--F[sub]3[/sub]--F[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]--G[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]-A[sub]3[/sub]--A[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]--C[sub]4[/sub]--C[sup]#[/sup][sub]4[/sub]-D[sub]4[/sub]--D[sup]#[/sup][sub]4[/sub]-E[sub]4[/sub]--
xxxE[sub]3[/sub]--F[sub]3[/sub]--G[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]--A[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]-A[sub]3[/sub]--B[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]--C[sub]4[/sub]--D[sup]b[/sup][sub]4[/sub]-D[sub]4[/sub]--E[sup]b[/sup][sub]4[/sub]-E[sub]4[/sub]--



B+-o---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10--11--12--
xxxB[sub]2[/sub]C[sub]3[/sub]C[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]D[sub]3[/sub]D[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]E[sub]3[/sub]F[sub]3[/sub]F[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]G[sub]3[/sub]G[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]A[sub]3[/sub]A[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]B[sub]3[/sub]
xxxB[sub]2[/sub]C[sub]3[/sub]D[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]D[sub]3[/sub]E[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]E[sub]3[/sub]F[sub]3[/sub]G[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]G[sub]3[/sub]A[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]A[sub]3[/sub]B[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]B[sub]3[/sub]



G+-o---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10--11--12--
xxxG[sub]2[/sub]G[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]A[sub]2[/sub]A[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]B[sub]2[/sub]C[sub]3[/sub]C[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]D[sub]3[/sub]D[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]E[sub]3[/sub]F[sub]3[/sub]F[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]G[sub]3[/sub]
xxxG[sub]2[/sub]A[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]A[sub]2[/sub]B[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]B[sub]2[/sub]C[sub]3[/sub]D[sup]3[/sup][sub]3[/sub]D[sub]3[/sub]E[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]E[sub]3[/sub]F[sub]3[/sub]G[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]G[sub]3[/sub]



D+-o---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10--11--12--
xxxD[sub]2[/sub]D[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]E[sub]2[/sub]F[sub]2[/sub]F[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]G[sub]2[/sub]G[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]A[sub]2[/sub]A[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]B[sub]2[/sub]C[sub]3[/sub]C[sup]#[/sup][sub]3[/sub]D[sub]3[/sub]
xxxD[sub]2[/sub]E[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]E[sub]2[/sub]F[sub]2[/sub]G[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]G[sub]2[/sub]A[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]A[sub]2[/sub]B[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]B[sub]2[/sub]C[sub]3[/sub]D[sup]b[/sup][sub]3[/sub]D[sub]3[/sub]



A+-o---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10--11--12--
xxxA[sub]1[/sub]A[sup]#[/sup][sub]1[/sub]B[sub]1[/sub]C[sub]2[/sub]C[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]D[sub]2[/sub]D[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]E[sub]2[/sub]F[sub]2[/sub]F[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]G[sub]2[/sub]G[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]A[sub]2[/sub]
xxxA[sub]1[/sub]B[sup]b[/sup][sub]1[/sub]B[sub]1[/sub]C[sub]2[/sub]D[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]D[sub]2[/sub]E[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]E[sub]2[/sub]F[sub]2[/sub]G[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]G[sub]2[/sub]A[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]A[sub]2[/sub]



E+-o---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10--11--12--
xxxE[sub]1[/sub]F[sub]1[/sub]F[sup]#[/sup][sub]1[/sub]G[sub]1[/sub]G[sup]#[/sup][sub]1[/sub]A[sub]1[/sub]A[sup]#[/sup][sub]1[/sub]B[sub]1[/sub]C[sub]2[/sub]C[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]D[sub]2[/sub]D[sup]#[/sup][sub]2[/sub]E[sub]2[/sub]
xxxE[sub]1[/sub]F[sub]1[/sub]G[sup]b[/sup][sub]1[/sub]G[sub]1[/sub]A[sup]b[/sup][sub]1[/sub]A[sub]1[/sub]B[sup]b[/sup][sub]1[/sub]B[sub]1[/sub]C[sub]2[/sub]D[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]D[sub]2[/sub]E[sup]b[/sup][sub]2[/sub]E[sub]2[/sub]


If you believe in the power of FL then you need to add 2 to the note numbers given above, i.e. C[sub]3[/sub] is middle C is C[sub]5[/sub] in FL
 
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