Any novice guitarist has always wondered what tabs are. It all starts with the fact that a person picks up an instrument and begins to play the simplest song, for example, "A Star named Sun." But you always want something more: the battle is boring, the music is ugly, and the chords are simple. In this case, you can learn a melodic song, and for this it is not necessary to know the notes. In tabs, string numbering goes from top to bottom. The numbers indicate on which fret you need to hold the string. Everything is quite easy and simple, you just have to work out for several hours and you can go out in public to perform your favorite song. With the help of such schemes, you can quickly remember how to play a melody, because in them there are only numbers, lines and several other elements.
Tablatures and their designations
We all wanted to learn how to play a musical instrument in childhood or youth. Tablatures are sheet music applicable to a particular device. They are written mainly for guitars, as well as for bass guitars, mandolins, balalaikas, etc. When you open a table with numbers and lines on your computer, the question arises of what are tabs and how to play them. It is worth noting that there are similar notes even for drums and other similar instruments. So why do we need such an alternative? After all, there are classical notes that can also be played. And all because tabs are easier to write, read, and their test format is more convenient to use, especially if you have a computer or laptop. Next, we will talk about the most important, namely, what are tabs and how to learn how to play them.
Symbols and lines - symbol
Six horizontal stripes indicate strings. It’s like looking at a guitar fretboard where higher or thin are higher and lower or thicker notes are lower. The numbers indicate frets. The advantages of tabs are ease of use - you don’t need to know the notes to play the instrument. Their minus is non-universality, because they are written only specifically for the guitar, balalaika or mandolin. If you need to play another instrument, then you have to look for other notations and schemes. It is worth noting that for tablatures there is no single writing style, so different authors can use different notations. There are comments in their files, and this will help you figure out how to play.
Step by step explanation
So what are tabs and what do vertical and horizontal stripes or numbers mean? When a person begins to play the guitar, however, like on another instrument, he wants to quickly play some kind of melody, and not learn notes all day, so such a table with simple notation will help.
1. Six horizontal stripes are the strings of a guitar. Their score goes from top to bottom, and not like an instrument, the upper band is the first string.
2. The vertical line that runs through the horizontal lines is the separation of the measures.
3. Numbers - this is the fret number on which you want to clamp the string. If everything is done correctly, then the melodies whose tabs you use will sound beautiful and unique.
4. The numbers at the left edge are the measure size (as in notes).
5. From the fret number, stripes go down and connect - this is the duration. But the chords of the tabs of songs are not always prescribed, such a designation is found, but rarely.
6. Latin letters on the left are strings under a note, but instead of them there may be numbers.
Other designations
Tablature file of beautiful melodies may contain other lines, numbers or letters. For example, the slip is indicated by the signs "/" and "\", they are put in order to say about the descending and ascending glissando. The letters "h" and "p" are legato, indicated between notes. In this case, the sound is extracted with the finger of the right hand on the first note, and with the finger of the left - on the second. The infinity sign denotes vibrato. It is written as many times as a string should sound. There is also a “^” suspender (band), which is indicated between two notes. This element is used when playing the electric guitar. “8b9” also refers to string pulling by a half tone, a quarter tone, or a single tone.
If you want to seriously play the guitar, then you need to study the notes. Tablatures are useful only if the melody, its tempo and motive are familiar to you. In any case, the game will turn out to be interesting, and the song will sound beautiful, because the guitar is a yard instrument, to the sounds of which each of us grew.