how do you read guitar tabs?

Question

how do you read guitar tabs? i DO NOT want a website. i want a thorough walkthrough. thanks!

Answer 1

| | | | | | | |
|E--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|B--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|G--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|D--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|A--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|E--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

Each line of tab matches up to a guitar string as shown. A zero 0 on a line means to hit the string open. A one 1 on the line means to fret the string on the first fret a 2 means the second fret and so on. If you don't know the notes of the strings, the E on the bottom of the tab is the thick string at the top of your guitar and the followed by the A and down to the thin string at the bottom which is also an E

| | | | | | | |
|E--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|B--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|G--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|D--------3-----------------------|--------------------------------|
|A-----2--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|E-1------------------------------|--------------------------------|

Here you would fret the first fret on the thick E string and strike it then the second fret of the slightly thinner A string and strike that then the third fret of the D string below that.

| | | | | | | |
|E-----0--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|B-----0--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|G-----2--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|D-----2--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|A-----1--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|E-----0--------------------------|--------------------------------|

In this example you would play an E chord by putting your fingers on the three strings at the appropriate frets leaving the other strings open and striking all 6 strings.

Answer 2

just match up the strings to the lines on the tab

then the number is the fret

and you just play it from left to right

pretty easy, just takes practicing over and over to learn a song from tab