What the lines and numbers mean
Tablature (tab) uses six horizontal lines, one for each guitar string, with the thinnest (high E) usually on top. A number on a line tells you which fret to press on that string; a 0 means play it open.
Reading it
You read left to right like text. Numbers stacked vertically are played together as a chord; numbers in sequence are played one after another. Tab shows the notes and loose order, though it usually does not show precise timing.
The pitch a fret actually plays
Tab tells you where to put a finger — string and fret — but the pitch that produces depends on two things: how the guitar is tuned, and how far a fret sits from the open string. Concert pitch itself is fixed by international standard: ISO 16 states that “the frequency for the note A in the treble stave... shall be 440 Hz,” with tuning held within 0.5 Hz of that. First published in 1975, the standard was most recently reconfirmed in 2022 and remains current.
From that single reference, every other pitch on a standard-tuned guitar follows by simple maths. Modern instruments use equal temperament, which — as the sibling page on scales covers — divides the octave into 12 equal semitones. Because frequency doubles every octave, each single fret raises pitch by a factor of the twelfth root of two, about 1.05946: twelve equal multiplications by that number, one per fret, compound to exactly double the frequency by the twelfth fret.
Standard tuning, fret by fret
Apply that maths to standard tuning (low to high: E-A-D-G-B-E) and the six open strings work out to roughly E2 ≈ 82.4 Hz, A2 ≈ 110.0 Hz, D3 ≈ 146.8 Hz, G3 ≈ 196.0 Hz, B3 ≈ 246.9 Hz and E4 ≈ 329.6 Hz — each one computed from the 440 Hz reference using the twelfth-root-of-two step, not stated directly by ISO 16 itself.
That same arithmetic is behind a well-known tuning-by-ear trick: fretting the fifth fret of one string should match the next string played open, because five frets is five multiplications of 1.05946 — and on a guitar in standard tuning that lands almost exactly on the neighbouring open string’s frequency (the one exception is the G-to-B pair, tuned a fret closer, at the fourth fret instead of the fifth, since that pair sits a major third apart rather than a fourth).
Fret 5 on the open low E string (82.4 Hz): 82.4 × 1.059465 ≈ 110.0 Hz — the same frequency as the open A string, which is exactly why that fifth-fret check works.
Common symbols
- h = hammer-on, p = pull-off.
- b = bend; slashes mean slides up or down.
- x = muted note.
- ~ = vibrato.
Turn a fret number into a frequency
Pick an open string and a fret, and this runs the same equal-temperament arithmetic above. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
Standard tuning, equal temperament, computed from the 440 Hz reference — not the exact frequency of any one physical guitar, which drifts slightly with string age and temperature.
Where this comes from
ISO 16:1975, Acoustics — Standard tuning frequency (reconfirmed 2022): the 440 Hz reference for concert A and the 0.5 Hz tuning tolerance. iso.org · accessed 4 August 2026.
Britannica — Scale (music): the 12 equal half steps the equal-temperament fret maths above is built on. britannica.com · accessed 4 August 2026.
The specific open-string frequencies, the twelfth-root-of-two step size, and the calculator’s output are this page’s own equal-temperament arithmetic built on the ISO reference — not figures either source states directly.
Common questions
Is tab easier than sheet music?
For guitar, usually yes to start — it shows exactly where to put your fingers. Standard notation carries more rhythm detail.
Does tab show rhythm?
Often only loosely. Many players listen to the song alongside the tab to get the timing right.
Should I still learn standard notation?
It helps for wider musicianship, but tab is a great, quick way to start playing songs.