Don't know if this belongs here but, I can't understand tablature.
I know how to read tab as far as "Third string second fret" kind of things, but when I try to apply the strumming and multiple notes it doesn't match up.
I feel so lost looking at it.

http://guitar.about.com/library/blhowtoreadtab.htm

Don't Google "how to read guitar tab" or anything.

Put an example of what you [i]can't[/i] read and I'll help you with it.

[quote="ItsumoWaMotteru"]Put an example of what you [i]can't[/i] read and I'll help you with it.[/quote]

Well here's one of the songs I'm trying to play at the monet. I got the tab straight from this site, so I'd think it would be accurate.

One Life

Intro
Gsus4 G
E |------3-------3------|
B |----3---3---3---3----|
G |--5-------4-------3--|
D |---------------------|
A |---------------------|
E |---------------------|

Gsus4 G Gsus4 G

Verse 1
C G Am Em F G C G
E |-0-0--3-3--0-0--0-0---1-1--3-3--0-0--3-3--|
B |-1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0---1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0--|
G |-0-0--0-0--2-2--0-0---2-2--0-0--0-0--0-0--|
D |-2-2--0-0--2-2--2-2---3-3--0-0--2-2--0-0--|
A |-3-3--2-2-------2-2---3-3--2-2--3-3--2-2--|
E |------3-3-------------1-1--3-3-------3-3--|

C G Am Em F G C
E |-0-0--3-3--0-0--0-0---1-1--3-3--0-0-0-0--|
B |-1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0---1-1--0-0--1-1-1-1--|
G |-0-0--0-0--2-2--0-0---2-2--0-0--0-0-0-0--|
D |-2-2--0-0--2-2--2-2---3-3--0-0--2-2-2-2--|
A |-3-3--2-2-------2-2---3-3--2-2--3-3-3-3--|
E |------3-3-------------1-1--3-3-----------|

Verse 2
Dm Em C C7 F G Am A7
E |-1-1--0-0--0-0--0-0--1-1--3-3--0-0--0-0--|
B |-3-3--0-0--1-1--1-1--1-1--3-3--1-1--2-2--|
G |-2-2--0-0--0-0--3-3--2-2--0-0--2-2--0-0--|
D |------2-2--2-2--2-2--3-3--0-0--2-2--2-2--|
A |------2-2--3-3--3-3--3-3--2-2--0-0-------|
E |---------------------1-1--3-3------------|

Dm Em C C7 Fm7 G# G
E |-1-1--0-0--0-0--0-0--1-1--4-4--3-3--|
B |-3-3--0-0--1-1--1-1--1-1--4-4--3-3--|
G |-2-2--0-0--0-0--3-3--2-2--5-5--4-4--|
D |------2-2--2-2--2-2--1-1--6-6--5-5--|
A |------2-2--3-3--3-3--3-2--6-6--5-5--|
E |---------------------1-1--4-4--3-3--|

Gsus4 G Gsus4 G

Chorus
F G C C7
F G Am A7
F G C C7
F Fm7 C G
Chorus 2
F G C C7
F G Am A7
F G C C7
F Fm7 C A7

[quote="Utuseru"][quote="ItsumoWaMotteru"]Put an example of what you [i]can't[/i] read and I'll help you with it.[/quote]

Well here's one of the songs I'm trying to play at the monet. I got the tab straight from this site, so I'd think it would be accurate. [/quote]

[size=150]Holy shit, think again. Never assume that, especially here.[/size]

Secondly:

[code]One Life

Intro
Gsus4 G
E |------3-------3------|
B |----3---3---3---3----|
G |--5-------4-------3--|
D |---------------------|
A |---------------------|
E |---------------------|

Gsus4 G Gsus4 G

Verse 1
C G Am Em F G C G
E |-0-0--3-3--0-0--0-0---1-1--3-3--0-0--3-3--|
B |-1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0---1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0--|
G |-0-0--0-0--2-2--0-0---2-2--0-0--0-0--0-0--|
D |-2-2--0-0--2-2--2-2---3-3--0-0--2-2--0-0--|
A |-3-3--2-2-------2-2---3-3--2-2--3-3--2-2--|
E |------3-3-------------1-1--3-3-------3-3--|

C G Am Em F G C
E |-0-0--3-3--0-0--0-0---1-1--3-3--0-0-0-0--|
B |-1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0---1-1--0-0--1-1-1-1--|
G |-0-0--0-0--2-2--0-0---2-2--0-0--0-0-0-0--|
D |-2-2--0-0--2-2--2-2---3-3--0-0--2-2-2-2--|
A |-3-3--2-2-------2-2---3-3--2-2--3-3-3-3--|
E |------3-3-------------1-1--3-3-----------|

Verse 2
Dm Em C C7 F G Am A7
E |-1-1--0-0--0-0--0-0--1-1--3-3--0-0--0-0--|
B |-3-3--0-0--1-1--1-1--1-1--3-3--1-1--2-2--|
G |-2-2--0-0--0-0--3-3--2-2--0-0--2-2--0-0--|
D |------2-2--2-2--2-2--3-3--0-0--2-2--2-2--|
A |------2-2--3-3--3-3--3-3--2-2--0-0-------|
E |---------------------1-1--3-3------------|

Dm Em C C7 Fm7 G# G
E |-1-1--0-0--0-0--0-0--1-1--4-4--3-3--|
B |-3-3--0-0--1-1--1-1--1-1--4-4--3-3--|
G |-2-2--0-0--0-0--3-3--2-2--5-5--4-4--|
D |------2-2--2-2--2-2--1-1--6-6--5-5--|
A |------2-2--3-3--3-3--3-2--6-6--5-5--|
E |---------------------1-1--4-4--3-3--|

Gsus4 G Gsus4 G

Chorus
F G C C7
F G Am A7
F G C C7
F Fm7 C G
Chorus 2
F G C C7
F G Am A7
F G C C7
F Fm7 C A7[/code]

[quote="sheerheartattack"]

[size=150]Holy shit, think again. Never assume that, especially here.[/size]
[/quote]

[quote][code]One Life

Intro
Gsus4 G
E |------3-------3------|
B |----3---3---3---3----|
G |--5-------4-------3--|
D |---------------------|
A |---------------------|
E |---------------------|

Gsus4 G Gsus4 G

Verse 1
C G Am Em F G C G
E |-0-0--3-3--0-0--0-0---1-1--3-3--0-0--3-3--|
B |-1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0---1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0--|
G |-0-0--0-0--2-2--0-0---2-2--0-0--0-0--0-0--|
D |-2-2--0-0--2-2--2-2---3-3--0-0--2-2--0-0--|
A |-3-3--2-2-------2-2---3-3--2-2--3-3--2-2--|
E |------3-3-------------1-1--3-3-------3-3--|

C G Am Em F G C
E |-0-0--3-3--0-0--0-0---1-1--3-3--0-0-0-0--|
B |-1-1--3-3--1-1--0-0---1-1--0-0--1-1-1-1--|
G |-0-0--0-0--2-2--0-0---2-2--0-0--0-0-0-0--|
D |-2-2--0-0--2-2--2-2---3-3--0-0--2-2-2-2--|
A |-3-3--2-2-------2-2---3-3--2-2--3-3-3-3--|
E |------3-3-------------1-1--3-3-----------|

Verse 2
Dm Em C C7 F G Am A7
E |-1-1--0-0--0-0--0-0--1-1--3-3--0-0--0-0--|
B |-3-3--0-0--1-1--1-1--1-1--3-3--1-1--2-2--|
G |-2-2--0-0--0-0--3-3--2-2--0-0--2-2--0-0--|
D |------2-2--2-2--2-2--3-3--0-0--2-2--2-2--|
A |------2-2--3-3--3-3--3-3--2-2--0-0-------|
E |---------------------1-1--3-3------------|

Dm Em C C7 Fm7 G# G
E |-1-1--0-0--0-0--0-0--1-1--4-4--3-3--|
B |-3-3--0-0--1-1--1-1--1-1--4-4--3-3--|
G |-2-2--0-0--0-0--3-3--2-2--5-5--4-4--|
D |------2-2--2-2--2-2--1-1--6-6--5-5--|
A |------2-2--3-3--3-3--3-2--6-6--5-5--|
E |---------------------1-1--4-4--3-3--|

Gsus4 G Gsus4 G

Chorus
F G C C7
F G Am A7
F G C C7
F Fm7 C G
Chorus 2
F G C C7
F G Am A7
F G C C7
F Fm7 C A7[/code][/quote]

Thanks, but I still can't read it .

[quote="GoldenRhino"]http://guitar.about.com/library/blhowtoreadtab.htm

Don't Google "how to read guitar tab" or anything.[/quote]

Thanks GoldenRhino, I still don't fully understand it, but this helps.

Imagine that this is guitar fretboard when you look at it from top:

[code]
e-----------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------
D-----------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------
[/code]

String e is the most high pitched sounding one, string E is the bassy one.

Now imagine that you want to play the most high pitched string, which is e in open position - like, just hitting the string.

[code]
e--0---
B------
G------
D------
A------
E------
[/code]

If you put 1 there, it means that you have to press string e on first fret, and just play it.

[code]
e--1---
B------
G------
D------
A------
E------
[/code]

Now imagine hitting all the strings without touching your fret board - playing all open strings

[code]
e--0---
B--0---
G--0---
D--0---
A--0---
E--0---
[/code]

And a simple A chord will look like that:


[code]
e--0---
B--2---
G--2---
D--2---
A--0---
E--x---
[/code]

x - means not played, or muted/dead.

Now imagine playing a series of open e notes.

[code]
e-0-0-0-0-0-------
B-------------------
G-------------------
D-------------------
A-------------------
E-------------------
[/code]

And now once open e, and once e at 2nd fret

[code]
e-0-2---------------
B-------------------
G-------------------
D-------------------
A-------------------
E-------------------
[/code]

This here means playing A chord twice:

[code]
e--0--0---
B--2--2---
G--2--2---
D--2--2---
A--0--0---
E--x--x---
[/code]

Those are the basics, if you didn't understand it from the site posted above by GoldenRhino.

[quote="kamkor"] -snip- [/quote]

i couldnt have said it better myself. the numbers are what you must press on the fretboard. alot of numbers on one column means you need to hold em all down at the same time and strum accordingly.


yea it took me a few weeks to understand tabs too, Utuseru.

no sweat bro.

Wow, now even I can understand guitar tablature. (I don't play guitar. Don't bash, I'm too poor.)

you'll get used to it... time moves from left to right, the lines are the strings on the fretboard... yadda yadda. are you comfortable with talking about chords as x02220 or xx0232 and stuff? it's the same idea, just rotated 90 degrees.

I always thought tab was completely intuitive.

If you need it explained, you might as well learn sheet music.

[quote="sheerheartattack"]I always thought tab was completely intuitive.

If you need it explained, you might as well learn sheet music.[/quote]

pretty much. this is the first time i've seen somebody needing help with just reading a tab in general. the b/r h/p stuff might logically need explaining, but...

[quote="sheerheartattack"]I always thought tab was completely intuitive.

If you need it explained, you might as well learn sheet music.[/quote]

Seeing as guitar is my first instrument, It'ss not second nature.
I am learning sheet music.
I understand tab now.

Good. Learn sheet music. It's very helpful when you're dealing with non-guitarists. I never did, and cannot summon the initiative to do it now.