How To Read Ukulele Tabs

To visualize it better imagine you set your ukulele down flat on a table strings facing up and headstock to your left.

How to read ukulele tabs. If you hold the tab on top of the fretboard in this way the strings will match. A tab is always read from left to right and each number refers to the fret number. Frets and strings tab for chords. While holding both the frets pluck the string and then drag your ring finger off. How to read ukulele tabs.

Vertical lines represent the strings of the ukulele starting with the g string on the far left moving to the a string on the far right. In this example you would. The line below that is the e string. The top line of the tab is the a string the one closest to the floor when you re playing. This tab is telling you to pick the 3 rd fret which is on the a string one time.

When you hold your ukelele up to your body the g string will be the closest to your head and the a string will be closest to your waist but on your tab chart a is at the top and g is at the bottom. Part one the basics. Pluck the 3rd fret of the bottom string a. That will reveal the note on the fret. It actually predates modern sheet music by several hundred years and most scholars believe it dates back to the development of the lute and early guitar music.

The second thing you need to know about how to read ukulele tabs is the frets. The line below that is the c string. Then pluck the open e string open string 0. Now depending on which string line the number is on you get to know what string to play the fret on. The bottom line of the tab is g string.

It s important to drag the string as this will amplify the sound of the note. How to read ukulele tab. G is closest to you a is furthest away. I wanted to create a complete overview of reading ukulele tab so i ve written a number of posts covering the subject. In the example above you would place your first finger on the 5th fret and your ring finger on the 7th.