Explaining Tablature – 2 pages on understanding tab and tab symbols

In this written lesson we get you understanding the very popular musical notation system called tablature or tab. Here we go over some of the most common symbols used in tablature along with chords, arpeggiating, and playing examples. Print out both pages and keep as reference materials. Rock on!

There is nothing like open chords, so full and rich sounding – especially on an acoustic guitar. Open position chords have that nice full and jangley sound from the ringing of the open strings. You can really get some nice variations on these chords if you examine and understand the interval structures that make up certain chord voicings.

For example a major chord is made of the intervals root, third and fifth, (1,3,5). Following that formula a C major chord is made of the notes C (the root), E (the 3rd), and G (the 5th). Fig. 1 illustrates a basic open C major open chord that was probably one of the first chords you learned. Lets embellish the chord in a different way by adding a high G note and you get a very interesting sounding C major chord illustrated in Fig. 2. Its still a C major chord, but has a slightly different ring to it due to the doubling up on the fifth or G note.

This chord voicing won’t work for every 5^th string root chord but it will work for the ones with a G note in the interval formula. This is so because it’s the G-string that is ringing out on these open chords. G is a fifth of C, G is a third of Eb, and the root of a G chord. G would be the third in an Eb major chord – Eb (the root), G (the third), and Bb (the fifth). Fig. 3 illustrates an open string Eb major chord. Notice it has the same fingering as the C major chord in figure 2 – just slide the whole voicing down to the 5^th fret root (Eb note). In Fig. 4 at the 10^th fret you will find an open G major chord, G (root), B (the third), and D (the fifth). Try sliding these chords around for very interesting and different open string chord tones.

Let’s try the similar process to get a few cool sounding and different minor chords. Instead of a variation of an open chord like above this example is more an offshoot from a barre chord that we will embellish with an open B string ringing. So all of the voicings will have the B note in the interval formula as that is the note that is ringing out. Remember the formula for a minor chord is a root, b3rd, and 5^th. If we add a 9 on top we have R, b3rd, 5^th, 9^th – making the chord a Bmadd9.

So lets try that at various positions with the open B string ringing out. Fig. 5 illustrates a Bmadd9 chord consisting of a root (B), b3rd (D), 5^th (F#), and 9^th (C#). Really cool sounding chord with the open B string ringing against the added 9^th of a minor chord. As in the example above lets find other places where this chord will work – chords with a B in the minor add9 formula. Fig. 6 illustrates the same fingering just move to the 4^th fret and you have an Abmadd9. The B is the b3rd in this chord – root is Ab, 5^th is Eb, and the 9^th is Bb. Fig. 7 moves to the 5^th fret and you have a Amadd9 as the B is now the 9^th. Fig. 8 illustrates an Emadd9 chord at the 12^th fret where the B is now the 5^th of the chord. Try all these variations and intimately examine the open strings and their relationships to chord intervals and you will be making some very interesting and different tones.

In this lesson you will learn all about the Major Pentatonic scale. It is the relative major of the minor pentatonic scale. The major pentatonic scale is a five-note scale consisting of five notes from the major scale.Remember that you cant always use the minor pentatonic scale so you need to arm yourself with a broad scale knowledge so you can play over any chord progression. Try using the major pent scale over major chords or major progressions. It gives that sweet major sound – very different than the bluesy minor pentatonic sounds. Print out the attached written lesson as it has diagrams displaying the major pent scale to get you started.

It is an extremely useful scale as you get a major scale feel but without the full major scale sound. At times full major scales may be inappropriate to play over a given progression, as they may sound a bit stiff. The major seventh note is a very “ify” note, especially in rock music as sometimes it works and many times it doesn’t. Defaulting to the major pentatonic scale for that major sound in many of these instances is a great idea and will give you a killer sound.

The five-note major pentatonic scale is derived from five notes from the major scale similar to how the minor pentatonic scale is derived from five notes from the natural minor scale. The intervals of the major pentatonic are root, second, third, fifth, and sixth degrees of the major scale. Basically you do not play the 4^th and 7^th degrees of the major scale. For many guitarists, there’s confusion surrounding this major pentatonic and it’s relative minor, the minor pentatonic scale. The minor pentatonic is the relative minor of the major pentatonic and lives a minor 3rd, or three frets away, below the major pentatonic. For every major key there is a relative minor key. Both keys will have exactly the same notes. Refer to the handout on the circle of fifths for a complete listing of every major key and its relative minor key. C major’s relative minor is A minor. D major’s relative minor is B minor. G major’s relative is E minor.

Illustrated below we will utilize the “box shape” C major pentatonic and its relative minor, A minor pentatonic. C major pentatonic scales can also be viewed as A minor pentatonic scales. Both scales consist of the same notes C, D, E, G, and A. Your starting and emphasis notes determines the key you are playing. The confusion often comes because of the multiple names. C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same scale, just different start on and emphasis notes. Just like when playing utilizing the modes, it all comes down to what notes you are emphasizing, emphasis is so important! Play both scales starting with the root and listen to how the pentatonic major sounds very happy and major while the minor pentatonic sounds so much more dark and minor. Same notes, just different start and emphasis points. One scale gives you the happy, major, Allman Brothers type sound while the other gives you a darker, bluesy type sound

Since you probably already know your Minor Pentatonic scales across the entire fretboard there is no need to learn any new shapes to play Major Pentatonic. You can get to those shapes from the relative major and minor as discussed above. Learning more shapes would be redundant as you can think of the major pentatonic scales from the relative minor scales. So for that real sweet major pentatonic sound utilize all of your Minor Pentatonic shapes just focus on emphasizing the root of the mode – the major. For example when playing in C major Pentatonic think of the relative Minor – A Minor Pentatonic shapes that you have learned previously – just start and emphasize on the C notes – not the A notes. You want to sound major so you have to emphasize the major root – not the minor. Try to think of it this way and practice in all keys and all positions up and down the neck. Remember that you cant use minor pentatonic over all progressions and chords. At first try using the major pentatonic scales over major chords and real major sounding progressions. More to come!

There are three different types of minor scales – Natural Minor or Aeolian mode, Melodic Minor, and Harmonic Minor. These scales sound different from major scales because they are based on a different pattern of intervals. To create a minor scale from harmonizing the natural minor scale start on the root note and go up the scale using the pattern: whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step.

The first chord will always be minor, the second chord will always be diminished, the third chord will always be major, the fourth chord will always be minor, the fifth chord will always be minor, the sixth chord will always be major, and the seventh chord will always be major. Due to the three different minor scales there are more choices of chords when writing music in minor key as compared to major key.

For discussional purposes and to keep things relatively simple the chart below illustrates the minor key chordal options when we compile the Natural Minor scale, (in black), with the ascending version of the Melodic Minor scale, (in red).

As illustrated you have many different chordal options when writing in minor key so experiment and let you ear guide you to the best sounding chords like you like the best and that fit the music you are creating. Remember that the chart below is just a guide and that any chord can appear in any key, the chords below are just much more likely to appear in each given key as they are made from combinations of notes in the given scale. Rock on!

For example, play the root 6^th string major chord on the 5^th fret, (A note). The A is the root note, as depicted by the squares in the illustrations below. So this chord would be an A major bar chord. Now, move the whole shape to the 7^th fret – slide the whole shape up a whole step or two frets. Now it becomes a B major bar chord. If you move it to the 8^th fret it will be a C major bar chord.

You can move all these chords on its given string in the same fashion. Practice them in all keys and be patient, it will take some time to get your fingers to voice these chords – but with practice, you can do it. To ease into the fingering of bar chords let’s start by taking the shape of the E major open position chord we learned in a previous lesson:

There are basically three types of minor scales – natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor. The harmonic minor scale is a very interesting sounding scale that will add color and depth to your sound – it is a very exotic sounding scale. It has a very distinctive color to its sound – almost Spanish sounding. It is a natural minor scale with a raised seventh. The scale degrees are 1, 2 ,b3, 4, 5, b6, 7.

The natural minor scale is the same scale except the last degree is a flatted seventh, (b7). This form of minor scale is called “harmonic minor” because when harmonies are constructed in minor-key music, it often tends to utilize the raised 7th, especially in dominant harmony. In the key of C the harmonic minor scale would consist of the notes C, D, Eb, F, G, G#, and B. In the table shown on the written lesson you can see how the harmonic minor scale intervals relate to some of the other scales and modes that we have discussed in previous lessons.

This scale sounds great when played over a major V chord in a minor key progression or over minor plus seven chords. Try laying down a rhythm of Am7 – E7. Play A Aeolian over the Am chord and when the E7 chord comes up play the A Harmonic Minor scale over that chord and listen to the sound – WOW. Try resoling the 7^th degree to the root for a nice tension and release feel. You can play the scale over straight minor chords – but it will sound a bit exotic – try it and experiment. Remember the keynote in the scale is that 7^th – it is always a half step behind the root note.

Just to get you started below are two scale shapes. You can grab these easily in any key as you grab the root note with your first finger on the 6th string root in the one shape and the 5^th string root in the other. These will get you started but over time learn the scale over the entire neck and practice in all keys.

Using a capo on your electric or acoustic guitar can be both functional and fun. It will give you access to a whole new and exciting spectrum of sound textures as well as making key transpositions a snap. Using it is like giving the guitar the whole new palette of sounds.

Capo is actually short for the Italian phrase “capotasto”, which translates to “principle fret”. The device in essence provides a temporary nut on the guitar at various fret positions. In effect it shortens the length of the vibrating strings which raises the pitch of the open strings. So it makes open chord transposition a snap.

The capo is also a very useful tool as it makes it extremely easy to change a songs key to a more suitable vocal range. The guitarist can instantly change the pitch of the strings to suit their vocal range from song to song. It also makes playing flatted bar chords like Eb, Ab, and Bb much easier as with a capo you can play them with open voicings as compared to bar chords.If you affix the capo at the first fret, all the chords shapes you normally play will now be moved up a half step. Try playing familiar chord voicings while utilizing the capo at different frets and listen to the different sounds you can get with the capo.

Below is a chart that illustrates basic major chord shapes and what they will be transposed to if a capo is used at the indicated fret. For example if you play a C chord shape while having the capo affixed at the 6^th fret, the chord will ring out to the pitch of F#. If you play a E chord shape with the capo affixed at the 6^th fret, the chord will ring out to the pitch Bb.

You can see by these examples the capo allows the guitar player to shape common open chord fingerings but have the actual pitch ring out to a chord they may have to play with a bar chord.