How to read Ascii Format Guitar Tabs

How to read guitar tabs in Ascii format?

Here are a few examples showing how to read guitar tabs various techniques with ASCII tableature

Slide up from fret 3 to 5 on the third string

Slide out downwards from the 5th fret third string

Pull off from 8th fret to 5th on the first string

Hammer on from the open B string to the third fret

Typical pentatonic lick with bend, played as 8th note triplets

How to read guitar tabs in standard guitar tab format?

Here are the same five examples shown in standard tab format.

Reading standard guitar tab is obviously a lot easier than the text version because there aren't the same limitations. Most text based tabs posted on the internet are handy for getting the general idea but actually listening to the song as well makes it a lot clearer. There are also a ton of guitar tabs available for Power Tab and Guitar-Pro that you can download and play on the appropriate software. Power Tab is free and very popular but unfortunaletly is no longer updated. It is still a very powerfull guitar tab reader and generator. Playing guitar tab in a software reader is also very handy for slowing down guitar solos.

Guitar-Pro has more features and is probably easier to use, with a wide database of users. Guitar tabs for Guitar-Pro are also widespread across the internet. One advantage to using Guitar-Pro is the RSE engine which gives realistic audio. Although it is not free it does have a lot of useful features.