Guitar Tablature: Symbols, Notations and Abbreviations

On this page I have published the ultimate table of guitar tab notation and symbols for both graphic tablatures that are most commonly used in guitar magazines, books, software editors, as well as the ASCII (plain text) tabs that can often be found on web pages.

It is one of the most complete references out there, so you might consider bookmarking this page for future use. The rarer notation symbols I've put closer to the bottom.

You'll see that in the ASCII column there are a lot of blank cells; this is because ASCII tabs do not have some equivalent notation and symbols. This assumes that you know the song and can figure out additional playing techniques on your own.

Graphic tablatures often include lines of staff notation along with tab lines; that's why I have created diverse examples in order to help you get used to different tab formats.

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Symbols, Notations, and Abbreviations Used in Guitar Tablature
ASCII tab examples	Abbreviations and extra information	Full name
		Downstroke (down picking)
		Upstroke (up picking)
		Finger Numbering for the fretting hand
Character “x” before notes: 1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|--x5-x5-x5-x5--- 6\|---------------- and sometimes as PM: PM - - - - - -\| 1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---5--5--5--5--- 6\|----------------	P.M.	Palm Mute
		Rake
		Arpeggiated Chord Playing across the strings in succession, following the direction of the arrow.
p i m i a i m i 1\|---------0------- 2\|-----1-------1--- 3\|---0---0---0---0- 4\|----------------- 5\|-3--------------- 6\|-----------------	p i m a	Fingerstyle Guitar Fingering system for the plucking hand: p - thumb i - index finger m - middle finger a - ring finger
A.H. or Harm. 1\|---3------------ 2\|---------------- 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	A.H.	Artificial Harmonics
1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|-----<12>------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	N.H.	Natural Harmonics In ASCII tabs, natural harmonics can also be marked as N.H. or sometimes indicated with a '+' symbol above the tab.
TH 1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|------12-------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	T.H.	Tapped Harmonics
1\|---------------- 2\|--<8>----------- 3\|--------<7>----- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	In graphic tabs, pinched harmonics are shown with fret numbers inside triangles	Pinched Harmonics
	TCH	Touch Harmonics A ringing string is touched above the fret while it is sounding, indicated by the TCH abbreviation.
1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|-----7b9-------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	BU or b	Bend Up
1\|------r2-------- 2\|---------------- 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	BD or r	Bend Down or Release
1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|------pb7------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	PB	Pre-bend
~~~ 1\|--7v--or-7------ 2\|---------------- 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	v or ~~~	Vibrato
1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|-5h7--rarely-5^7 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	H.O.	Hammer On (legato )
1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|-7p5--rarely-7^5 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	P.O.	Pull Off (legato )
1\|-10s12--or-10/12 2\|---------------- 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	s	Sliding (glissando) "/" - sliding up "\" - sliding down
T 1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|-12---or--12t--- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	T, + or ○	Tapping
1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|-2-x-x-2-x-x-2-x 4\|-2-x-x-2-x-x-2-x 5\|-0-x-x-0-x-x-0-x 6\|----------------	x	Fret-Hand Muting
1\|---------------- 2\|-TP10- or 10tr - 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|---------------- 'tr' can look like a trill—see the next row for trill notation.	TP and sometimes tr	Tremolo Picking
1\|---------------- 2\|-----7tr8------- 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	tr	Trill Rapidly alternating between two adjacent notes.
	A smaller digit or a tiny note with a line across	Grace Note (Acciaccatura) A very brief note, as if brushed on the way to the main note. A grace note takes a small amount of the duration from the main note it precedes.
1\|---------------- 2\|---------------- 3\|-----\1/-------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------		Dip Slightly pressing down and releasing the whammy bar. The number next to the symbol indicates by how much to lower the pitch.
		Inverted Dip The number indicates the amount of pitch to raise.
		Dive Diving the whammy bar.
		Dive and Return Diving and returning the whammy bar.
		Scoop Depressing the bar before picking the string, then releasing it as you play.
		Whammy Bar Bends Bending the strings using the whammy bar.
		Gargle A "gargle" effect produced with a whammy bar.
		Capo Fret numbering begins from the capo (not the nut).
		Pick Scrape Scraping the pick across the lower strings to create a scraping sound.
	3 5 6	Tuplet: triplet quintuplet sextuplet
> 1\|---------------- 2\|-------12------- 3\|---------------- 4\|---------------- 5\|---------------- 6\|----------------	>	Accented note
		Fermata Indicates the note should be sustained beyond its normal duration.
		Dotted Note A dot placed to the right of a note lengthens its duration by one-half. Examples:
		Repeat Signs Notes between these symbols are played repeatedly.
		Staccato Dot placed above or below the note. Staccato means playing notes sharply by means of shortening ringing duration of a marked note and leaving a silent gap before the next note, so the rhythm remains unchanged.
	8^va	Ottava Alta Notes on the staff along the dashed line are played one octave higher. The 8^va notation is used to simplify the staff by avoiding excessive ledger lines for high notes. Note: This only affects the staff notation. The tablature numbers remain unchanged, indicating the actual fingerboard positions. Comparison of original and 8^va notation.
	8^rb	Ottava Bassa Notes on the staff along the dashed line are played one octave lower than notated. As with 8^va, the tablature numbers remain unchanged. Comparison of original and 8^rb notation.