How to read tabs?

Summary

In this lesson, students will learn how to read guitar tabs. They will practice playing a short popular melody from tabs and trying to guess the song.

_{The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons and add additional activities (see 'Activities' section). If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.}

⏰ Time: 40 min

🎓 Grades: 5-12

🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...

• Understand how to read guitar tabs;
• Play a short melody from guitar tabs;
• Guess a popular song from a short excerpt, played on the guitar.

💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:

• Basic rhythm

💻 Materials:

• Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
• Projector or computer and access to WIFI
• Guitars

Song suggestions

Introduction

🕐 10 min - Guitar tabs

• Explain to students that notes on the guitar can be written using the standard notation or tablature, also called tabs.
• Tablature is a diagram of the guitar fretboard.

The six horizontal lines represent the strings. The highest sounding string (the 1st or the E string) is located at the top - like when you're viewing your guitar from above while holding it in playing position!

The numbers represent the frets.

Warm-up

🕐 10 min - Try it out

• Show these tabs and demonstrate how to read them.

• It starts with the open E string, then you have to press the 1st fret on the same string, then move on to the 3rd fret.
• Each note should be plucked with the right thumb, index or middle finger.
• The same three notes then are played on the other strings one after the other.
• Distribute guitars to the class - either one for each student or one for a group of students.
• Invite students to try to read tabs on their guitars.‍

Practice

🕐  15 min - Guess the song!

• Split the class into six or less small groups.
• Give each group a printout of different tabs (1-6). They all contain a short melody from a popular song.
• Each group should try to play the melody on their guitars and guess the song.
• When the groups have figured out their songs, invite each group or a selected member to play the melody to the rest of the class.
• The task is to guess the song just played!
• Here are the right answers:

1. “As It Was” by Harry Styles

2. “Infinity” by Jaymes Young

3. “Happy Birthday”, traditional song

4. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals

5. “Riptide” by Vance Joy

6. “Drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo

• Open one or several of the songs students just played (they can be accessed by clicking on the images in the song suggestions list above or through the Solfeg.io song library). Listen to a part of the song and ask the students to find the part they played!

Reflection

🕐  5 min - Discussion

• What was the most challenging/fun part of the lesson?
• Was it difficult to play the melody on the guitar?
• Do you think the guitar is a suitable instrument to play melody on?
• Why are tabs so popular to notate music on the guitar and the ukulele?

Beyond the lesson

Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…

• Playing the short melody along to the song;
• Learning the vocal part of the song.