Reading the tabs

This section is dedicated to solve the FAQ on the codes and symbols used on our tabs. If you are a begginer and dont have the lesser clue on how to read a tablature (or you dont even know what a tab is), check guitar websites, there are several to tutorials and lessons for this.

General Layout

Guitar - SONG NAME
===============
Tune (low to high): SONG TUNNING
Credits to: ORIGINAL TABBER (the tab might have been corrected, but this is the author of the original tabber, on which we based on)

RIFF 1 NAME
|---------5-5---------| --> THINEST STRING (counted as 1st string)
|-------4-----4-------|
|-----3---------3-----|
|---2-------------2---|
|-1-----------------1-| --> LOUDEST STRING (counted as last string)

RIFF 2 NAME
|---------6-6---------|
|-------5-----5-------|
|-----4---------4-----|
|---3-------------3---|
|-2-----------------2-|

RIFFS TO BE REPEATED BEFORE NEXT RIFF

etc, etc..

 

Tablature Codes

|-*5-|
|-*5-|
|-*5-|

HARMONICA (artificial or natural)
Instead of firmly holding the strings over the fret, only rest your finger (only one finger, always) really softly on the strings, then play it. The sound should be very thin, and most oftenly it should audible only with a distortion. It might require some train until you learn the exact place in the fret and the exactly how soft the pressure has to be, until it sounds good enough.
|-3/5-|
|-3/5-|
|-3/5-|
 SLIDE
Play the first note/chord and while it still rings, slide your left hand to the second note/chord (without picking the second note). Notice the bar indicates if it's a slide-up or slide-down: "/" means slide-up, "\" means slide-down.
|-/5-|
|-/5-|
|-/5-|
 NOWHERE SLIDE
Same as slide, but it doesnt matter really where you play the first note/chord (usually you'll play it 2-3 steps far), as long as you slide it fast enough so the important note/chord sounds clear. There can be also the nowhere-slide after a note/chord, then it means you play it and you slide it down/up until the note dies (stops ringing). Pay attention to the direction of the slide, if it's up or down, by looking to the direction which the bar points to.
|-3h5-|
|-3h5-|
|-3h5-|
 HAMMER ON
It sounds really close to the slide, but there's a subtile difference. Play the first note/chord, and while it still rings, with another finger you reach the second note (without picking the second note).
|-5p3-|
|-5p3-|
|-5p3-|

PULL-OFF
The inverse of Hammer-on. You play a note/chord, then you take off your finger from the fret, and let the strings now ring the note from your finger that was on a lower position, into a second note/chord (once again, without picking the second note).

|-(5)-|
|-(5)-|
|-(5)-|
 GHOST NOTE
A ghost note is either a note that is not played all the time (variated strumming), or that is optional, a note the band itself doesnt necessary respect.
|--x--|
|--x--|
|--x--|
 DEAD/MUTE NOTE
Put your hands roughly over the strings (the fret doesnt matter much, but from 3-6th it usually sounds best), so that when you play it no sounds come out except the sound of the picking of the strings. If there's a dead note in the middle of a chord, then it means simply that string doesnt have to sound, it can be mute.
|-x\\-|
|-x\\-|
|-x\\-|
 SCRATCH
Slide your hand over the arm in dead notes whilepicking fastly. It should have a peculiar sound with distortion.

 

Palm-mute and Effectors

|---------5-5---------|
|-------4-----4-------|
|-----3---------3-----|
|---2-------------2---|
|-1-----------------1-|
-<<<pm>>>--------

PALM-MUTE
To play palm-mute, your left hand plays normally the riff, but your right hand rests on the strings, right as they come out of the bridge, while picking normally. This grasps the sound of the notes, and is widely used it eletric guitar. It should take you some pratice until you learn exactly how close to the bridge the hand must stay, and the exact pressure so it sounds good.

To indicate palm-mute you will find, under the notes/chords to be palm-muted, the <pm> indication.
|---------6-6---------|
|-------5-----5-------|
|-----4---------4-----|
|---3-------------3---|
|-2-----------------2-|
-------------<chorus>

EFFECTORS
If nothing is writen about effectors, presume it's either clean or distortion (just listen to the song). If there is any special effector, it'll be described on a text following the riff name.
Sometimes in the same riff you'll have to switch between two effectors, here's how we indicate it:

To indicate the use of an effector you will find, under the notes/chords that'll use the effector, the <effector> indication. For different effectors, the name between the <> will obsviously change. If the effector name is too long, it's abreviation will be used between the <>, and the full name will be specified in the text close to the riff tab.