Notation legend

(for tabs by PD)

 

-14b16-- : simple bend (one step)
---b16-- : pre bend or quick bend
-14b---- : little bend (1/4...1/2) it's typical for bending with index-finger

 

-----------
-------15__
-14b16_____   : let this two strings ring together  
-----------

 

----14b___16--  : slow bend. (the length of the ___ sign is proportional to the duration of the bending)
----16r14-----  : release a bent note
14b16___r14---  : bend, hold, release (only one picking)
-14b16--16r14-  : pick, bend,  pick, release
-----r14------  : quick release

 

--14b16vvvv--  : bend with vibrato
--16vvv------  : vibrato without bend (tipical for index finger vibratos)

 

 -14/16- : slide up 
 -16\14- : slide down 
 --/14-- : slide from somewhere down  or  "micro" slide, quick 
 -14__/16-- : pick, wait, slide 
 -14-14/16- : pick, pick, slide

 

 -14h16- : hammer on 
 --h16-- : "micro" hammer on, quick 
 -16p14- : pull off 
 -14h16p14- : pick, hammer on, pull off 
 -t12p10p8- : tap on (right hand, index finger), pull off, pull off (left hand)

 

       ~              __3__       : quick ornament-triplet 
 E-5-7-5----- : E-5-7-5h7p5--- 
 B-------8---   B-----------8-

 

     ~2            _________ 
 E-7-5---7- :  E-7-5h7p5h7p5---7-

 

 -\4-- 
 -/2-- 
 -\4--  : arpeggio 
 -/4-- 
 ----- 
 -----

 

-x- : dead note

 

---<<<<<<<----- : skartching the string with the

picker

 

-<7>- : natural harmonic

 

 -F.B.- 
 -<7>-- : natural harmonic generated by feed-back

 

--0\\tr//--- : tremolo dive

 

---(7)------ : "mistake", or soft note

 

 ----| 
 ----| 
 -0/-| 
 -/0-| : repeat last section ("bar") five times, 
 ----| 
 -5X-|

 

 0/// 
 ///0 : repeat last three section

 

 -|----------------| 
 -|----------------| 
 -|-0/-------------| repeat last section but the end is modificated 
 -|-/0-------------| 
 -|----....4-5-6---| 
 -|----------------|

 

Rythm

The describing of rythm is sometimes exact, but most of the times you have to listen to the original record to get the right rhythm. Drum tabs are much more exact in this respect. In vocal tabs (and in some guitar tabs) the lyrics above the notes will help you to find the right rhythm.

 

Mostly tabbers use the gaps next to a note to show the duration of the note before the gap. Sometimes tabbers are extremly accurate in this respect, sometimes absolutely not.

 

here is some method I'm using:

 

tab:                length: 
-0---0---8-5-7---   :   1/4,1/4,1/8,1/8,1/4

 

-12---12---7-8-10-10-10--- : 1/4,1/4,1/8,1/8,1/8,1/8,1/4

 

blues rythm: 
  | | | | | | | | | |   | | |   | | | | | | | | | | | |   : the measure (1/8) 
 -0---0-3---0-0---0-3b4---0-5b7---3-5b7-3-0---0-3p0-0-0- 
 as you can see, the special notations (and two character long numbers) can make rhythm description harder to encode.

 

  | | | |  | | | | | |   | | |  :  measure (rarely used in PD tabs) 
 -0---x-3b---5-0---*-5b7---3-0- :  that * sign means pause.

 

a more compressed form: 
 -0-00-30-03b-00-x0-**-00-*0-00-

 

 ---------------- 
 -------_____---- 
 -14-16-16p14----  : notes of doubled velocity (half lenght) 
 -------------14-

 

 bars, beats:                                *       * 
 ---------|---------|   --------|--------   -----------------   -*-------*----- 
 ---------|---------|   --------|--------   -----------------   --------------- 
 ---------|---------|   --------|--------   -----------------   --------------- 
 -0-0-0-0-|-0-0-0-0-|   -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-   -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-   -0-0-0-0-0-0...

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