On the guitar there are 6-strings. They are numbered from 1 to 6 - the first being the thinnest and the 6th being the thickest.
Tablature is a six-line staff that represents the guitar fingerboard. The top line indicates the highest sounding string (high E). By placing a number on the appropriate line, the string and fret of any note can be indicated. The number 0 represents an open string.
#1-------------------------------Hi-E-string-----------------------------
#2-------------------------------B---------------------------------------
#3--------------------------G--------------------------------------------
#4---------------------D-------------------------------------------------
#5----------------A------------------------------------------------------
#6-------Lo- E-string----------------------------------------------------
Numbers on the strings represent which fret is to be played.
If they are written out like this they are to be played one at a time.
(Let each note ring out while you hit the next.)
#1----------------------------------2------------------------------------
#2---------------------------3-------------------------------------------
#3---------------------2-------------------------------------------------
#4---------------0-------------------------------------------------------
#5-----------------------------------------------------------------------
#6-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Numbers written on top of each other are to be played all at once like a "stum".
#1---------------2-------------------------------------------------------
#2---------------3-------------------------------------------------------
#3---------------2-------------------------------------------------------
#4---------------0-------------------------------------------------------
#5-----------------------------------------------------------------------
#6-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading grids is about the same. The 6 lines represent the strings of the guitar. The double line on the left is the nut. the numbers on the lines are finger numbers and the single lines represent frets.
(The O on the D string means to let that string ring out with the chord.)
This is a grid representation of an open D chord.
E ||-----|--2--|-----|----||
B ||-----|-----|--3--|----||
G ||-----|--1--|-----|----||
D O|-----|-----|-----|----||
A ||-----|-----|-----|----||
E ||-----|-----|-----|----||
