Hey I am trying to teach myself how to play guitar, and i cant figure out a few things, first off what does the (0) mean when reading tabs? I know what the 0 means, but not sure about the 0 in brackets. Also, can someone explain hammer ons, pull offs, slides and string bends in a really dummied down version? thanks!

 

hammer down you tap your fret finger down on the string to make a sound, rather than plucking the string with your right hand.

pull off you pluck the string again with that same finger you're taking off the string, rather than plucking with your right hand

a bend you bend the string towards the string next to it with your fret hand... then it tightens and the note changes.

a slide you keep your finger pressed on the string, and slide down to the next note

an 0 in your tab means you strum the open string..

a (0) i don't know. in brackets is to tell you what note to put your finger before bending. what song is it?


http://www.guitartabs.cc/tabfaq.php

 

The song is one by metallica, and thanks for the dummied down info, it really helps alot! I asked my guitar playing friend what the (0) means and he said it just means that it is vibrating from the chord before....? Does that sound right how I typed that? Oh and thanks for the tabfaq too

 

does anyone know a good guitar website, that kinda tells you the basics? caue im learnin chords and everything, i think i just need a little theory or somethin, i donno.whatchall think?

 

the "O" is open string, not fretted.

 

jgc2521, I have checked out e-chords.com, and check out that site that websthes posted, its also great, has some really good info! Sounds like im doing kind of the same as your doing to, good luck with it!

 

yeah, ive found 8notes.com to be good for chords and stuff, and if you like country music cowboylyrics is good. what kinda guitar do you have?

 

i have a book of classical music for beginners. it's helped me a lot because classical music is all about using the right technique. once you understand technique, like using barre chords to make the notes you want to play, learning songs becomes easier.

barre chords are just like the open A (002220), E (022100), and A-minor (002210)chords you start learning, but you play them further up the neck using your index finger as a "barre" or kind of capo.

so an E (022100) played 3 frets higher, becomes a G (355433)

once you can make those basic chord shapes anywhere on the fretboard, you'll be able to play dozens of new chords, all based on those basic chord shapes moving up and down the fretboards.

even if you're playing a solo or a picking piece, it's much easier to make a barre chord and just pluck the strings you need, than to try and make each note individually as you're playing.

i'll use an example from a classical piece




---III-----------------------IV---III---IV----II

E-|-------------------3----|s4-----------------2----|
B-|-----3-----3-----3-----3|-----4-----4-----4-----4|
G-|---3-----3-----4-----4--|---5-----5-----5-----5--|
D-|-5-----5-----5-----5----|-5-----5-----5----------|
A-|------------------------|-------3-----------3----|
E-|-3-----------------------------------------------|

----3-------------2----------1-3-1-3-4-2-------1-4-3
----1------------------------2-----1---------- 2


http://www.guitaretab.com/b/beethoven-ludwig/1378.html


the roman numerals written above the tab, tells the student where to make his barre. in this case on the 3rd fret (III). just lay the index finger across every string at the 3rd fret and you've already got half of the notes you need for the first measure.

the numbers underneath the tab, indicate which fingers of the left hand to use to make the additional notes.

so you'd start by laying the 1st finger (index finger) down as a barre across all 6 strings, and the 3rd finger (ring finger) on the 5th fret of the D string.

then half way thru the 1st measure, just press your 2nd finger (middle finger) down on the 4th fret of the G string

another way of doing it is writing the chord above the tab, instead of a III it'll say Gm and you just make a G-minor chord (3x5333), changing it to G (335433) halfway thru the first measure. then you can play that whole first measure and the only chord change you need to make is move your middle finger to make your Gm a G.

learn the barre chords you'll have a lot easier time with things.