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Most guitars have 6 strings and 22 or more frets. Some have
7 strings, some have 12 strings, and if you start searching, you'll be able to find
several other combinations of strings and frets. For this purpose, we will just use 6
strings and 22 frets, but don't worry - you can read along even though your model may have
a different design, as tabs will work for almost all guitars. Personally, I think that
tabs are a lot easier to read (and write) than notes once you get used to the format, and
it's a very simple design.
You will see 6 lines representing the 6 strings. The layout of the lines are done so
they match the strings if you look down at them while holding your guitar. If you lay your
guitar on your lap, the bottom string (closest to your belly) is the thickest string (E),
and the top string (closest to your knees) is the thinnest string (also E). That's the way
the lines are shown for tabs. From the bottom up: E, A, D, G, B, E.

To represent where to place the fingers on the strings, you place the fret number on
the line. A zero represents a string being played without placing a finger on it.
Therefore, if you see zero's on all 6 lines, it means that you simply play all 6 strings
without using your "fret-hand". You read the numbers from left to right, and if
multiple numbers are placed above eachother, it means that you have to play them at the
same time.
Here's a small example where you have to play the 2 middle strings simultaneously. It's
the easy way of playing the intro to Smoke on the Water with Deep Purple:

more... (to come) |
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