How to read my tablatures (tabs)
--------------------------------
From Steve Douglas (tod@lineone.net)
Last updated 17th May 1997


I write six line tabs, using one line for each string, and I
divide them up into bars like a five-line music staff.

Instead of a key signature at the front, I write the string
tunings, and I draw my tabs so that the bass strings are at the
bottom.

Each vertical column represents one slice of the bar, and the
numbers written on the lines correspond to the fret numbers to play.
If there's a number on more than one string in a column then they're
all played together, so it's a bit like winding a roll through a
mechanical organ or piano.

This works well because you can always use a capo to move the whole
tune up, and the fret numbers will be the same.

Sometimes, instead of picking all the notes marked in a column together
they will be a broken chord (a slow strum, or a fast arpeggio), and
is denoted by a beat mark (\) at the top.  Obviously these open chords
have to fit into the time space available, and you have to work this
out yourself.

Usually the notes played in a section of the tab belong to a chord
pattern, and the pattern names are written along the top.

Most of the time the fret numbers on the strings will correspond with
the ones you are holding in the chord pattern anyway.  Where they don't
I usually put a star (*) for the pattern name at the point where the
deviation starts, to warn you that the notes in the tab don't fit the 
chord anymore.  Normally this happens where there are 'transient' notes
being used during a change from one standard chord to another, maybe as
part of a bit of melody or sub-melody which is built into the backing
tune.

  
E|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
B|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
G|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
D|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
A|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
E|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|


This is a tab in normal tuning, with twelve slices in a bar.
It doesn't necessarily mean there are twelve beats to a bar, but
we don't have the luxury of being able to divide notes up smaller
than the number of spaces we leave in the tab.


Chord Shapes
------------

These chord shapes are the some of the strange ones I play often,
and which I refer to in many of the transcriptions I write.

Use a standard tuning for them.
 
If I use a new non-standard chord shape in a transcription I'll update
this file.

The names may not be those that you might recognise, but I find it
easier to remember the patterns if I mentally associate the shapes
with these names.


Standard D        D-                D+
___________       ___________       ___________
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |
| | | # | #       | | | # | |       | | | # | #   Keep standard D and
| | | | # |       | | | | # |       | | | | # # <-use little finger 
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | | 
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |


Standard C                          C+
___________                         ___________
| | | | # |                         | | | | # |
| | # | | |                         | | # | | |
# # | | | |                         | # | | | # 
| | | | | |                         | | | | | | 
| | | | | |                         | | | | | |


Standard A        A-                A+
___________       ___________       ___________
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |
| | # # # |       | | # # | |       | | # # # |   Keep standard A and
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | # | <-use little finger
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | | 
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | | 
                                                  

Standard G        G-                G+
___________       ___________       ___________
| | | | | |       | | | | # |       | | | | | |
| # | | | |       | X | | | |       | # | | | |
# | | | | #       X | | | | #       # | | | # # 
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | | 
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |


The variants are useful intermediate chords when changing between the
basic shapes.  The base notes of the G- chord can be left out, I tend
to play this chord by moving the 5th string finger to get the 2nd string
note.  Apart form this you should be able to engineer changes between the
base shapes and their variants by moving a very small number of fingers
(usually only one at a time) and this is especially useful when picking
running patterns. 


E                 Em
___________       ___________
| | | # | |       | | | | | |
| # # | | |       | # # | | |
| | | | | |       | | | | | | 
| | | | | |       | | | | | | 
| | | | | |       | | | | | |


F            
___________
| | | | # #  
| | | # | |
| # # | | | 
| | | | | | 
| | | | | |