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Music vocabulary · Notation and Reading Music

Tablature

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, tablature means: A notation system that shows playing positions, such as guitar strings and fret numbers, instead of placing pitches on a standard staff.

In Turkish: tablatur, tab yazımı

How it is used

Common in guitar and bass teaching, often shortened to tab. Some versions include rhythm signs; others need a recording or separate notation for timing.

Example sentences

  1. The tablature shows the opening note on the third string at the fifth fret.

    The player reads a physical location on the instrument rather than a staff position.

  2. This tablature has no rhythm marks, so listen to the demo before playing it.

    The positions alone do not tell the learner how long each note should last.

Common collocations

  • guitar tablature
  • read tablature
  • tablature notation
  • fretboardThe front surface of a fretted string instrument's neck where players press the strings to produce different notes.
  • sheet musicMusic written or printed in notation on paper or a screen, so that musicians can read and play it.
  • rhythmThe pattern of long and short sounds and silences in music, and how they are placed in time against the beat.

More terms: Notation and Reading Music

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