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→Tablature
The ''horizontal lines'' represent the guitar '''strings''', as though you are laying the guitar on your lap, face-up. The thinnest, highest-pitched strings appear above the thicker strings. The ''letters on the left'' indicate the '''tuning''' used. If they are not present, assume '''standard tuning''' (more info in [[Tuning and Harmonics]]), which is the same as written above.
The ''numbers'' on the strings indicate to pick that string while fretting the indicated fret number (more in [[Basic Technique]]). 0 means don't fret any notes - pick the open string. You read tablature from left to right, playing the indicated notes in sequence, just like how you read words in a book. When multiple notes appear in the same column (ie. they are vertically aligned), you play them all simultaneously. In the above example, you would strum the 5-note open C major chord, then play the C major scale one note at a time moving from the lowest note to the highest. Here's the exact order of everything you would play: # 5-note open C major chord# low C note on 5th string, 3rd fret# D note on 4th string, open# E note on 4th string, 2nd fret# F note on 4th string, 3rd fret# G note on 3rd string, open# A note on 3rd string, 2nd fret# B note on 2nd string, open# C note on 2nd string, 1st fret
The "C" above that first chord indicates the '''chord name'''. ''This may or may not always be present''. Similarly, the letters below the last string represent the '''note names''' of the single notes being played. All this will be covered in greater detail later on.