Guitar Tab Paper

Guitar tab paper is a set of blank staves with one line for each string, ready for writing riffs, solos and songs as numbers. These free printable blank guitar tab sheets have 6-string, 4-string bass or 7-string staves with string names and bar lines. Print the PDF, then write the fret number on the string where each note is played.

Guitar tab paper to print (PDF)

These four pages show the choices: a 6-string sheet with four bars to a line, a 4-string bass sheet, a 7-string sheet with two bars to a line, and a filled example with the melody of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”. Click a picture for the PDF, or use the generator above to choose the strings, the bars per line and the color.

How to read guitar tab

Guitar tab paper shows you where to put your fingers, not which notes to play. Each horizontal line is a string, and the number on the line is the fret to press. A 0 means play the string open. On this paper the thinnest string (the high e) is the top line, so the thinnest string is at the top. Numbers stacked on top of each other are played together as a chord, and numbers in a row from left to right are played one after the other. The Wikipedia article on tablature gives the history of the system.

Blank guitar tab: strings and tuning

Guitar tab paper from the generator comes in three kinds of staff. String names are printed at the start of each line, and you can turn them off:

The open strings of a guitar are about 82 to 330 Hz. These are the standard frequencies, which a tuner uses:

Tablature paper printable and blank tab sheets: how many staves fit?

A tab staff has lines 0.12 inch apart, with 0.45 inch between one staff and the next. A bass tab has fewer lines, so more staves fit. This table is counted from the generator’s output on US Letter paper:

With four bars to a line, a page of 6-string guitar tab paper holds 36 bars, which is enough for a whole song with a simple structure. Choose 2 bars if you need more room for numbers or want to write chord names above the staff. Choose none if you want one long line and your own bar lines.

Notes on the first five frets

Tab does not name the notes, but it helps to know them. Here are the note names on each string for the open string and the first five frets of a guitar in standard tuning. Each fret is one half step higher than the one before:

For example, the note on the 3rd fret of the B string is D, which is the same note as the open D string. This is the sort of connection that helps you move between tab and a printed score.

Guitar tab example: “Ode to Joy” on one string

The filled example above uses a melody that is in the public domain, written on the B string. It is a good first piece because every note is on one line, so you only have to find the right fret. Here is the first phrase in plain text:

e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-5---5---6---8---8---6---5---3---1---1---3---5---5---3---3-|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|

The numbers 5, 5, 6, 8, 8, 6, 5, 3, 1, 1, 3, 5, 5, 3, 3 are the notes E, E, F, G, G, F, E, D, C, C, D, E, E, D, D. The tab shows the position of the notes, but not how long each one lasts. For the rhythm, write the note lengths under the staff, or listen to the recording.

Common guitar tab symbols

Tab uses a few extra marks for techniques. These are the ones you will meet most often:

Tips for using guitar tab paper

• Write in pencil. Guitar tab paper is cheap to reprint, and you will change fingerings as you learn a song.
• Space the numbers by the rhythm. Put notes that are played together on the same vertical line.
• Add the chord names above the staff and the lyrics below it.
• Use bar lines to keep the count. Four bars to a line is common for songs in 4/4.
• Combine tab with standard notation on the staff paper page if you want both.

Guitar tab paper works best with a few sheets at a time, one for each song. To write chord shapes, try the blank chord charts.

Printing tip

Print at 100% or “Actual size” and turn off “Fit to page”, so every measurement on the sheet is exact. Choose Letter or A4 paper in the generator before you download the PDF.

Guitar tab paper: frequently asked questions

Which string is at the top of the tab?

The high e string (the thinnest) is at the top, the way guitar tab is normally written. The low E string is at the bottom.

Can I print blank bass tab paper?

Yes. Choose 4 strings in the generator. The staves are labeled G, D, A and E.

Is there blank tab paper for a 7-string guitar?

Yes. Choose 7 strings. The bottom line is a low B.

How many bars fit on a page of blank guitar tab?

On a Letter page with 6 strings and four bars to a line, there are 9 staves and 36 bars.

Is this guitar tab paper free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use, with no sign-up.

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