How To Read Ukulele Tabs

A ukulele tab is your four strings drawn as four lines, with numbers telling you which fret to press. It is the easiest way to learn a riff or a fingerpicking part note for note, far simpler than reading sheet music. Here is how to read one, from the four lines up to every symbol you will run into, with examples you can try as you go.

How to read a ukulele tab in four steps

Reading a tab comes down to four steps:

1. Picture the four lines as your four strings, the A string on top down to the g string on the bottom.
2. Read left to right like words. Each number is a fret on that string and 0 means play the string open.
3. Play numbers one after another when they are spread out, then all together as a chord when they are stacked in a column.
4. Watch for the letters h, p and the slashes / and \ that tell you to hammer-on, pull-off or slide between notes.

The rest of this guide walks through each of those with real examples.

The four lines are your four strings

The base of every tab is these four lines, usually drawn with dashes. Each line is one string. In tab the strings are stacked with the A string on the top line down to the g string on the bottom, which is upside down from how they sit when you look down at your uke. So the top line is your A string, the one closest to the floor when you play. The bottom line is the g string.

A|-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|
C|-----------------------------|
g|-----------------------------|

Numbers are written on the lines, like the example below. A tab is always read from left to right and each number is a fret. Here you would pluck the 3rd fret of the A string (the top line), then the open E string (open string = 0), then the open C string, then the open g string. That is it, you are already reading a tab.

A|----3------------------------|
E|--------0---------------0----|
C|------------0-------0--------|
g|----------------0------------|

Stacked numbers are chords

When numbers are stacked in a vertical column, you play them all together as a chord. The tab below spells out six chords in a row, F, G, C, Am, D7 and G7. This is mostly used to show you the rhythm of a song.

A|----0---2---3---0---3---2----|
E|----1---3---0---0---2---1----|
C|----0---2---0---0---2---2----|
g|----2---0---0---2---2---0----|

Most of the time you will just see the chord name written above the lyrics instead, but it is good to recognize a stacked chord when one shows up.

Every tab symbol explained

A handful of letters and marks show up between the numbers. Here is what each one means.

The first three are all you need for most songs. The rest are a little more advanced and turn up mostly in fingerpicking parts and riffs.

Symbols in action

Hammer-on (h)

Pluck the note before the h, then press the note after it without plucking again. Here you pick the 2nd fret of the C string, then hammer onto the 3rd fret.

A|----1------------------------|
E|----1------------------------|
C|--------2h3------------------|
g|--------------3--------------|

Pull-off (p)

A pull-off is the opposite. Pluck the higher note, then lift the finger off to sound the lower one. Here you pluck the A string at the 3rd fret, then pull off to the 2nd fret.

A|---3p2-----------------------|
E|---------3-------------------|
C|-------------2---------------|
g|-------------0---------------|

Combined with ^

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are often shown with a ^, usually to chain the two together. Below you play the open E string, hammer onto the 3rd fret, then pull off back to open.

A|----0------------------------|
E|--------0^3^0----------------|
C|----------------4------------|
g|-----------------------------|

Slides (/ and \)

A / slides up and a \ slides down. Most of the time the direction is obvious, so you may just see an s. Here you pluck the A string at the 2nd fret and slide up to the 5th, then pluck the E string at the 3rd fret and slide down to the 2nd.

A|----2/5----------------------|
E|----------3\2----------------|
C|----------------4------------|
g|-----------------------------|

Harmonics (♦)

A diamond marks a harmonic, a soft bell-like tone you get by lightly touching the string over a fret instead of pressing it down. There is a whole guide on ukulele harmonics if you want to dig in.

A|----------------------♦12----|
E|----------------♦12----------|
C|----------♦12----------------|
g|----♦12----------------------|

Rhythm and tempo in tabs

The one thing a tab does not show well is rhythm. Some tabs hint at it by spacing the numbers, the closer together they are the faster you play them. A few are divided into measures, though that is rare. My advice is to treat the tab as a map for the notes and get the timing from your ears. Listen to the song first so you already know the rhythm and feel, then let the tab show you where your fingers go.

Finding tabs on UkuTabs

On UkuTabs every song is labeled with how it is written, so you know what you are getting before you open it:

• CRD is a chords-only sheet.
• TAB is full tablature, note for note.
• MIX is a mix of both.

If you already know how to read guitar tabs, good news, ukulele tabs work exactly the same way.

Common questions

Need more input?

That is everything you need to read any ukulele tab. The best way to lock it in is to try one, so tune up and pick an easy TAB song to read line by line. When you are ready for more, my fingerpicking guide builds straight on what you just learned. Feel free to contact me whenever you need more information about reading ukulele tabs.