Guitar Tab Creator
Built by Johnny Alto · free, no sign-up · updated July 26, 2026
Write your own guitar tablature right in the browser. Pick a fret number, click the grid to place notes on the six strings across the measure, and the tool renders clean, standard tab you can copy, print, or download. Add measures as your riff grows.
Strings run high to low: e B G D A E. Pick a fret number, then click a cell to place it; click again to clear. 0 is an open string. Tab shows which string and fret to play, but not rhythm, so keep the song in your ear.
How to read and write guitar tab
Guitar tablature, or tab, is a simple way to write music for guitar without reading standard notation. Six horizontal lines stand for the six strings, with the thinnest high E on top and the thick low E on the bottom. A number on a line tells you to press that fret on that string: a 0 means play the string open, a 5 means the fifth fret. Numbers stacked in a column are played together as a chord; numbers spread left to right are played in sequence.
To write your own, pick a fret from the palette and click the grid where you want it. This tool renders your grid as clean text tab underneath, which you can copy straight into a forum post, a document, or a message to a bandmate.
What tab does and does not tell you
Tab is brilliant at showing you exactly where to put your fingers, which is why beginners love it. Its one limit is rhythm: classic text tab shows the order of notes but not their timing, so you still need to know how the piece sounds to play it in time. Use the measure bars to keep your place, add measures as your part grows, and keep the song in your ear as your rhythm guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read guitar tab?
Six lines are the six strings, high E on top and low E on the bottom. A number is the fret to press on that string; 0 is an open string. Stacked numbers are a chord, left-to-right numbers are a sequence.
How do I write my own guitar tab?
Pick a fret number and click the grid to place it on a string and position. The tool renders standard text tab you can copy, print, or download.
Does tab show rhythm?
No. Standard text tab shows which notes to play and in what order, but not their timing, so you need to know how the music sounds to play it in rhythm.
What does x mean in guitar tab?
An x means a muted or dead string, struck without a clear pitch, often used for percussive strums.
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