In this guitar lesson you will learn to play guitar tab notation. You will also learn to play the melody to Ode To joy written by Beethoven. Let us first take a look at guitar tablature!
Here is an easy guitar tab staff:
-----------------
-----------------
-----------------
These three lines represent the first three strings on your guitar. The top line shows you the first string or the highest pitched string. The first string is the bottom string on your guitar when you play.
Normally guitar tablature staffs have six lines but in this lesson we will only need the three first strings to play the melody.
On these lines you will find numbers indicating which frets you have to press down to play the melody. Here is an example:
---0---------
-------1-----
-------------
The number 0 on the first line tells you to play the first string without pressing down a fret. This is called to play an open string. The number 1 on the second line indicates that you shall press down the first fret on the second string.
Now it is time to play the melody:
---0---0---1---3---3---1---0-------
--------------------------------3---
------------------------------------
The melody will be presented in small segments that you can practice separately until you master them by heart.
---------------0---0-----------
---1---1---3-----------3---3---
--------------------------------
The melody is written in the key of C-major and starts with the chord C in case you want somebody to accompany you on guitar.
---0---0---1---3---3---1---0-------
--------------------------------3---
------------------------------------
Try to use your index finger to play the notes on the first fret and your ring finger for the notes on the third fret.
---------------0----------------
---1---1---3-------3---1---1---
--------------------------------
The before mentioned left hand fingerings will help you minimize left hand movement and help you find your way better on the guitar fretboard.
-----------0-----------0---1---0-------
---3---3-------1---3---------------1---
----------------------------------------
In this guitar tablature notation you will not find any indications of note lengths. You have to use your memory to find out the rhythmical values of the notes.
-------0---1---0--------------------
---3---------------3---1---3--------
--------------------------------0---
Now you only have to repeat the initial melody and you are done!
---0---0---1---3---3---1---0-------
--------------------------------3---
------------------------------------
Here are the final melody notes:
---------------0----------------
---1---1---3-------3---1---1---
--------------------------------
As I mentioned before, the fastest and most effective way to learn the melody is to learn it by heart one little part at a time. The tabs are only an aid as you memorize the melody.
> Guitar Lessons 
