Chord charts, tabs or standard notation?
The staff and the clef
Music is written on a staff of five lines. The higher the note, the higher it sounds. The symbol at the start is the clef: it tells you which note sits on each line.
Notes on the lines and spaces
In treble clef, learn the lines first and then the spaces, always from the bottom up:
Lines: Every Good Boy Does Fine. Spaces spell FACE. Notes above or below the staff use ledger lines, short extra lines added just for that note.
Open strings on the staff
Guitar is written in treble clef but sounds an octave lower than written. That's why low E sits far below the staff. These are the six open strings:
These are the notes on the low strings, below the staff on ledger lines:
→ See the most common chords in the guitar chord chart
Rhythm: how long each note lasts
The shape of a note tells you how long it lasts. A bar of 4/4 holds four beats:
| Note | What it looks like | Beats |
|---|---|---|
| Whole note | open head, no stem | 4 |
| Half note | open head with a stem | 2 |
| Quarter note | filled head with a stem | 1 |
| Eighth note | filled, with a stem and one flag | ½ |
| Dot | adds half of the note's length | + ½ |
→ Full lesson on rhythm and time signatures
Sharps, flats and key signatures
A ♯ sharp raises a note by a half step; a ♭ flat lowers it by a half step; a ♮ natural cancels both. When they appear right after the clef they form the key signature and apply to the whole piece: a ♯ on the F line means every F is played as F♯.
Symbols you'll see in guitar music
- A number from 1 to 4 next to a note: left-hand finger (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky); 0 is an open string.
- A number in a circle: which string to play: ① is high E, ⑥ is low E.
- Letters p, i, m, a: right-hand fingers: thumb, index, middle and ring.
- C or B with a Roman numeral (CII, BV): barre at that fret.
- A Roman numeral on its own: hand position: V means your hand starts at the 5th fret.
Step by step: reading your first song
- Check the clef, key signature and time signature before you play.
- Say the note names of the first line out loud, without playing.
- Clap the rhythm while counting the beats.
- Play slowly, one phrase at a time, without stopping when you make a mistake.
- Repeat until it flows, and only then speed up.
→ Start with easy sheet music that has the note names · → General lesson: how to read sheet music
Practice free in the app
The app shows the fingering for every note as you play and checks you through the microphone. Free, no sign-up.
Open the app →Frequently asked questions
What clef does guitar read?
Treble clef, but it sounds an octave lower than written. Sometimes the clef has a small 8 below it as a reminder.
Do I need to read music to play guitar?
To strum along with songs, chord charts are enough. For melodies, solos and classical guitar, notation helps a lot.
What's the difference between chords and tabs?
Chord charts show which chords to play; tabs show the string and fret for each note. Neither shows rhythm precisely; standard notation does.