How to Read Ukulele Tablature

Tablature provides an easy way to read and write music as it is played on the ukulele as well as other stringed instruments. It has similarities to regular written music (standard notation), but there are many differences also that make tablature much easier to understand. The tablature staff looks similar to standard notation, but instead of each line representing a particular note, each line represents a string on the ukulele. With a little practice this method provides a clear and immediate mental image of what you should be playing on the ukulele.

 Tuning -- At the very beginning of the tablature is a tuning reference. Most of the tablatures on this website are arranged in standard C tuning (GCEA).

 Time Signature -- Immediately following the tuning reference is the time signature. This tells you how many beats are in each measure and the type of note that receives one beat.

 Bar -- The bars divide the tablature into segments called measures.

 Measure -- A measure is the space between two bars. In this example in 4/4 time, each measure consists of 4 beats.

 Strings -- Each of the horizontal lines represents a string on the ukulele.