Print blank guitar tab paper at true scale
Guitar tab paper uses horizontal lines to represent strings, or courses on a 12-string guitar, so you can write fret numbers by hand. Optional bar lines divide each system into measures. In standard guitar TAB, the top line represents the first string (high e), while the bottom line represents the sixth string (low E). The generator stores measurements in millimeters, lets you edit them in millimeters or inches, and exports the layout at its intended physical scale.
What Is Guitar Tab Paper?
- One line per string or course: Standard six-string guitar uses six lines, while a seven-string guitar uses seven. Four-string bass and ukulele use four lines, and five-string bass uses five. A 12-string guitar uses six lines, one for each course of paired strings.
- String 1 is on top: In standard guitar TAB, the top line represents the thin, high e string (string 1), and the bottom line represents the thick, low E string (string 6). TAB lines are conventionally arranged from the highest-pitched string at the top to the lowest at the bottom.
- Blank by design: Fret numbers, bends, slides, and other playing techniques are added by hand. This generator provides blank tablature lines and does not print fret numbers, notes, or technique symbols.
- Tuning names and line order: Standard guitar tuning is commonly written from low to high as E A D G B E. TAB lines are arranged in the opposite direction, from high to low: e B G D A E. String Labels, when turned on, follow that line order. String Numbering prints 1 on the top line. Both switches are off by default. Custom has no note names.
How to Use Guitar Tab Paper
- Choose the instrument: Select Guitar (6 Strings), 7-String Guitar, Bass Guitar, 5-String Bass, Ukulele, or Custom. Custom sets the line count from 4 to 8, and String Labels stay off. A 12-string guitar uses six lines, one for each course of paired strings.
- Set the string spacing: String Spacing runs from 2 mm to 4 mm in 0.25 mm steps. The default 3 mm spacing provides clear separation between adjacent lines, making handwritten fret numbers easier to read.
- Add bar lines: Bar Lines divide each system into equal measures. Measures per System runs from 1 to 8, and 4 is the default. Turn bar lines off when you want to sketch a riff without measure divisions.
- Print at actual size: Select 100% or Actual Size in your print dialog. Fit to Page or Shrink to Fit can scale the document and change the physical string spacing you selected.
Guitar TAB vs. Standard Music Notation
- TAB shows the fret: A number written on a TAB line tells you which fret to press on that string. A 0 indicates an open string. Basic TAB identifies string and fret positions, but it may not include rhythmic values.
- Standard notation shows pitch and rhythm: TAB + Notation adds a blank five-line staff above the TAB. The staff uses 2.5 mm line spacing, giving a total height of 10 mm, and a fixed 6 mm gap separates it from the tab. You add the clef, notes, and rhythm by hand.
- One combined system: The staff and TAB share the same width and aligned bar-line positions, with a square bracket connecting them on the left. No treble clef, TAB label, or notes are preprinted. For blank staves without tablature, use the Staff Paper Generator.
Printable Guitar Tab Paper for Different Instruments
- Standard guitar: The lines read e B G D A E from top to bottom. The lowercase e identifies the high E string and distinguishes it from the low E string at the bottom.
- 7-string guitar: In standard B tuning, the lines read e B G D A E B from top to bottom. The additional low B string occupies the bottom line.
- Bass guitar: Standard four-string bass TAB reads G D A E from top to bottom. Five-string bass adds a low B string on the bottom line, giving the order G D A E B.
- Ukulele: For standard high-G (re-entrant) tuning, the lines read A E C G from top to bottom. The top line represents string 1 (A), and the bottom line represents string 4 (G). The conventional tuning sequence is G C E A, ordered from string 4 to string 1. With low-G tuning, the bottom G string is tuned one octave lower; the printed letters stay A E C G.