Reading tab, and strumming
Tab tells your fingers where to go. Strum patterns tell your hand when to move.
What tab is
Tablature (tab) is a way of writing music down by showing where the player’s fingers go, instead of notes that show rhythm and pitch. Britannica: tablature Tablatures were used for lute and keyboard music in the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Britannica: tablature
Reading ukulele tab
- There is one line for each string. On this site the top line is the A string and the bottom line is the G string.
- A number on a line is the fret to press on that string. 0 means play the string open.
- Read from left to right. Upright bars split the music into bars.
Strumming
Count “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and” steadily. Strum down with the beat and up in between. Start with pattern 1 and move on when it feels easy. These patterns are our own simple exercises.
| Pattern | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern 1: four down strums | ↓ down | – | ↓ down | – | ↓ down | – | ↓ down | – |
| Pattern 2: down, down-up | ↓ down | – | ↓ down | ↑ up | ↓ down | – | ↓ down | ↑ up |
| Pattern 3: down, down-up, up-down-up | ↓ down | – | ↓ down | ↑ up | – | ↑ up | ↓ down | ↑ up |
| Pattern 4: all eighths | ↓ down | ↑ up | ↓ down | ↑ up | ↓ down | ↑ up | ↓ down | ↑ up |
At school
For teachers and parents in England, reading tab and chord diagrams fits the music curriculum. At Key Stage 2, pupils should also be taught to “use and understand staff and other musical notations”. Department for Education: national curriculum in England, music programmes of study At Key Stage 3, pupils should be taught to “use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately”. Department for Education: national curriculum in England, music programmes of study