In this article, I’ll reveal the six best guitar TAB sites, free and paid, and tell you why they can help you learn the songs you want to play quickly and accurately!
These sites can make it easy to learn a wide variety of songs in every genre of music, with access to hundreds of handy daily exercises, as well as video lessons that will help you hone your skills and learn new ways of playing.
But what no one is talking about is having a simplified approach to select the best websites for guitar tab based on the fundamental differences between them. If you’re not sure what TAB is, you might want to start by reading the section on What Is Guitar TAB?
You can use the table of contents below to take you to the area that interests you. Click on the little box to open it and then click on the section of the article you want to read, or you can read from start to finish if you want the full guitar TAB experience!
My Six Picks For Guitar TAB Sites
Here are six guitar TAB sites that will definitely get you on your way to learning and playing music from TABS.
To learn more about each site, scroll down to the appropriate section.
Ultimate Guitar Tabs (UltimateGuitar.com)
Ultimate Guitar Tabs has over 1 million tabs for guitar and bass guitar. It is probably the most popular site for guitar TABS. There is a free and a paid (Pro) version.
Songsterr
Songsterr gives you access to over 500,000 TABS. The TABS load in the Pro TAB app. There is a free and a paid (Plus) version of the app.
911 TABS
911 TABS gives you access to 4,600,000 TABS. The TABS load in a free and a paid (Pro) version of Pro Tabs.
GuitarTabs.cc (Guitar TAB Universe)
Also known as Guitar TAB Universe, GuitarTABS.cc has over 200,000 TABS. It shows you the song TAB and guitar chords for free.
GuitareTAB! (A-Z Guitar TABS)
Guitare TAB! is also known as A-Z Guitar TABS. It has about 200,000 TABS. It is a free TAB site.
tabs4acoustic
tabs4acoustic is a lovely free TAB site, mainly for beginning players.
Keep On Reading To Learn More About Each TAB Site!
Ultimate Guitar Tabs
Ultimate Guitar Tabs, also known as UltimateGuitar.com, has over 1 million guitar and bass guitar TABS and chords.
It is probably the most popular site for guitar TABS. The home page is very well organized to allow you to find a particular TAB from the search bar or by category, like rock, blues, etc.
A mobile app is available for IOS and Android. There is a free and a paid (Pro) version.
The Pro version offers you the following advantages:
- TAB Playback – Playback the TAB to hear how it should sound
- Multiple Tracks – Play different tracks individually like the guitar solo or rhythm parts
- Tempo Control – Control the tempo (speed) of the song without changing the pitch
- Virtual Fretboard – Shows you the finger placement for chord progressions
- Backing Tracks – Lets you jam with multitrack backing tracks
Songsterr
Songsterr gives you access to over 500,000 TABS. There is a free and a paid (Plus) version. The regular version does allow you to playback the TABS, up to tempo only.
The Plus version has the following advantages:
- Tempo Control – Allows you to slow down the speed of the song without changing the pitch
- Loop – You can select a particular section of the song to work on and loop it while you play
- Mute – You can mute certain sections of the song to hear only the part you’re playing
- Solo – You can play and see the TAB for only the guitar solo
- PitchShift – You can change the pitch of the song to play it in another key
- Ad Free – No ads while you practice
- Mobile App – There is a moble app for IOS and Android
911 TABS
911 TABS gives you access to 4,600,000 TABS. They load in a free and a paid (Pro) version of Pro Tabs.
The free version will allow you to play the TAB, but you can’t change any of the mixer settings for each part of the song.
With the paid version of Pro TABS, you can adjust and turn on/off the following mixer settings for each instrument or vocal part of the song:
- Solo – Allows you to play and see the TAB for just the guitar solo
- Mute – Mutes a particular part of the song
- Volume – Adjusts the volume up or down of a particular instrument or vocal part
- Pan- Lets you pan any part left or right
GuitarTabs.cc (Guitar TAB Universe)
GuitarTABS.cc, also known as Guitar TAB Universe, has over 200,000 TABS. It shows you the song TAB and guitar chords for free.
However, if you try to use the following functions:
- play this tab
- tempo control
- change instrument
- show fretboard
- metronome
It sends you to Ultimate Guitar TABS (UltimateGuitar.com) and loads the song into the player, where you can use the free or paid version to play the TAB.
GuitareTAB! (A-Z Guitar TABS)
GuitareTAB! is also known as A-Z Guitar TABS. It has about 200,000 TABS. It is a free, no-frills TAB site. What you see is what you get.
Guitare TAB allows you to upload your own TABS.
The nice thing about this site is that it loads a list of all the available versions of each TAB for any particular song in a column on the left, complete with star ratings. This allows you to quickly check out each version without leaving that screen and select the one you like most.
tabs4acoustic
tabs4acoustic, also known as T4A, is a lovely free TAB site, mainly for beginning players.
It is more than a TABS site. It has a free riff library and free backing tracks for playing solos.
The TABS area gives you a searchable songs list. Each TAB can have chord diagrams and lyrics with chords changes. There is also a free metronome for each song that can be adjusted for your learning speed.
The site also features free guitar lessons with YouTube videos and a user forum.
Free Guitar TAB Online Resources
In addition to the TAB sites listed above, here are two other resources you can use to locate TAB online for the songs you want to learn to play.
YouTube
YouTube videos can help you learn to play a wide variety of songs. The main advantage is that the tutorials give you TAB and show you a video of how to play it on the guitar. This allows you to hear how it will sound as well as see where to put your fingers on the fretboard and the picking patterns to use.
Here are two methods to locate the YouTube videos:
- Go to YouTube and type TAB for “song name” into the search bar.
- Type “YouTube: TAB for song name” into your Internet browser search field.
Here is an illustration that shows how to find a TAB on YouTube’s site for the song “Hey Joe.”
To find YouTube TABS for “Hey Joe” using your internet browser, type the following into the search bar –> YouTube: TAB for Hey Joe
Google Images (Discover)
Another easy way to find free and paid-for TAB for a particular song is to do a Google search for the song and then select the “Images” filter to show only graphic representations of sties offering the TAB for that particular song.
If you’re unsure how to do this, see the image below, where the red arrows show you the Google search term (Hey Joe) and the images filter to click on.
Guitar TAB Tools
Here are some tools (standalone and online) that can allow you to read, edit, and create guitar TAB.
Guitar Pro (GP) by Arobas Music
Guitar Pro is another stand-alone paid music program that allows you to load, edit, or create songs in both TAB and standard notation. Guitar Pro is more robust than ultimate guitar, which only loads and plays tabs.
Guitar Pro allows you to add chord diagrams and lyrics. It also has an extensive library of MIDI virtual instruments. GP comes with 80 guitar effects and amp modeling. However, it’s easy to “go down the rabbit hole” and get lost in this program if you have never used it.
To learn more, go to https://www.guitar-pro.com/
Ultimate Guitar – Chords And Tabs
Ultimate Guitar is standalone software for your computer or smartphone to load free and paid-for TAB. It loads all Guitar Pro TABS (.gp files). Loading a free TAB gives you fewer play and adjustment options than the paid ones. Paid TABS are also more complete and more accurate.
It can be found by searching the app store on your computer or smartphone (Ultimate Guitar).
I prefer using the built-in TAB player on UltimateGuitar.com, which I find easier to navigate.
Guitar TAB Creator (free)
Guitar TAB Creator is a great free online tool for creating your guitar TAB. It lets you create, edit, and save your TAB using a standard or an advanced editor. You will find it very useful for capturing ideas that come to you during the songwriting process.
Some of the main features of Guitar TAB Creator include:
- TAB Output Area – Where your TAB is written and can be copied and pasted into any document
- Guitar Fretboard – Click on notes to create your TAB
- TAB Controls – For adding notation like hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, etc.
- Chord Creator – Adds chords to your TAB
- Scale Tool – Overlays scales on the fretboard, Minor Pentatonic, Ionian, etc.
- Timing – Adds timing (whole, half, quarter, eighth notes, etc.) to your TAB
- Capo – Adds a capo to your TAB
What Is Guitar TAB?
Guitar TAB (tablature) is a method of writing and reading music that is easier than using standard notation, especially for beginning players. Understanding how to read and play guitar tabs provides a quick way to learn guitar music that you or others have written.
How To Read Guitar TAB
Reading guitar TAB is like looking at the neck of your guitar. Each long horizontal line represents one of the strings on your guitar’s fretboard. So, the top horizontal line is the high E string, and the bottom horizontal line is the low E string. The horizontal lines between the high and low E strings are the B, G, D, and A strings.
Each number on every string shows you where to put your finger to play that note on the fretboard. So, a number 7 on the second long horizontal line means to put your finger at the 7th fret of the B string, which is the F# or Gb note (they are both the same note).
TAB can have other various notations to make the playing instructions more specific. For example, it can include an arrow up with a ½, which means to bend that note up ½ step. The note timing can appear under the TAB. The note timing shown in the diagram below tells you to play the five notes as 1 eighth note, 2 sixteenth notes, and then 2 eighth notes.
What To Look For In A Guitar Tab Site
When you’re checking out the best sites for guitar tab lessons, you’ll want to look for a website that offers free or low-cost options. If you can’t afford to sign up for a paid subscription, don’t be afraid to start with the free option.
Sites like Ultimate Guitar Tabs and Songsterr offer these features and more, and they’re among the top sites for guitar tab lessons. Another essential feature to consider is their customer support team. If you are subscribing to a paid TAB site, make sure the company is responsive and helpful when answering questions and helping you solve problems with guitar tabs.
Another important thing to check before signing up is whether or not the site has high-quality videos and other resources. If you aren’t confident in your ability as a beginning or intermediate guitar player, you should try songs that have been properly demonstrated in video tutorials. You also might want to try a few of their guitar exercises before deciding if the site is suitable for your needs.
Easy-to-follow guides that clearly demonstrate the song’s notation and precisely what chords are used should also be considered.
Additional Features And Considerations
Some of the better sites also allow you to log in and save your progress so that you can come back later and pick up from where you left off.
There are also TAB sites that utilize lesson plans. Each plan can include a step-by-step video tutorial, audio demo tracks with lyrics, and a complete set of exercises to help you practice your skills.
Another convenient feature is the ability to compare different versions of the song to see which one sounds better to you or what’s more appropriate for your skill level.
Many sites offer courses on multiple instruments or styles of music, such as bluegrass, country, jazz, rock, blues, metal, and folk.
For players with arthritis of the hands, you can find TAB versions of your favorite songs that are straightforward and easy to play. For more info, see Playing Guitar With Arthritis: Overcoming Your Hand Problems.
Advantages Of Free TAB Sites
Here are some of the reasons you might want to learn guitar music on free TAB sites.
- You can join several sites without incurring a high expense
- Usually adequate for beginning guitar players
- TABS are less likely to require advanced performance skills like drop tunings, etc.
- You won’t lose access to the songs you are learning if you can’t afford to renew your membership
Disadvantages Of Free TAB Sites
Free TAB sites are often lacking the bells and whistles that can help you learn songs quickly and accurately
- TABS are less likely to be complete and accurate, especially with songs that have multiple parts, like guitar solos
- They can lack tools that give you the ability to
- Play the TAB to hear how it should sound
- Play various tracks individually, like the guitar solo or rhythm parts, by muting others
- Adjust the tempo (speed) of the song during playback
- Show you the finger placement on a virtual fingerboard
- Allow you to loop a particular section of the song
- Change the pitch (key signature) of the song
- Provide a backing track to play along with what you are learning
- The TAB site may have multiple ads that can be distracting while you are trying to learn
- They may not have a mobile app available for IOS and Android
Once you become an intermediate-advanced player, I recommend you consider buying a subscription or purchasing professionally written TABS on the site you like best and keep free subscriptions to the other sites.
Beware Of Sites That Pretend To Be Free!
Some websites offer free memberships with minimal options. They essentially exist to make money on unsuspecting guitar players, especially beginners.
One giveaway is that they are loaded with intrusive ads and popups that interfere with your ability to navigate through the site.
Once you load a TAB, most of the functionality may be disabled. Clicking on almost any button will open a window with an upsell for a “Pro” subscription. The upsell can include seeing the TAB for the entire song.
The free versions of the TAB sites I listed above do have their limitations but not to the point that they are very difficult or counterproductive to use.
Is TAB Legit?
If you are a guitar player who wants to play songs from written music, reading TAB is an excellent alternative to using standard notation (notes on a staff). As your guitar playing continues to improve, you should consider learning standard notation, especially if you want to make your living as a guitar player.
The Best Of Both Worlds
TAB and standard notation each have their strengths and weaknesses.
TAB does not require you to learn “position playing” (knowing how to play passages higher up on the neck by reading notes off the staff) but is more difficult to understand how to play each note on time precisely.
Standard notation is more challenging to visualize where to play the notes of the song, especially higher up on the neck, but it allows you to nail each note’s timing.
The ideal solution is to familiarize yourself with both TAB and standard notation. This will allow you to use music written in standard notation with TAB underneath each staff. Most of the professionally transcribed pieces of popular music come written this way, which gives you the choice of using one or the other or both (see the image above).
Further Reading
To learn more about how guitar TAB can help your playing, check out the following articles (click on the titles below):
- 20 Guitar Tips For Beginners That You Must Know!
- How To Stay Motivated To Learn Guitar – Top Tips For Success
- Learning Guitar For Seniors – Make Each Day Great With Music
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions I get asked about guitar TABS and TAB sites.
If you have additional questions, please leave them in the comment section below, and I will respond to your comment with my answer.
What Is The Best Guitar TAB Site?
There is no single best guitar TAB site. It all depends on your skill level, particular needs, and budget. A good approach is to investigate the sites I listed above and see what works best for you. If you are looking for a paid site with more options, some offer a free trial.
What Is The Best Free Guitar TAB App?
Like the question above on online guitar TAB sites, there is no single best TAB app. It all depends on your specific requirements. See the section above on Guitar TAB Tools for more information, including a free version recommendation.
Where Can I Get Beginner Guitar TABS Online?
The sites I listed in this article will have beginner guitar TABS. Many sites have a section specially created for beginners.
If there are multiple TAB versions of the song, choose the one that appears easiest to play. If it does not sound good, try a more difficult one, which will probably be more accurate.
When you are just beginning the guitar, don’t be reluctant to play TABS that are inaccurate. They will help develop the skills you require to play the more difficult ones.
How Do You Make Guitar TABS On A Computer?
You make guitar TABS on a computer by going to a guitar TAB creation website or using a stand-alone app to create them. It’s generally pretty simple.
They present you with a template, and you fill in the TABS using the numbers on your keyboard or mouse. Most of these programs will have features such as chord diagrams, musical accents, and guitar effects like bends, slides, and vibrato. It’s easy!
How About Printable Guitar Tabs?
Although it may be a paid feature, most of the bigger sites will allow you to print your guitar TABS. You can always print a screenshot of your TAB or copy and paste it into another document if the TAB formatting allows it.
Where Can I Get Free Guitar TABS?
You can use the online TAB sites listed above or find your own. There are literally thousands of free TABS in every musical genre once you know where to look. Try the YouTube and Google Images methods that I outline above.
Be aware that free TABS are often incomplete or inaccurate, but they can be an excellent way for beginning guitar players to learn.
Is Free Guitar TABS Sheet Music Any Good?
It will depend on the quality of the TABS. Most free TABS are not as accurate as the paid ones, but you can find free TABS that will be usable, especially for beginning players. Virtually all the professionally transcribed TABS (“note for note” accuracy) are paid.
Is Guitar Pro free? (How Much Is Guitar Pro 7)?
No, Guitar Pro is not free. It is a paid program. At this time it costs $70 for version 7.6 or $35 to upgrade from a previous version.
Final Thoughts
It can be challenging to find the Best Guitar TAB Sites with literally thousands of available guitar TABS on the Internet. The six TAB sites in this article will give you a great starting point. Ultimately, you have to find the guitar TAB site that works best for you.
Free TABS are an excellent starting point for beginning guitar players. More advanced players may require paid TABS, which are usually more complete and accurate. YouTube and Google Images are two great resources for free guitar TABS.
There are a number of guitar TAB tools that will allow you to read, edit, and write your own TAB. Guitar Pro is one of the most complete and advanced paid TAB tools for guitar. Free TAB tools are also available.
Beware of TAB sites that claim to be free, but their main focus is to sell you a “Pro” subscription.
One of the best ways to use TAB is to combine it with standard notation. This gives you the best of both worlds in a single guitar musical manuscript!
If you are just beginning to play the guitar, I highly recommend you start using TAB to learn and play the musical material that you enjoy most!
Tell Me What You Think
Please leave a comment below if you enjoyed this article, have any questions about the best guitar TAB sites, or want to give your point of view. I will be happy to help you.
- Were you already familiar with TAB before you read this article?
- Are you using free or paid TAB or a combination of both?
- What is your favorite guitar TAB site? Your favorite guitar TAB software?
- Has this article convinced you to try using guitar TAB for learning songs?
I have bookmarked your website, as my 23-year-old daughter got her first bass guitar as a gift and is currently learning all the basics. Thank you for all the great links and the tips and lessons you have displayed. I believe this is very awesome. I am not sure what is the different kind of guitars are, but my daughter could explain!
Hi, Jeeda
Thank You for your comments!
It’s great that your daughter is learning to play the bass guitar! TAB can undoubtedly help her figure out new songs, and I hope she will check out some of the sites I have listed.
She can leave me a comment if she has any questions, and I will be happy to assist her.
Frank
This article is a great resource for finding tabs. So many options and I like how you included which are free and also have upgraded versions. The pointers are a great idea. When starting out playing guitar, or even if you’ve been doing it awhile, you want to make sure you are getting good value. It’s even better when there are tutorials and guides to help along the way. Thank you for the information!
Hi, Michelle
Thank You for your comments!
If you play guitar or any other instrument, using TABS is a great way to learn songs quickly! Free TABS are an excellent option for beginners. Paid TABS can provide you with a very accurate transcription, which is especially important for guitar solos.
Frank
Have you tried this one: https://chordsology_com/
I really like the interface and the guitar chords are accurate
Hi, Fabio
Thank You for your comments and the suggestion!
I took a quick look at that website. It seems like a nice way to get started with learning new songs and an excellent chord reference.
Frank ?
Songsterr DOES NOT SHOW TABS. You search, and they come up blank
Hi, Craig
Songsterr shows the tabs to songs I search. I tried it again just now, and it’s still working. Something in your browser may be interfering with your search results, like an ad blocker or a firewall setting on your computer.
Try using a different internet browser or computer.
I hope you get it straightened out.?
Frank ?