What Numbers in Parentheses Mean in Guitar Tabs

Three common meanings of parentheses

In different tabs the parentheses have three main roles:

• A tied note: a number in parentheses at the start of a bar or after a bar line is a note carried over from the previous bar and not played again.
• A ghost note: very quiet, almost inaudible, played lightly or only to mark the rhythm.
• The return after a bend: after the string is released the note goes back to its original pitch, and it is written in parentheses.

How to tell which one you have

Look at the neighbouring symbols. If a bend sign (b) and then a release (r) come before the number in parentheses, it is the return after a bend. If the parentheses are at the start of a bar and the number matches the last note of the previous bar, it is a tied note. If the parentheses stand alone among ordinary notes, it is most often a ghost note.

There is no single rule for all programs, so a good tab usually has a key to its symbols at the start. For a detailed look at symbols see what h, p, b, x and other signs mean and how to read tabs.

Listen to an example of tab reading

Below is a simple tab example. Press Play and watch each number light up as it sounds. This makes it easier to get used to the idea that a number is a fret and time runs from left to right.

How to play a note in parentheses

A note in parentheses is not played like an ordinary one:

• Do not play a tied note again: let the previous note ring for the length of the tie.
• Play a ghost note very quietly or mute it slightly so that a click without pitch remains.
• After a bend, release the string smoothly and let the note go back to its original pitch.

What to read next

Bends and how they are written: how to bend correctly. Rhythm in notation: time signatures in practice. You can write your own short tabs in the riff builder.