What is TAB format?

Rec.Music.Makers.Guitar

From meem@gnu.ai.mit.edu:

        Tab is short for tablature.  It's a different way of reading music
        than you may be used to: instead of each bar representing a certain
        note, they each represent a string. They are arranged so that the
        high E is represented by the top line and low E is represented by
        the lowest bar.  If the strings use an unconventional tuning, the
        tuning will usually be shown next to the lines so you can see how
        each line should be tuned.

        Unlike conventional written music, time values are very rarely
        shown in the tab. Instead, an estimate of how long it is between
        every plucked note (which is represented by the distance between the
        numbers in the tab) is commonly shown to roughly estimate timing.

        Instead of representing the time of each note on the staff, a
        number representing the fret on that string is shown.  So, for
        example:

e----------------------    -----------------------    ---0------------------
B---7------------------    ---13------------------    ---1------2-----------
G----------------------    ---13------------------    ---0--------4---------
D----------------------    -----------------------    ---2-------------2----
A----------------------    -----------------------    ---3------------------
E----------------------    -----------------------    ---0------------------

Play a note of the 7th    Play the thirteenth fret   Play a C chord, then
fret of the 2nd (B)       on the second and third    wait, play the 2nd fret
string.                   strings at the same time   on the B string quickly
                                                     followed by the 4th fret
                                                     on the 3rd string, then 
                                                     wait and play the 2nd fret
                                                     on the fourth string.


        There are many other guitar techniques we all know and love.
        Usually these are explained by the author of the tablature, but
        here are some common ones:

        ----7/9-------   ----7^9r7------   ----7h9p7-------

        Slide from 7th   Bend from the     From the 7th fret,
        to 9th frets.    7th up to a 9,    hammer on to the 9th,
                         then release      then pull off to the
                         back to the 7th   7th.

        Of course there are tons of other techniques like tapping and pick
        sliding and whammy bar stuff, but all of that has not been
        standardized in compu-tab, magazines, or books yet (though they
        are standardized within each magazine or book, of course).

        [robc@Newbridge.COM is working on a standard for ascii-tab.]

Rec.Music.Makers.Bass

Various fingering techniques can be noted in TAB as well. This is done by
writing a single character after the note being fingered. The most common of
these are:
   h - hammer-on from previous note
   p - pull off from previous note
   \ - slide up to note
   b - bend note
   S - slap the note with the right-hand thumb (left hand if left-handed)
   P - pop the note with the right hand (ditto)
   t - tap the note with the right hand (ditto)
   H - harmonic

It is becoming popular to indicate time in TAB by writing over each note
a letter indicating the time value of the note: s=sixteenth note, e=eighth
note, q=quarter note, h=half note, w=whole note. It is possible to add
dots to this system as is done with normal notes though it is not common.
In addition, vertical bars are usually used to indicate measure breaks.