# Guitar tabulature question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526 "2019-08-11T23:45:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/1 "2019-08-11T23:45:35Z")
Mods, please move this as you see fit. I am using Ultimate Guitar tabs for Jeff Beck’s “Too much to lose” and there is a symbol I’m not at all familiar with. It looks like a reverse/backwards ‘3’ immediately preceding the fret number. It’s also very slightly lower than the fret number, almost like a subscript, except that the font seems to be the same size as the fret number. Something like ---------E10------8------ where the ‘E’ is like a reverse ‘3’. Does anyone know what that is? Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/2 "2019-08-12T00:38:56Z")
It’s a quarter rest sign. [link](https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&rlz=1CAWAFN_enUS782US783&biw=1093&bih=487&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=SrRQXaCGEo_u_Qb4g5nwCw&q=music+rest+sign&oq=music+rest+sign&gs_l=img.3..0.4773.5292..6374...0.0..0.112.325.3j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i7i30j0i7i5i30j0i8i7i30.8vSP-i-9zxc&ved=0ahUKEwig04qYi_zjAhUPd98KHfhBBr4Q4dUDCAY&uact=5#imgrc=K44r-3NRRzU1EM:) Not sure how it works in with your song but I’d venture whatever that segment of your tab should be played with more of a staccato feel. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/3 "2019-08-12T01:09:27Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > It’s a quarter rest sign. > > [link](https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&rlz=1CAWAFN_enUS782US783&biw=1093&bih=487&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=SrRQXaCGEo_u_Qb4g5nwCw&q=music+rest+sign&oq=music+rest+sign&gs_l=img.3..0.4773.5292..6374...0.0..0.112.325.3j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i7i30j0i7i5i30j0i8i7i30.8vSP-i-9zxc&ved=0ahUKEwig04qYi_zjAhUPd98KHfhBBr4Q4dUDCAY&uact=5#imgrc=K44r-3NRRzU1EM:) > > Not sure how it works in with your song but I’d venture whatever that segment of your tab should be played with more of a staccato feel. Ah, I wish it were so. Picture this, though the Ɛ is about a pixel lower than the 10. Is a typo possible? * * * ## -------Ɛ10------- * * * ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/4 "2019-08-12T01:17:51Z")
Are you sure it isn’t an “8”? What do you HEAR there in the original recording? - IMO tabs should be considered a guide to help you work things out with your ears, not taken as gospel. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/5 "2019-08-12T01:46:56Z")
**Moderator Action** > [@velomont](#): > > Mods, please move this as you see fit. Cafe Society is our usual home for questions about music theory, so let’s move it to there (from GQ). ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/6 "2019-08-12T02:05:58Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > It’s a quarter rest sign. > > [link](https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&rlz=1CAWAFN_enUS782US783&biw=1093&bih=487&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=SrRQXaCGEo_u_Qb4g5nwCw&q=music+rest+sign&oq=music+rest+sign&gs_l=img.3..0.4773.5292..6374...0.0..0.112.325.3j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i7i30j0i7i5i30j0i8i7i30.8vSP-i-9zxc&ved=0ahUKEwig04qYi_zjAhUPd98KHfhBBr4Q4dUDCAY&uact=5#imgrc=K44r-3NRRzU1EM:) > > Not sure how it works in with your song but I’d venture whatever that segment of your tab should be played with more of a staccato feel. I don’t think you’d see a rest sign in tab – usually tab indicates fingering, but not rhythm, at least not with that kind of precision. Could it be a very small 8 (as in eight)? Indicating a grace note, or hammer-on, or something? Like 810 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/7 "2019-08-12T02:09:26Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > Mods, please move this as you see fit. I am using Ultimate Guitar tabs for Jeff Beck’s “Too much to lose” and there is a symbol I’m not at all familiar with. > > It looks like a reverse/backwards ‘3’ immediately preceding the fret number. It’s also very slightly lower than the fret number, almost like a subscript, except that the font seems to be the same size as the fret number. Something like ---------E10------8------ where the ‘E’ is like a reverse ‘3’. > > Does anyone know what that is? Thank you very much. Can you link to the tab? ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/8 "2019-08-12T08:54:45Z")
Looking at the 16th measure of [this](https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/jeff_beck/too_much_to_lose_guitar_pro_214831), it looks like a small 8 like **Saintly Loser** indicates. A very blurry 8, none the less, when I enlarge the screen. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/9 "2019-08-12T09:11:06Z")
I agree you have to isolate those measures and slow them down. Use a program like Transcribe! or ASD (Amazing Slow Downer). I use the ASD App on my phone. Set it to loop and play a few seconds of the music. Slow it down to 70%. Then you can study the Tab and see for sure what they are notating in the 16th bar. That’s a pretty difficult tab. A lot of slides and bends. I’d start with the 1st measure and verify that the tab is reasonably accurate. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/10 "2019-08-12T09:20:08Z")
I suspect the 8 10 is a slide to that note. They forgot the curve line. Compare to measure 5. 7 9 with a curve line. A slide. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/11 "2019-08-12T10:40:07Z")
> [@Kzbre5m](#): > > Looking at the 16th measure of [this](https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/jeff_beck/too_much_to_lose_guitar_pro_214831), it looks like a small 8 like **Saintly Loser** indicates. A very blurry 8, none the less, when I enlarge the screen. I would read that as a hammer on ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-tabulature-question/838526/12 "2019-08-12T11:49:58Z")
Hi all, I just looked at the actual source document online and it is indeed what Saintly Loser said. Thanks everybody!