hey i was just wondering if anyone could give me a crash course on reading tabs id really appreciate any help

Alright man, this is too easy. Your strings are, in order, startin on the thickest string, EADGBE. Now, on the TAB, you`ll notice that it looks something like this:
E----------------
B----------------
G----------------
D----------------
A----------------
E----------------
Thus correlating the the strings on your guitar. Now, when they put numbers on them, such as this:
E-3-------------
B-5-5-7-3--------
G-5-7-9-5--------
D---7-9-5--------
A----------------
E----------------
They are using number to represent the FRETS that you place your fingers on, to create the CHORD. Now, the first chord up there is going to be your "G Power Chord." Don`t let this confuse you, because it is simple. Your index finger will press down the space between the 2nd and 3rd fret on your guitar (fret=metal bar on the neck), fret space #3, while your ring finger will be pressing down between the 4th and 5th fret, fret space #5, on the A and D strings. Now, without moving your finger position, you can slide it up and down the neck, and start the chord (with your index finger) on either the 1st (Low E) or 2nd (A) strings. The chord progression that I listed above will be G, D, E, and C "power chords". Your index finger is on the "root" of the chord, which is the note that the chord is built off of. Remember that your first chord was a "G" right? On the "E" string. The order of notes on that string are going to be E, F, G, G#, A, etc. The 3rd note on the string was G, and that is where your power chord started, with your index finger on the G, the "root" of the chord. If this didn`t explain anything to you, or if I`m confusing you (I`m a little drunk at the moment,) then email me at dzrice@gmail.com and I`d be glad to answer any questions you may have. Good luck, don`t get frustrated, practice hard. Once you get the basics, I`d reccommend that you check out "John Petrucci, Rock Discipline" video, and Zakk Wylde`s "Pentatonic Hardcore" video (and just listen to anything that he`s played). You can find them on limewire or whatever fileshare you use. Not that its legal. Also, get a subscription to "Guitar One" magazine, its about two bucks and issue w/ subscription, and they come w/ interactive CD`s for your computer that have lessons/reviews/etc. Shoot me an email, and good luck.

Sorry Ash, I called you "man". Everything else remains unchanged Have fun.

WOW!!! The beer. Okay, refer to THIS instead of the above "TAB"
E----------------
B----------------
G---7-9-5--------
D-5-7-9-5--------
A-5-5-7-3--------
E-3--------------
I had typed it bass-ackwards. My bad. By the way, that is the chord progression for the verse part of "When I Come Around", by Green Day, which was the first song I ever learned back in the early 90`s. Use the same basic progression starting on fret #1 instead of #3 and you`ve got the song "glycerine." Its a pretty common chord pattern. Again, sorry for the screw up. Take care.

lol i guess im just too dumb to learn this haha

ashley: you're not too dumb! I'm dumb and i managed to understand this lol.just tell me the part you don't understand and i'll explain it to you! i only just learnt by reading what this guy said (well explained by the way ) and it's worked amazingly lol.

ELlie
xxx

A tab simply tells you what fret to push down with you left hand fingers. In the diagram, e is the highest string (the thinest one).

a) don't push down on any strings, just play the high e (thin string):
e--0-----
b--------
g--------
D--------
A--------
E--------

b) push down on the first string at the 1st fret and play it:
e--1-----
b--------
g--------
D--------
A--------
E--------

c) push down on the second string at the 1st fret, third string on the 2nd fret, and then play all 3 strings at once (e, b, g -- all thin strings):
e--0-----
b--1-----
g--2-----
D--------
A--------
E--------