Free Guitar Tablature PDF Generator — Printable TAB Paper | SheetOwl

Generate printable guitar TAB sheets for 6-string or 7-string guitar. Choose bars per system and systems per page. Free PDF download.

Guitar tablature is a six-line staff where each line represents one string of the guitar — the bottom line is the low E string and the top line is the high E string. Fret numbers written on the lines tell the player which fret to press on each string, making TAB readable without any knowledge of standard music notation. Blank guitar tab paper gives you a physical surface to write down riffs, chord voicings, and full arrangements by hand. Writing TAB by hand is slower than using software, which makes it useful for working things out at the instrument: you play a phrase, figure out the fingering, write down the fret numbers, then move on. SheetOwl generates 6-string or 7-string TAB paper with adjustable bars per system and systems per page.

How it Works

Choose 6-string or 7-string format. The 7-string option adds a seventh line at the bottom for the low B string used on extended-range guitars. Set the bars per system — 4 bars per system is standard for most music and gives enough space to write fret numbers clearly; 2 bars per system leaves more horizontal space if you need to write multiple notes simultaneously in complex chord arrangements. Set the systems per page. More systems per page fit more music on one sheet but reduce the space available per bar. Select A4 or Letter paper and download. Print on plain 80 gsm paper. A4 landscape gives a wide format that resembles printed songbook layout.

Usage Scenarios

A guitar teacher prints 6-string TAB sheets with 4 bars per system on A4 portrait to transcribe short exercises for beginner students. She writes the fret numbers in pencil during the lesson so she can adjust the exercise in real time if a student finds it too easy or too difficult. Students take the sheet home and practice the exercise during the week, referring to the fret numbers when they forget the fingering.
A songwriter working on a new composition prints several sheets of 6-string TAB in landscape orientation and works through riff ideas by playing and writing simultaneously. She crosses out ideas that do not work and circles ones she wants to keep. After an hour of exploration, the paper shows a clear record of what she tried, which is more useful than a digital recording where early discarded ideas are hard to retrieve.
A bassist learning a 7-string guitar for a metal band prints 7-string TAB sheets to transcribe the band's existing songs so he can learn the parts. The 7th string line makes it immediately clear which notes use the extended range, helping him identify the passages that require the low B string versus those playable on a standard 6-string instrument.

FAQ

Should I choose 6-string or 7-string TAB?

Pick 6-string for standard guitar — six lines where the bottom is low E and the top is high E. Choose 7-string for extended-range instruments; it adds a seventh line at the bottom for the low B string, making it immediately clear which notes need the extended range.

How wide should each system be, in bars?

4 bars per system is standard for most music and leaves enough room to write fret numbers clearly. Drop to 2 bars per system when you need more horizontal space — useful for complex chord arrangements where several notes stack vertically and crowding would make the fret numbers hard to read.

Do I need to read standard notation to use TAB?

No. Tablature shows six lines for the strings, and the fret numbers written on each line tell you exactly where to press — no knowledge of standard music notation required. That's what makes blank TAB paper handy for working out riffs and fingerings directly at the instrument.

Portrait or landscape, and how many systems per page?

A4 landscape gives a wide format resembling a printed songbook and more room per bar. More systems per page fit more music on one sheet but shrink the space per bar, so use fewer systems when writing dense passages and more when sketching simple riff ideas.

What's the best way to work out a riff on paper?

Print several sheets, then play and write at the same time: play a phrase, find the fingering, write the fret numbers, and move on. Cross out ideas that don't work and circle keepers. The paper ends up showing a clear record of what you tried — easier to revisit than a recording.