What does r mean in guitar tabs?

what does r mean in tabs? eg, 15r13?

usually 'release bend'.... so in the example you gave you've bent the 13th fret note up a tone to 15, and then are releasing back to 13 again....

So if you bend a note then it moves up a interval or two?

interval? maybe if your strings are 7 or 8's and u work out a lot. by interval i think u ment half step. interval could be a major 3 which is a bend from lets say the 5 fret to make it sound like a note on the 9th fret. good luck on that.

Originally Posted by: fingertricksSo if you bend a note then it moves up a interval or two?

Depends on the notation. Bends are typically a full or half step (1 or 2 frets)

Originally Posted by: FireAndIce24interval? maybe if your strings are 7 or 8's and u work out a lot. by interval i think u ment half step. interval could be a major 3 which is a bend from lets say the 5 fret to make it sound like a note on the 9th fret. good luck on that.

Yeah thats what I meant! I feel dumb now. :o

Usually the way I would interpret that notation just as you said a release bend from the specific note at the 15th fret down to most likely the originally fretted note at the 13th fret. If it's just written "15r13" I would fret at the 13th fret and bend up a whole step THEN PICK the string and release the bend back down to the 15th fret. This gives you a nice Steel-Pedal-Guitar-sound to your bends and is a nice Blues tool. However, it says "13b15r13" Then it's Pluck, bend, release. That's the way I would interpret that but almost every tab you find on the internet will be slightly different because everyone has different ways of playing stuff... so listen to the song and see how it sounds to you.

We get questions about guitar tabs very often. There are many different symbols and, as aschleman pointed out, many different ways to read and interpret them. That's why we've made two pages on this very topic to help with understanding how to read and use guitar tablature in a real-world way.

The first page, How To Read Guitar Tabs, is a true step-by-step approach for beginners. This page is more structured for those who are brand new to guitar and tabs. Here we will walk you through how to understand what all the basic elements of tablature are and how to look at them. We will take you through the number system and basic symbols you'll see as you work though guitar lessons.

The second page, Guitar Tab Symbols Explained, goes more in-depth with specific symbols from beginner to more advanced. If you are working through learning a guitar solo and come across a symbol you've never seen before, reference this page. This will be a great page to come back to, so be sure and bookmark it.

Guitar tabs are a great way to advance your guitar learning journey. But they are up for interpretation. So in the end, be sure to listen closely to the music itself. There is where you will find all of the answers!

In guitar tablature, "r" typically stands for "release." When you see a notation like "15r13," it means you should first play the note at the 15th fret and then release (or pull-off) to the 13th fret in one fluid motion. This technique creates a legato sound, where the second note is produced without explicitly picking the string again. The release technique is commonly used in rock, blues, and metal guitar playing to create smooth, flowing passages.