The Fret board Diagram is a scale model of what you see when you hold the guitar in front of yourself looking at the strings with the machines to the top.

These diagrams represent the neck and the symbols are quite simple to understand.

  The first symbol is a white circle above the 1^st fret.  This is used to show a string played is to be “open” or no pressed fret positions.  An “X” in this location would indicate the string is not to be played.  A white circle with a number inside represents the finger and location to press.  If it is used with black circles then it also indicates a root finger location.  Unless indicated these diagrams are based on the first physical fret and played in that location.  A specified Fret number indicates the top of the diagram is that fret number and that is the location to be played.  Black circles are merely placeholders where fingering would occur for that specific chord or form pattern.  A line joining several circle together in the same fret indicate a bar using one finger to press all the strings crossed.  The strings are numbered from the left as 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and finally 1

Tab notation is designed to ease finger and string identification and is used in

conjunction with a music staff indication note and beat.  Looking at the Tab notation is representative to looking at your guitar as you are playing.  On the diagram, number 6 string is on the lowest string represented and on the page is closest, physically, to your body.  The actual string on the guitar is physically closest to your face.  On the music staff the lowest tone notes or bass notes are on the lower section while on the tab notation the lowest tone strings are on the lower section for representation of the tone.   The tab notation also indicates the fret number any given string is to be played at, don’t confuse this with the finger number on the fret diagrams.