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Question: Why are acoustic and electric guitar tabs upside down!?
I just started learning the acoustic guitar and while I was learning how to read tabs I notice that they look upside down(to me at least) example is twinkle twinkle little star intro

Original Tabs

e|00779975544220---------|
B|------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

Why couldn't it have been

E|------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
B|------------------------------|
e|00779975544220---------|

since your looking at the guitar chords from a top down perspective or even when your looking directly at it you know that B is the second from the bottom and not the second at the top or that D is always the third chord!. Wouldn't it be easier for beginners or anyone to read tabs like the second example!?

This maybe a really dumb question 2 you experts but I have to know!!!


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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Hold your guitar like you do when you play!. Now look down at the strings!.

I was bored so i made an illustration:
http://www!.learningtoshred!.com/strings!.j!.!.!.

You'll see the order of the strings in tablature matches the order of the strings when you look at your guitar while playing!.

Your proposed way has the strings in the order you'd see them if you look *somebody else* playing!. So it's all a matter of perspective!. And since you typically look at tab while *you're* playing, I think the standard way makes more sense!. ;)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Your thickest string is the larger E, the second string is A!. As you look down at the guitar, those are the notes!. If you were to lay the guitar flat, and the tab behind it, it would align!.

In my mind, the first example the higher e is 'further' away, and the lower E is 'nearer'!. It would rather confuse me if I did read a tab like that!
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picture the guitar laying in your lap, that's just the way it isWww@QuestionHome@Com