Photos provided by: Leilani Kilgore
Knowing how to read guitar tabs is an essential part of your guitar growth. Learning how to read guitar Tablature is an essential part of learning how to play guitar. The best part is that tabs are simple and easy to understand, even for beginners. So, what’s a guitar tab?
Guitar Tablature, or tabs for short, is a visual representation of guitar music that doesn’t require
any knowledge of how to read musical notation.
Guitar tab symbols tell a guitar player exactly what to do when reading guitar Tablature.
Tablature is different from standard notation because tabs will specifically explain the motions,
fingers, frets and techniques without you needing to memorize the complicated system and music
theory that is standard music notation.
This is especially helpful for beginners since they’d be able to learn how to play a song on guitar
immediately and start having fun right away. Guitar tabs look a little like standard musical
notation which has five lines running horizontally. Tabs are set up to look like the neck of your
guitar with six lines running horizontally representing the six strings on a guitar.
Yeah, but why should I learn how to read music when there are countless guitarists that
have become success without knowing how to read music?
You are right. The following guitarists didn’t know how to read music:
Jimmi Hendrix - Jimi Hendrix has been voted as the greatest guitarist of all times on several
occasions. When you consider the amount of unique guitar solos and memorable tunes Hendrix
gave to the world, it’s easy to assume he would have been fluent in reading music.
But in an interview in 1969, he was asked whether he can read music, and the legend replied,
“No, not at all”.
Eric Clapton - Mister Clapton may be the only musician in the world who’s been inducted into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times, but he isn’t your go-to guy when it comes to sheet
music.
He revealed his inability to read on his autobiography. He told he had been playing with the
legendary Aretha Franklin and gotten so nervous because everyone else was playing from a
sheet and he didn’t know how to ready any of it!Nonetheless, Clapton’s has been EPIC regardless of his non ability to read music. Slash - Slash might be the man behind some of the world’s most recognizable riffs such as Sweet Child O’ Mine, but he is not able to read notes.
In a Snake pit Q&A session, he revealed that he can’t read music but relies fully on his ability to
play by ear. His inability to read music also has made him prefer writing songs on his own.
So, ask yourself, are you either of the mentioned artists above? All the guitarists previously
mentioned are on-of-a-kind. But it doesn’t mean that you must know how to read music to play
guitar. However, you should learn another method for reading music on a page or through digital
application. This method is Guitar Tabs as mentioned in our intro. Simplify your ambitions without pressure to learn how to read music. Though avoiding making use of guitar Tablature is a
crime. Musically speaking of course.
Today we are going to chat with a blues guitarist that we have spoken to in the past. She is a
phenom in every way. She is no stranger to playing all kind of music. However, she has made a
name for herself with the Blues Genre. Her name is Leilani Kilgore.
INSIGHT INTO LEILANI KILGORE
"The blues are in good hands as long as Leilani Kilgore is strutting her stuff." - Classic
Rock History. A Nashville transplant hailing from the West Coast, Leilani Kilgore serves aggressive hard-hitting rock with a touch of meaningful blues and fearlessly honest emotional expression. Her
variety of sound and electric performance has earned her headlining slots on legendary stages
such as the Sturgis Buffalo Chip main stage and Summerfest and placed her as the opener for
renowned acts like Buddy Guy, Lita Ford, 38 Special, Limp Bizkit, and The Dead Daisies.
"Leilani Kilgore has something to say and trust me, you will be listening." - Keyline
Magazine
Leilani's music has allowed her to perform internationally in multiple countries and has grown in
a well-oiled machine of a live performance. With in-your-face vocals and fearless solos, this isn't
an artist you want to miss.
These are excellent compliments to who Leilani Kilgore is, and how talented she has become.
However, you don’t get to know her unless you really get a feel for her style of playing. She
hasn’t even touched the surface of what she is able to accomplish as a blues artist. There are way
too many experiences that is yet to sing about. However, we want to give you an insider’s look
into how she views music. Especially as you develop your own style for playing guitar.
INTERVIEW WITH LEILANI KILGORE AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE
Guitar Thrills: Hello Leilani. I want to welcome you back to Guitar Thrills Magazine. It is
always a pleasure to chat with you. Regarding the topic of reading music, did you start out
playing guitar by learning how to read music? If so, did you find it difficult and how long did it
take you?
Leilani: Hi, thanks so much for having me back! Funnily enough, I did start out by reading
music; I learned classical before I learned anything else, and reading proper notation came with
the territory. I think the challenge of it peaked my interest as a kid, and while I definitely got
frustrated on a regular basis, I also really enjoyed the victory of picking up reading faster and
faster as time went. I was embarking on a new musical journey—recording them was a deeply profound and satisfying experience.
Guitar Thrills: Every guitarist is somewhat familiar with Guitar Tabs. Unless you absolutely
refuse to communicate your approach to learning or sharing music with other guitarists. Not sure
how affective that would be, especially in an age where Guitar Tablature is used heavily. To what
degree has Guitar Tabs played in your development as guitarist?
Leilani: Guitar tabs has been, above all, the most crucial method for me as a player. I’m really ADD and it doesn’t take much for me to throw in the towel and forget to go back to whatever challenging task I was tackling before, and trying to figure out a complex electric guitar solo from notation would just kill me. But I get numbers and how tab correlates to the neck with no second thought, and so it’s helped me develop playing skills notation might have discouraged me from learning (assuming my reading never got any better). Plus, as a part-time Nashville Broadway player, being able to read tabs on the fly for music I hadn’t heard before has saved me from disaster more times than I can count!
Guitar Thrills: The topic of reading music, or guitar tabs is not specific to beginners only.
Because it is a method of dispensing notes, rhythm and timing. Measures are communicated
through Guitar Tabs. Regardless of how fast you can pick up on playing music, tablature is a
must. Is there a point when you no longer need to refer to tabs as a guitarist?
Leilani: I mean, it depends. Obviously repetition is key to mastering something and you can
eventually stop relying on tabs if you’re trying to memorize a part or a song. But if you mean
using tabs in general, I always recommend trying to learn something by ear first. It helped me
understand how to hear where things are being played on a fretboard, and how to copy inflection
and identify right hand technique. I also firmly believe it sets a player up for success in a live
setting with other musicians.
Guitar Thrills: Do you use guitar aps, or do you prefer to use the old school methods of writing
them down on paper?
Leilani: I absolutely use guitar apps when I can. But its’s not uncommon to find me scrambling
to write Nashville number system charts the night before a last-minute gig call.
Guitar Thrills: Do you recall a specific song where Guitar Tabs were instrumental?
Leilani: Hm… I’m trying to remember if there was specific song I learned as a kid where it was
an absolute must. Off the top of my head, I’d say any Van Halen solo (Jump and Eruption
especially) and the Hotel California solo (it’s just so LONG).
Guitar Thrills: Of all the methods for learning how to play music, what is your preference?
Leilani: I definitely prefer learning by ear. But coupling that with tabs is my go-to more often
than not; I can get a visual handle on what’s going on and then use my ear training to finesse.
Guitar Thrills Broadcast
Guitar Thrills: Is there a specific resource that you relied upon as you learned how to play blues
guitar?
Leilani: That, unfortunately, was all by listening. Blues is such an emotive genre to play on
guitar, and it felt wrong to try to quantify it with tablature. I had so much fun as a teenager
rewinding CDs and MP3s over and over to figure out what it was I was listening to, and I
genuinely believe it made me a better player as a result. I felt a lot more connected to what I was
doing.
Guitar Thrills: Thank you for your feedback. I know our readers will benefit from your insight.
So, what are you working on these days? Are you touring, or working in the studio?
Leilani: My band and I will be kicking off our March shows with the Joe Bonamassa KTBA
cruise, which was a huge milestone for us. The rest of this year is going to be focused on
planning the release and subsequent touring for my (first ever!!!) full length album, which is set
to release in October both digitally and on CD/vinyl. The guys and I will be hitting th studio one
more time this year to record another EP in the meantime, and I’m so inspired by the direction
my music is going. 2025 is panning out to be a really exciting year, and it’s going to require more
work than ever before but I believe it will have a massive payoff.
Guitar Thrills: There are some rumors that you will be playing locally on March 27th at the New
World Music Hall in Tampa. You can’t count on support from us. Tickets on sale now at
www.ticketweb.com. Where do you plan on playing thereafter?
Leilani: I absolutely love New World, we can’t wait to be back! After that, we’ll be performing at
the Conduit in Orlando the following night and Jack Rabbit’s in Jacksonville on the 29th.
Guitar Thrills: I want to ask you about a song called Los Angeles, that you released about a year
ago. With the number of challenges from those living in L.A. how has it impacted you
personally? Also, what is the background behind the song?
Leilani: It’s broken my heart. Watching the fires rip through LA and the surrounding areas was
like watching a horror movie, and I felt so helpless. I remember reaching out to my friends out
there, and waiting up all night to make sure my partner at the time got out safely when he
received the evacuation order. The band and I haven’t performed LA since then because our
focus has been in the studio, but it’s on the setlist this month and part of me is afraid to play it.
If it’s any consolation, the song is entirely a metaphor for falling in love so hard and inevitably
that you’re just at the mercy of whatever happens, and sometimes that means watching yourself
getting hurt. Being in love is a terribly vulnerable place to be. But I wrote the song one afternoon
in Laurel Canyon and I think the environment I was in at the time just ended up being the choice
of location (and subsequent imagery) in the song.
Guitar Thrills: It has been a difficult time for many who have lost homes, etc. Have you joined
up with any foundation that supports those affected by the fires?
Leilani: Personally, I think anything helps. Support for any foundation involved in providing
shelter, food, clothes, etc., is crucial. I’ve also seen some incredible efforts from music-specific
foundations such as MusiCares and Fender, and I have to commend them for their outreach as
well. This is one of those devastating situations where we need to focus on helping each other as
people and put politics or personal agendas aside.
Guitar Thrills: Needless to say, we continue to keep “tabs” on your accomplishments as an artist.
We also look forward to seeing you play live in March. Please keep us in the loop of what is
happening in your career, and we will be more than happy to promote it. Thanks again.
A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
