Ukulele 101: How To Read Ukulele Tab Part 6

Slides

Slides are another method of moving between notes without re-picking the string.

Slides are produced by picking one note then sliding along the string to the new note.

Example 1

Slides are tabbed in a similar way to hammer-ons and pull-offs. They are shown with an arch between the two notes but they also have a diagonal line between the notes (an upward sloping line for slides up the neck and a downward sloping line for sliding down).

Shift Slides

Shift slides are slightly different. As well as sliding up, the new note is re-picked. This is tab by removing the arch and just having the diagonal line.

Example 2

In plain text tab, no distinction is made between regular slides and shift slides. They all look like shift slides. You have to listen to the music to decide which is correct.

Slide In/Out

Some slides do not have a definite start point or end point. These are indicated by the same diagonal line but with a number at one end only.

Example 3

In this example, the note slides in ‘from nowhere’ up to the fifth fret. Then the fifth fret is played again and then slides off to nowhere.

Read the rest of the series here: How to Read Ukulele Tab.

This series was derived from my ebook Ukulele 101: 101 Things Every Ukulele Player Needs to Know.