Even if you never have played melodies on your guitar before the time has come now! You will learn to play guitar tab and a very popular melody even if you do not know sheet music notation. Pick up your guitar and let's start!

We will first take a look at the lyrics of the first verse:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound!

That sav'd a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found

Was blind, but now I see

First you have to learn to play guitar tab notation. Guitar tab or tablature notation is a way of showing how to play notes on your guitar with the help of numbers telling you on which fret to play and on which string:

1. ----------------------

2. ----------------------

3. ----------------------

The three lines represent the three first strings on your guitar. The line at the top named 1. represents the first string or E-string on the guitar.

Now you will learn to play your first guitar tab as we try the first line of lyrics together with the guitar tablature notation of the melody:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound!

1. ------------0-------0-------------------------

2. -------1-------1--------3-----1--------------

3. --0----------------------------------2----0--

The numbers you see on the guitar tablature staff tell you which fret to play. The number 0 indicates that you shall play a string without pressing down a fret.P>

This is called to play on an open string.

As you can see from this guitar tab notation the first note is on the open third string on your guitar. The next note is on the first fret on the second string.

Time to learn to play the next line of lyrics with the melody on your guitar:

That sav'd a wretch like me!

1. --------------0-------0---------0----3----

2. ---------1-------1---------3---------------

3. ---0----------------------------------------

You can play the notes with your right hand thumb. It's probably the easiest way to pluck the strings for now.

Let's proceed with the third line of lyrics and guitar tab:

I once was lost, but now am found

1. ---0----3----0---------0-------------------------

2. --------------------1--------3----1----------------

3. -----------------------------------------2----0----

Maybe you are pressing down the guitar frets with your right hand index finger.

If you want to prepare for more difficult guitar melodies you can try to play the notes on the first fret with your index finger, the notes on the second fret with your middle finger and the notes on the third fret with your ring finger.

Now we will learn to play the guitar tab for the last line of lyrics and complete this guitar lesson:

Was blind, but now I see

1. ---------------0--------0---------------

2. ----------1--------1------- 3----1----

3. ----0-----------------------------------

We have now completed this guitar lesson and you have learned to play the melody to Happy Birthday To You!

You have also learned to understand the use of guitar tab notation. You can find many more popular songs written with tablature on the internet.