What the "Is This Love" tab shows you

The "Is This Love" guitar tab is a written representation of where to place your fingers on the fretboard to play the Van Halen song from 1985. Instead of reading musical notation, you see six horizontal lines representing the six strings of a guitar, with numbers showing which fret to press. The tab tells you the exact finger positions but not the timing or rhythm — you need to listen to the song or read the rhythm notation alongside it to know how long to hold each note.

Most tabs you find online come from sites like Ultimate Guitar or Chordify, where musicians transcribe songs by ear. The quality varies widely: some tabs are accurate transcriptions, others are approximations, and a few are straightforward wrong. The best approach is to compare a tab against the actual recording as you learn it, adjusting as you go.

Key Takeaways

  • The tab shows six lines for six strings, with numbers indicating which fret to press; the lowest line is the thickest string (low E) and the top line is the thinnest (high E).
  • Reading left to right, numbers that line up vertically mean you play those notes at the same time; numbers stacked diagonally usually mean you play them in quick succession.
  • Tabs do not show rhythm or timing, so you must listen to the song to know how long to hold each note or how fast to play a sequence.
  • The main riff in "Is This Love" uses the lower strings and involves some string bending, which the tab marks with a "b" symbol followed by the target fret number.

How the lines and numbers work

A guitar tab always shows six horizontal lines. The bottom line represents the low E string (the thickest string on your guitar), and the top line represents the high E string (the thinnest). The four lines in between are, from bottom to top: A, D, G, and B.

Numbers on the lines tell you which fret to press. A "0" means play the string open (without pressing any fret). A "1" means press the first fret, a "2" means the second fret, and so on. When numbers appear directly above or below each other on different strings, play all those notes at the same time. When they appear in a diagonal or staggered pattern, play them one after another in the order they appear from left to right.

Special symbols appear throughout tabs to show techniques. A "b" followed by a number means bend the string up to that fret's pitch. A "/" means slide up, and a "\" means slide down. An "h" means hammer-on (press the next fret without plucking again), and a "p" means pull-off (lift your finger to sound a lower note without plucking).

The main riff and opening section

The opening riff of "Is This Love" sits mostly on the D and G strings and uses bends to create the song's signature sound. The tab will show you bending up from the 5th fret to the 7th fret, then returning, which gives the riff its characteristic wailing tone. This is one of the first techniques you need to master to play the song recognizably.

The riff repeats throughout the verse and chorus with slight variations. Once you have the basic shape in your fingers, the rest of the song becomes much easier because you are playing the same positions over and over. Practice the bends slowly at first — bending to the exact pitch takes ear training and finger strength, and rushing through it will make the song sound sloppy.

Finding a reliable tab source

Ultimate Guitar (ultimate-guitar.com) hosts thousands of tabs and lets you filter by difficulty and rating. Tabs with higher ratings have usually been checked by more players and corrected when wrong. Chordify (chordify.net) lets you paste a YouTube link and generates a tab in real time by analyzing the audio, which can be helpful for comparing against a manually transcribed version.

When you find a tab, check the comments section. Other players often point out mistakes or post corrections. If the tab has been rated and commented on by dozens of people, you can trust it more than a tab with no feedback. If you are learning from a tab that sounds off when you play it against the recording, do not assume you are playing it wrong — the tab itself may be inaccurate.

Reading rhythm notation alongside the tab

A tab alone does not tell you rhythm. Some tabs include rhythm notation above the numbers — you might see quarter notes, eighth notes, or sixteenth notes drawn out. If your tab does not have this, you must listen to the song and count along, or watch a video tutorial where someone plays it and you can see their hands move.

The opening riff of "Is This Love" has a specific rhythm that is part of what makes it recognizable. Playing the right notes at the wrong speed will not sound like the song. Spend time listening to the original recording and tapping your foot to the beat, then try to match that timing as you play the tab.

Common mistakes when learning from tabs

The most common mistake is playing too fast. Tabs do not show timing, so beginners often rush through sequences because they are not sure how long to hold each note. Slow down the recording using a tool like Amazing Slow Downer or YouTube's playback speed control, then match that slower tempo as you learn.

Another mistake is assuming the tab is correct without checking it against the song. If a section sounds wrong, play it back against the recording. You might be playing it correctly but the tab itself might be transcribed incorrectly. Comparing your playing to the original is the fastest way to catch errors.

A third mistake is skipping over the bends or other techniques because they seem hard. The bends are not optional flourishes in "Is This Love" — they are central to the song's sound. If you skip them and play straight notes instead, it will not sound like the song at all. Spend the time to learn them properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the "b" symbol mean in a guitar tab?

The "b" means bend the string upward to match the pitch of the fret number that follows it. For example, "5b7" means press the 5th fret and bend the string up until it sounds like the 7th fret. Bending is a technique that takes practice to do in tune.

How do I know how long to hold each note if the tab does not show timing?

Listen to the song and count along with the beat, then match that timing as you play. You can also slow down the recording using YouTube's playback speed or a dedicated app, which makes it easier to hear exactly when each note starts and stops. Video tutorials where someone plays the song are also helpful.

Is the tab on Ultimate Guitar always correct?

No. Tabs are transcribed by ear and can contain mistakes. Check the rating and comments — higher-rated tabs have usually been corrected by multiple players. If a section sounds wrong when you play it against the recording, compare it to another version of the same tab or watch a video tutorial to see what the correct notes should be.

Do I need to use a capo to play "Is This Love"?

Most tabs for "Is This Love" do not require a capo. The song is played in standard tuning without one. If a tab you find says to use a capo, compare it against the original recording — it may be a simplified version or a different arrangement.

What is the hardest part of playing this song from the tab?

The bends in the opening riff are the most challenging part. Getting them in tune takes ear training and finger strength. Practice bending slowly and deliberately, listening carefully to match the target pitch. Once you master the bends, the rest of the song is mostly repetition of the same positions.