/ ˈtæblətʃə(r); NAmE / (also tab ) noun
[ U , C ] a way of representing musical notes on paper by showing the position of the fingers on a musical instrument rather than the actual notes; an example of this :
The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: from French , probably from Italian tavolatura , from tavolare set to music.