Mandolin tablature is written on a staff of four lines, each line representing one pair of strings. The top line is the pair of E strings, the second line is the A strings, the third line is the D and the lowest line is the G strings:
E--------------------
A--------------------
D--------------------
G--------------------
Any number, from 0 to 20, represents the fret you want played on that particular string, with 0 meaning the open string (played without being fretted). For example, if you wanted to play the G note at the third fret of the E string, it would look like this:
E--3-----------------
A--------------------
D--------------------
G--------------------
Numers are always read from left to right, regardless of which string the note is played. Playing two full octaves of the G major scale, from low to high, would look like this:
E-----------------------------------------0--2--3---
A----------------------------0--2--3--5------------
D---------------0--2--4--5-------------------------
G-0--2--4--5---------------------------------------
Chords are represented by having the numbers placed directly over one another on their respective string lines. A G major chord would be represented like this:
E--3------------------
A--2------------------
D--0------------------
G--0------------------
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