what's this?

I have been running into some things on tab and I don't know what they mean.

----/12----------- I'm not sure what these / are for.

-----(12)--------- there is also this () can someone explain this.

-/#- is a pick-slide down from the neck to the fret.
-(#)- is a ghost note, which is played quieter.

That's what I'm lead to believe anyway, I could do with some help with pick-sliding in any case, I can't get it sounding right -.-

The first is a slide up into the 12th fret. / means slide up, means slide down. If there is no fret written before the slide (/12) then you can slide from anywhere below the note. If there is a slide after a note with no fret after it (12) then you can slide out to any fret below the 12th fret.

The 2nd could be a harmonic, although they are normally written as .

This might help:-

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/for_beginners
/tablatures_definitions.html

/ is slide up \ is slide down (12) would be a ghost note like when ur bending a note it will somtimes say this 10b (12) just means ur bending to the 12th fret.

I tried to write < 12> but without the space.