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Recommendation for Guitar Tablature Software
Hello everyone. I've come up with some finger style arrangements that I'd like to make tabs of to share with a friend and also make a written record of so I don't forget them. Could I get recommendations for software programs to create the tabs? I searched the forum but couldn't find recent postings on this topic.
I'm looking for something free or inexpensive (no Sibelius or Finale) that is easy to learn and use. It would be helpful if it could generate tabs from Midi files. What I've found elsewhere suggests that MuseScore is the most popular of the free versions. Are there other free programs that I should consider? What are the main features I would miss out on by not using the more expensive software? Guitar Pro seems to be a popular among the inexpensive paid versions ($70). Is it significantly better than the free versions in terms of entering or editing tabs? I'd really appreciate any input and advice you can give. Dave |
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I use PowerTabEditor (free) (for Windows only).
See my sig below to tabs done in PowerTab and printed in PDF format. You can import midi files into it. Also TablEdit ($60) is available (Windows or Mac). I bought Guitar Pro ($70). As far as ease of use I prefer using PowerTabEditor
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Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love To be that we hold so dear A voice from heavens above |
#3
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+1 |
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I'm trying these free programs currently: PowerTab and Musescore.
Powertab pretty much does everything except it's old program so it doesn't have good viewing option in the monitor. Musescore is new to me. It seems okay except it doesn't have hammer on and pull offs to play back, at least I can't find it. I can write H but it won't play it.
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Acoustic-Electric: Yamaha FGX800C, Jim Dandy. Seagull S6. Electric: Schecter C1+, Aria Pro II Fullerton. |
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Hammer ons Pull offs and Slides are called 'slurs' in Music Notation. To enter a slur in Musescore click on the first note and press the letter 's'. That is if you are not in note entering mode. If you are in note entering mode press 'Esc' first. I then put an H,P or S above using Stave Text.
It doesn't change the sound of the playback but it is there for anyone reading it. |
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I used Powertab years ago, but now I prefer TuxGuitar. It's available on multiple OS (Windows, Linux, MacOS,...)
http://www.tuxguitar.com.ar/ |
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I like using GuitarPro.
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Barry Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}: My SoundCloud page Some steel strings, some nylon. |
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Thanks everyone for the input. I did more research, and decided to try MuseScore. I was able to make a good looking tab without much trouble, so I'm satisfied for now.
After I have more experience with it, I'll probably do the Guitar Pro 30 day free trial to see if it's worth upgrading to something more powerful. |
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Barry Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}: My SoundCloud page Some steel strings, some nylon. |
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I like Guitar Pro.
I like the scales feature it has, lots of other stuff I like about it as well. MGF |
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Thank you for the tip I will put it to work later.
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. |
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PowerTab, TablEdit, TuxGuitar all slide and hammer on during playback except the musescore. Not perfect sound but it does play. TuxGuitar is good but it just runs on and on without a line break.
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Acoustic-Electric: Yamaha FGX800C, Jim Dandy. Seagull S6. Electric: Schecter C1+, Aria Pro II Fullerton. |
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I.e., (as we know!) normally the note played with a hammer-on or pull-off sound quieter and with very little attack. Is that how it sounds on that software? I'm intrigued because my Sibelius software doesn't do this. It's great for looks and general notation flexibilty, but it doesn't change the sound of notes according to common guitar articulations. E.g., it will play bends as swooping pitches, but it always sounds the second note (the target pitch note bent to), it doesn't smooth it out. Same with hammer-ons and pull-offs. You hear the second note with the same attack as if there was no linking slur. Of course, I guess - as with musescore - it's because it's general purpose software, not dedicated to guitar. But to produce a convincing hammer-on/pull-off sound seems like quite a sophisticated way of programming sound samples, at least for cheap(ish) software. I never liked any of the guitar tab software I've seen because I like notation and the notation always looks cheap on those programs. But if I can get proper guitar articulation sounds I'm going to have to look into them.... EDIT: I just checked out TuxGuitar (free one!) and the bend option is good - very effective. The H/P effect is a lot more subtle - not that effective but it is there. The slide just sounds like a bend.
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. Last edited by JonPR; 09-19-2020 at 09:56 AM. |