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On this page, you’ll find links to our acoustic guitar tabs and lessons. In most cases, you’ll be able to download the entire tab score.

ReviewedJune, 1998last update Feb. 2004This review is intended toaccomplish a few things. First and foremost I want it to be aninformation resource to guitar players who are looking for TAB softwareto use for their compositions. Secondly, I'd like to use itas a way to provide visibility to the great software vendors out therewho are creating alternatives to the grossly inadequate ASCII TAB thatpermeates the web these days. As anyone who has ever tried tolearn some music from ASCII TAB already knows, it provides no timinginformation.

If you haven't already heard the piece of music,there is not enough information in ASCII TAB to figure out how to playit. These software packages will at least allow the author toconvey the timing of the piece along with the fingering.Here you will find myassessment of what I believe to be the best of the low cost packages onthe market; all of which I have personally used. They are allWindows based software except for TablEdit which now offers a versionfor the Mac.

All four share one common overriding and compellingfeature.they are low cost with superior functionality!Which package is best for youof course depends upon what you are trying to accomplish. Each hastheir particular strengths, so you just need to decide which strengthsmatch up best with your particular goals. For example, if standardnotation is not important to you, you can focus on only the TAB featuresof these packages. Or, you may have an extensive set of ASCII TAB files youcreated and want to be able to import those files to avoid having tore-enter them all by hand, then this becomes a must havefeature. If your goal is to generate MIDI output filesrather than obtain printed documents, then focus on which generates thebest MIDI and place less emphasis on print quality. Lastly,if you want very detailed control over the notation and are willing toaccept a more complicated interface to get it, then you need to focus onthe degree of edit ability they provide.I personally have found good reasons to haveany one of them as you'll see when you read theoverviews. It's like looking in your toolbox for a wrench; anadjustable wrench could be made to work reasonably well for most bolts,but using a wrench specifically sized for that bolt makes the jobconsiderably easier.So, without further ado, herethey are.

Unlike the overly expensiveprofessional notation packages that implemented TAB as an afterthought(with most of these you enter everything in standard notation and theTAB is generated later), with the packages below you can enter the TABdirectly and the standard notation is generated automatically (what aconcept.eh Encore?). What's great about this is when you'reworking in new and unfamiliar open tunings. I find it a hugehindrance to have to know the fretboard well enough to mentally convertto standard notation before you can capture something in a new tuning.With these packages you justtell them what tuning you are using, enter the TAB and the standardnotation falls out as part of the process.

Now, if you want, you can go back andedit the standard notation to suite your needs without ever having tofigure out the whole fretboard first.But also, there are manymusicians who don't know standard notation and don't want to take thetime to learn it. With these packages, you can simply ignore orturn off the standard notation and just work in a pure TABenvironment. You get the best of both worlds and you don't have toclimb that standard notation hill to get started.I don't think it would be anexaggeration to say this package is just outstanding and it just getsbetter and better with every release.TablEdit is a fully featured TAB and Standard Notation package fromFrance that is powerful and easy to use; a real bargain for$50. Because of the TAB is displayed, it's easy to see the different note duration's on abeat even if the standard notation is turned off.

TablEdit accuratelyreflects these different duration's in the MIDI output so a fingerstylepiece that has independent bass and melody lines, will be accuratelyreproduced. Also, if you notate an embellishment like a bend,slide, or brush, the MIDI output will emulate the soundappropriately. The software also allows you to organize theplayback with what it calls a 'reading list' to take intoaccount repeats, Codas, and playing instructions so that the MIDI isrecorded exactly as it would be played.nice touches that makes theMIDI output one of its biggest strengths. Listen to myarrangement for Harold Arlen's ' as produced by TablEdit. To get an idea ofwhat a printout would look like, here's the (.pdf 91K) for 'Over the Rainbow' asgenerated by TablEdit.Floating toolbars are provided tofacilitate selecting notes and duration's, dynamics, embellishments, andsome of the more common operations like changing time signatures on ameasure. I particularly like the fact that it can notate gracenotes (which play back correctly in MIDI).Another nice feature is the ChordBuilder.

This dialog box allows you to construct a chord bydiagram and insert it into the notation. When the insert iscomplete, the chord diagram, TAB, and standard notation are allinserted. So you only need to define the chord once and you getall three entries together. The reverse is also true, as you enterTAB, the software is always searching for the correct chord in thebackground and when it finds a match in its library, the diagram isinserted automatically.Along with the ability toimport/export ASCII and MIDI files, if you have work done in 'BuckettoTab' or Tabestry, it's able to open these files also.Last but not least, because itcomes from Europe, it supports multiple languages.

This issomething I'm sad to say is rarely done in American made software.Did I mention I really like thispackage! I plan to do a lot more with this software in thenear future.

If you need standard notation with TAB and good MIDIoutput is important, this package should be your top choice.A so you cantry it for yourself. If you do decide to buy it, please tell themyou found out about it here.Feb. 2004updateSince the initial reviewof this package was written in 1998, TablEdit has add such an impressivelist of new features it would take far too long to describe themall.

So what I will do is just mention some of the additions I waselated to see.a. A fretboard display which shows the tab on the fretboardb. A full screen workspace. Instead of the original single line scrolling edit system,the software takes advantage of the entire display screen (a greatimprovement).c. Track window to help you see were you are in the overall notation andthe ability to quickly move to a particular measure.d.

Multiple files open at once. This makes it possible to cut andpaste between files.e. They also now offer a free viewer program that allows anyone whodownloads a TablEdit file to view, listen to, and print it withouthaving to purchase the editor itself. To me this shows atremendous commitment to the TablEdit user base.This $50 Windows based package just keeps getting better and better.As of their latest release they now also display standard notation withthe TAB.

Iuse it primarily now for arranging music and every time a new versioncomes out, I continue to be amazed at how much better it gets.If you're still notating in ASCIITAB, you'll never go back after using this package for an hour (and itimports ASCII Tab and MIDI, so you won't even loose yourwork!). This package excels in ease of use.

I've usedthis package for many months and have yet to look at the help files.it's very intuitive. I can whole-heartedly recommend it.It's best feature has always beena very powerful chord wizard. You can include these diagrams intoyour Tab, but this isn't what's so specialabout this feature.

After you enter your TAB on a particular beat,just double click on any of the notes and the chord wizard popsup. The first thing it does is analyze the notes entered onthat beat and attempts to identify the chord (it automatically takesinto account what tuning you are using also).First of all, if you don't knowwhat chord you just entered, it'll tell you what it thinks it is and allit's alternate names. Second, if you want to explore otherpossible fingerings, it'll provide a bunch of diagrams for all the otherchord positions and voicings for that chord all the way up thefretboard.

Let's say you discover that you can finger thesame chord much easier on the 5th fret, just select the alternatediagram and then go back to change the TAB to reflect your newfingering. This is a great resource for composing orarranging! I wonder how I ever got along without it.Another useful feature is itsability to o ptimize fingerings. Suppose you found this greatMIDI tune and you want to figure out how to play it. Set up GuitarPro for your best guess at a tuning and then import the file. Thentell Guitar Pro to optimize the fingering.

If that tuning doesn'tappear to suit the music, change the tuning and import the fileagain. You can keep doing this until you find a tuning thatworks best.But even if you don't notate yourown music, it's worth getting just to be able to view the very extensivetheyoffer on their web site. Theyrecently did an excellent job at reorganizing this library and now it'sfar easier to find that tune you were dying to learn!And last but not least, becauseit comes from Europe, it supports multiple languages.this is somethingI'm sad to say is rarely done in American made software.Afor download, so you can try before you buy. If you do decide tobuy it, please tell them you found out about it hereMusEdit is a Windows based TABand Standard Notation package. As its name implies, thispackage can best be called a Music Editor; like a word processorfor music. You have totalcontrol over everything entered on the page.If detailed and accurate standard notation is important to you, thissoftware's greatest strength is the degree of control you have over thenotation. Also, if you want to be able to notate things likelyrics or piano scores along with the guitar parts, this software wasspecifically designed to deal with complicated multi-line scores.They are now on version 3.7 andmany new features have been added since this originalreview.

One of more powerful features that has always setthis package apart from the others is the ability to create complicatedscores with multiple instruments.But what I find most valuable isjust being able to construct and combine a melody line in standardnotation with lyrics, and then add the guitar accompaniment in standardnotation, Tab, and chord diagrams. This is something currentlyimpossible in the other packages right now. If you writesongs and want to transcribe the whole thing to sheet music, this is thepackage you want to consider.One of the features that is alsofound in TablEdit and GuitarPro that is very useful, is the ability to translate TAB fingerings todifferent tunings. The tuning translation is also doneintelligently in that it attempts to keep the fingerings as close to theoriginal fret positions as possible.What else is cool is its abilityto take a piano score with treble and bass clefs and translate it toTAB.

This has always been a difficult exercise because many of thebass notes on a piano score can't be played on a guitar. But withMusEdit, you can tell it to shift bass notes up an octave ontranslation. Usually that will get the notes into the guitar'srange and then you can play with the arrangement from there. Thismakes it a lot easier to arrange a piece written for piano and adapt itfor guitar.Another strong point of thispackage is the quality of the output. Take a look at their to see what kind of notation you can create.MusEdit also has a small butgrowing you can download as well.

Many of theseare very well done!I would have to say from afeature standpoint, it is on par with the much more expensive notationpackages like Encore or Finale but only costs $79 - including a veryextensive and well written manual.Check out the for yourself.Feb. 2004 update:StringWalker is apparently beingreplaced with a new software called Django, that provides better supportfor multiple instrument scores and notation, as well as full-pageinput. But it does not appear to be available yet.

The lastupdate to this software was in 2001.Here is another contender for the low costStandard Notation and TAB packages. I haven't used this package asextensively as the others yet, but what I can tell you is that it is afull featured TAB and standard notation package on par with any of thepackages described here. I believe that this package wouldappeal particularly to those who are notating classical or baroque musicfor lute or classical guitar. The reason I say this is thatit has the unique ability to notate TAB in 3 different styles: Italian,French, and Modern. This feature would be highly desirable tothose who are notating older classical pieces because they can give thenotation the look appropriate for the period in which the musicoriginated. The hasa couple of great example screen shots that illustrate this pretty well.One of the strong points of this packageis the versatility it has for notating different kinds of instrumentssince it can notate for instruments with as many as 16 strings and up to24 frets.

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It also allows for notation in 5 different clefs to support awide variety of instrument notation. So if you have a tune writtenfor a lute, cittern or bandora, look no futher, here is a package madejust for you!Another important feature is that it hasfull multimedia support with the ability to both play the notation backin MIDI and to export it to a file.

Of course, the bigadvantage of this is that you can hear how it suppose to sound as wellas be able to create MIDI files of your work. You can also importMIDI files, so if you find a classical piece you really want to learn,just import it and take a look at the TAB that the softwaregenerates.

Last, but not least, it has the ability to transpose apiece to different keys or different tunings; extremely useful whenarranging music for different instruments.They also offer a, currently numbering around 120.Many of these are compositions for the lute or classical guitar.You can download a and tryit for yourself. If you like it, registration is $60 whichincludes ALL future upgrades.