Writing Guitar Tabs? Seven Serious Software Options

Writing guitar tabs? There are a lot of tools that can help you do this – some are better than others. Here is a quick overview of several, popular software tools for writing guitar tabs.

Keep in mind, there are a few basic goals you should identify before choosing one:

1. Are you only working from guitar, or do you want a more comprehensive tool?  If you’re a guitarist working mostly from that instrument, check out the first batch of options.  If you’re multi-instrumentalist, pianist, composer who is looking to write some parts for a guitarist BUT also do a lot of other stuff, you’ll probably be more interested in the second batch of options.
2. Are you looking to write professional level scores, or just jot down some riffs?  For professional scores, you’ll need a robust software tool and probably need to pay a few more dollars.  These are serious options designed for both guitarists and general musicians.  But if you just want to jot down quick riffs, you might look at the Tabd software app.

 

Guitarist-Oriented Software

These software tools are designed with the guitarist in mind first.  That means they do standard musical notation and other things, but are primarily set up for writing guitar tabs, composing, and generally working within a guitarists mindset.

 

Guitar Pro 7

Guitar Pro 7 is a professional tab and notation system with loads of features for guitarists who want to literally write music.  Truly a “best in class” piece of software specifically for guitarists.

Learn More >>

See Our Review Here >>

 

Tabd

Tabd is an iOS (and soon Android) app aimed at another type of guitar player: the guitarist who wants to do light tab notation, and that’s it.  For jotting down riffs, sending them to friends, keeping a library of tab on your phone, it can’t be beat.
Note: there’s no desktop version of this.

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See Our Review Here >>

 

Progression

Progression is another powerful software for guitarists, guitarists, and drummers to notate music.  One advantage of Progression is the interface for entering music through a visual fretboard, keyboard, and drum pad.  Another is the real music sampling done by folks like Victor Wooten, so you can play back your tab in style.

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TuxGuitar

Check out TuxGuitar if you’re looking for free and open source solution.  It provides the ability to write scores with tab or standard notation.
Fair warning: at the time of this writing, last release was January 2016.

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General Scoring Software with Tab functionality

These software tools are designed for the general musician to create standard musical notation.  This often means that they are designed for a piano-based workflow.  Guitar tab options are present, but often incorporated as a second, derivative option.

 

Finale

The gold standard of music notation software. Finale has long been the ‘go to’ solution for notating music in any genre and for any instrument. It’s a powerful software that takes some time to learn, sort of like Photoshop.  But once you do, you can create anything you want.

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Sibelius

Sibelius is the other ‘go to’ solution for music notation software.  Like Coke and Pepsi, Ford and Chevy, Macs and PCs – there are just different groups of people who are strongly committed to either brand.  In the end, you get the same high horsepower from Sibelius in terms of notation, scoring, and features.

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MagicScore Maestro

MagicScore Maestro aims to be a full service music notation software, but at a lower price.  If you want to work with traditional scoring and music notation but are budget-constrained, this may be something to check out.

Learn More >

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Have a software recommendation?  Let us know in the comments below!

The post Writing Guitar Tabs? Seven Serious Software Options appeared first on The Guitar Journal.

Guitar Pro 7 Review

Guitar Pro 7 is a tab/notation software that aims to handle the entire compose-to-share cycle.

The goal is to help serious musicians notate, practice, arrange, and export guitar tab and scores. And, true to their goal, Arobas Music delivers a powerful piece of software that is not short of bells and whistles.

In addition, Arobas Music provides “MySongBook” – an online catalogue of guitar tabs and scores that can be played in Guitar Pro 7 (or in a free “light” player).

A Quick Feature Breakdown

1. Read Music Score and Tabs – Tab, Standard Notation, Slash Rythym
2. Music Score Edition – Customize layout, multitrack scores, notation and effects
3. Tools for Composing Music – Tools for Chords, Scales, Lyric input, Tuner, and Virtual Instruments
4. Print and Share Your Files – Formats listed below, also includes a LOCK feature Lock/Unlock a file with a password.
   • .gpx Guitar Pro Import/Export
   • .midi MIDI Import/Export
   • .musicxml MusicXML Import/Export
   • .pdf PDF Export
   • .ptb PowerTab/TablEdit Import
   • .ascii ASCII Import/Export
   • .audio MP3, WAV, FLAC, Ogg and AIFF Export
   • .png PNG Export
5. Languages – Available in English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish.
6. Multi-Install – The purchased license gives you the right to install the software on a maximum of 5 computer or operating systems at the same time.

As you can see, Guitar Pro 7 has a lot of horsepower. If you want to write, compose, or arrange written music, it has the tools you need.

Purchasing Guitar Pro 7

Price is $75 for a new license, or $37.50 to upgrade an old license.

You can purchase the software directly here.

They also provide a 30-day trial.

Alternatives

If you’re looking for a simple Tab storage and editing software, you might look at Tabd. Not nearly the same amount of features, but a better fit for casual players who just need a place to save their tabs.

For heavy users, a serious alternative to Guitar Pro 7 is Finale by MakeMusic, a long-standing industry software for writing music. It is not tailored for guitar, but instead is aimed at the entire music industry.

Pros

• Guitar Pro 7 has all the features you want. It’s highly unlikely that you will ever say, “too bad it doesn’t do x”.
• The MySongBook companion library gives you a ready supply of tabs to learn, experiment with, and test.
• The virtual sounds are great, a huge advancement over previous generations midi-sounding score playbacks
• Guitar Pro 7 can import and export lots of file types.
• They also have special packages available for education folks.

Cons

• There’s a learning curve. As with all powerful software, it takes a while to learn how to do even (seemingly) small tasks. As mentioned, Tabd would be a better solution for guitarists unable to invest time in learning a dense piece of software.
• iOS and Android apps are an additional charge (iOS – $6.99 and Android – $5.49) with limited functionality in editing and writing. So don’t expect a 100% seamless experience from laptop to handheld.

Final Opinion

Guitar Pro 7 is great. If you want to do some real work.

If you want to write professional looking tabs and sheet music, compose multiple parts, and share music with other serious musicians – than this is an excellent software for you.

If you just want to download and play tabs that other people have written, you should go with Arobas Music’s MySongBook. The local player software is free, and you just pay per tab download.

Finally, if pro quality isn’t an issue, and you just want access to popular tabs (and maybe jot down a few riffs yourself), I would recommend Ultimate Guitar’s site and app, and Tabd.

 

The post Guitar Pro 7 Review appeared first on The Guitar Journal.

Peer-to-peer​ ​Guitar​ ​Rental​ ​Marketplace:​ ​An​ ​Introduction​ ​to​ ​Fretish℠

I’m excited to have a guest blog this week from Sam at Fretish℠.  Sam is the founder of the recent site, Fretish.com, which aims to make borrowing a guitar easier.  Talking with Sam this week, it was easy to see how bringing the sharing economy to guitars could immediately benefit guitar owners, borrowers (of course), and even guitar manufacturers.

So, just imagine you’re reading The Onion for a moment, as Sam explains to himself what this new guitar business model is…

Fretish.com

A​ ​new​ ​solution​ ​for​ ​guitar​ ​porn​ ​addicts​ ​who​ ​want​ ​to​ ​try​ ​nice​ ​gear​ ​on​ ​a​ ​regular basis​ ​without​ ​visiting​ ​a​ ​retail​ ​store,​ ​getting​ ​divorced​ ​or​ ​going​ ​bankrupt.​ ​P2P guitar​ ​rentals​ ​is​ ​also​ ​a​ ​great​ ​way​ ​to​ ​earn​ ​money​ ​from​ ​your​ ​current​ ​guitar collection,​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​not​ ​for​ ​everyone.

Name​ ​of​ ​condition:​ ​​Guitar​ ​Acquisition​ ​Syndrome​ ​(aka​ ​G.A.S.)

Symptoms:​​ ​Depleted​ ​bank​ ​account.​ ​​ ​Angry,​ ​frustrated​ ​spouse.​ ​​ ​Inbox stuffed​ ​with​ ​sales​ ​alerts​ ​from​ ​Sam​ ​Ash,​ ​Guitar​ ​Center,​ ​The​ ​Music​ ​Emporium and​ ​five​ ​billion​ ​other​ ​retailers.​ ​​ ​Spare​ ​guest​ ​room​ ​contains​ ​shrine​ ​to​ ​Jimmy Page​ ​and​ ​15+​ ​hardshell​ ​cases​ ​stacked​ ​floor​ ​to​ ​ceiling.

Is​ ​there​ ​a​ ​solution​ ​to​ ​G.A.S.?:​​ ​​ ​Perhaps.​ ​​ ​There’s​ ​a​ ​promising​ ​clinical​ ​trial underway.​ ​​ ​It’s​ ​called​ ​Fretish℠​ ​(located​ ​here:​ ​​http://fretish.com​​ ​).

Age:​ ​​ ​​Weeks​ ​old.​ ​​ ​Born​ ​July​ ​2017.

Appearance:​​ ​​ ​Similar​ ​to​ ​a​ ​typical​ ​guitar​ ​website,​ ​except​ ​it​ ​doesn’t​ ​use​ ​the color​ ​black.​ ​​ ​(Is​ ​there​ ​a​ ​law​ ​that​ ​every​ ​guitar​ ​site​ ​must​ ​use​ ​black​ ​as​ ​the main​ ​color​ ​motif?​ ​​ ​But,​ ​I​ ​digress…)

And​ ​what​ ​is​ ​it,​ ​exactly?​ ​​ ​​A​ ​peer-to-peer​ ​guitar​ ​rental​ ​marketplace.

Come​ ​again?​​ ​​ ​It’s​ ​a​ ​place​ ​where​ ​people​ ​who​ ​own​ ​musical​ ​instruments​ ​list their​ ​gear​ ​to​ ​rent​ ​to​ ​other​ ​musicians​ ​for​ ​short​ ​periods​ ​of​ ​time.

You​ ​mean​ ​it’s​ ​like​ ​AirBnB​ ​for​ ​guitars?​ ​​ ​​Ding.​ ​Ding.​ ​Ding.​ ​​ ​Exactly.

So,​ ​I​ ​can​ ​rent​ ​a​ ​guitar​ ​or​ ​an​ ​effects​ ​pedal,​ ​take​ ​it​ ​home​ ​and​ ​play​ ​it for​ ​a​ ​few​ ​hours​ ​or​ ​a​ ​few​ ​days​ ​without​ ​having​ ​to​ ​buy​ ​the​ ​equipment outright?​​ ​​ ​Yes,​ ​that’s​ ​how​ ​it works!

Sounds​ ​pretty​ ​cool.​ ​​ What​ ​does​ ​it​ ​cost​ ​to​ ​rent​ ​an​ ​instrument?​​ ​​ ​Each owner​ ​gets​ ​to​ ​set​ ​their​ ​own​ ​price,​ ​so​ ​it​ ​depends​ ​on​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​factors. However,​ ​the​ ​current​ ​average​ ​cost​ ​per​ ​night​ ​is​ ​approximately​ ​$25.

What​ ​if​ ​I​ ​rent​ ​some​ ​gear​ ​and​ ​decide​ ​that​ ​I​ ​really​ ​like​ ​it​ ​and​ ​want​ ​to buy​ ​it?​​ ​​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​you​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​get​ ​rid​ ​of​ ​G.A.S…?

I’m…..asking​ ​for​ ​a​ ​friend.​​ ​​ ​Well,​ ​it​ ​depends​ ​on​ ​the​ ​owner​ ​of​ ​the equipment​ ​from​ ​whom​ ​you​ ​are​ ​renting.​ ​​ ​They​ ​may​ ​be​ ​open​ ​to​ ​selling​ ​their instrument.​ ​​ ​And,​ ​if​ ​so,​ ​they​ ​can​ ​sell​ ​it​ ​to​ ​you.​ ​​ ​Moreover,​ ​they​ ​can​ ​adjust the​ ​sales​ ​price​ ​downward​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​you​ ​spent​ ​while​ ​renting​ ​the gear.​ ​​ ​But,​ ​they​ ​may​ ​want​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​their​ ​gear​ ​and,​ ​in​ ​that​ ​case,​ ​you’ll​ ​need​ ​to return​ ​the​ ​equipment​ ​when​ ​the​ ​rental​ ​period​ ​expires.

Okay,​ ​let’s​ ​say​ ​I​ ​already​ ​have​ ​a​ ​decent​ ​guitar​ ​collection.​ ​​ ​Can​ ​I​ ​rent my​ ​instruments​ ​through​ ​Fretish℠​ ​to​ ​nearby​ ​musicians?​​ ​​ ​Yes.​ ​​ ​It’s​ ​free to​ ​join​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​free​ ​to​ ​list​ ​your​ ​equipment.

So​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​pay​ ​anything​ ​to​ ​rent​ ​my​ ​equipment?​​ ​​ ​Whoa,​ ​that’s​ ​just​ ​crazy talk.​ ​​ ​There​ ​is​ ​an​ ​11%​ ​service​ ​fee​ ​(which​ ​covers​ ​payment​ ​processing​ ​and platform​ ​administrative​ ​costs)​ ​that​ ​gets​ ​charged​ ​to​ ​you​ ​for​ ​each​ ​transaction. Example:​ ​If​ ​you​ ​listed​ ​a​ ​Gibson​ ​L-5​ ​Archtop​ ​Guitar​ ​for​ ​rent​ ​at​ ​$200​ ​per​ ​night and​ ​someone​ ​rented​ ​the​ ​instrument​ ​for​ ​one​ ​night,​ ​you’d​ ​make​ ​$178.

Seems​ ​reasonable.​ ​​ ​So,​ ​if​ ​I​ ​rent​ ​my​ ​instrument​ ​out,​ ​I​ ​could​ ​actually earn​ ​money?​​ ​​ ​Yes​ ​you​ ​can.

​What​ ​should​ ​I​ ​charge​ ​for​ ​my​ ​instrument?​​ ​​ ​Are​ ​you​ ​a Guitar​ ​God​ ​like​ ​Jimmy​ ​Page,​ ​Edward​ ​Van​ ​Halen​ ​or​ ​Jeff​ ​Back?

Yes!​​ ​​ ​Charge​ ​whatever​ ​you​ ​want!

No.​​ ​​ ​Whatever​ ​you​ ​think​ ​is​ ​a​ ​“fair”​ ​price​ ​for​ ​the​ ​equipment​ ​available​ ​for​ ​rent. There​ ​are​ ​some​ ​industries,​ ​like​ ​professional​ ​photography​ ​cameras,​ ​which rent​ ​out​ ​gear​ ​for​ ​approximately​ ​33%​ ​of​ ​the​ ​retail​ ​value​ ​of​ ​the​ ​equipment.

By​ ​that​ ​benchmark,​ ​you​ ​would​ ​list​ ​your​ ​$1,000​ ​Stratocaster​ ​for​ ​$333/night. However,​ ​that​ ​“feels”​ ​high​ ​to​ ​most​ ​people.​ ​​ ​Try​ ​starting​ ​at​ ​a​ ​nightly​ ​rate which​ ​seems​ ​reasonable​ ​to​ ​you​ ​and​ ​your​ ​friends​ ​(and​ ​then​ ​you​ ​can​ ​adjust the​ ​price​ ​higher​ ​or​ ​lower​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​response​ ​you​ ​get).

Are​ ​there​ ​other​ ​marketplaces​ ​where​ ​I​ ​could​ ​rent​ ​my​ ​gear​ ​out​ ​to other​ ​musicians?​​ ​​ ​Certainly,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​online​ ​marketplaces​ ​for selling​​ ​gear,​ ​including​ ​(but​ ​not​ ​limited​ ​to):​ ​eBay,​ ​Craigslist​ ​and​ ​Reverb.​ ​​ ​But, there​ ​are​ ​very​ ​few​ ​options​ ​that​ ​specifically​ ​allow​ ​you​ ​to​ ​list​ ​items​ ​for​ ​rent.

How​ ​about​ ​the​ ​safety​ ​of​ ​my​ ​gear?​ ​​ ​Can​ ​I​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​my​ ​gear​ ​doesn’t get​ ​damaged​ ​when​ ​it​ ​gets​ ​rented?​​ ​​ ​There​ ​are​ ​a​ ​number​ ​of​ ​options available​ ​to​ ​you​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​the​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​damage​ ​to​ ​your​ ​equipment:

1. Only​ ​rent​ ​to​ ​people​ ​you​ ​know​ ​and​ ​trust.
2. Only​ ​rent​ ​to​ ​people​ ​who​ ​have​ ​previously​ ​rented​ ​through​ ​Fretish℠​ ​beforeand​ ​have​ ​high​ ​ratings.
3. Structure​ ​the​ ​rental​ ​period​ ​to​ ​be​ ​supervised​ ​(at​ ​a​ ​location​ ​and​ ​time/duration​ ​of​ ​your​ ​choosing).
4. You​ ​have​ ​up​ ​to​ ​3​ ​days​ ​to​ ​review​ ​a​ ​rental​ ​booking​ ​request.​ ​​ ​During​ ​thattime​ ​you​ ​can​ ​communicate​ ​with​ ​a​ ​potential​ ​renter​ ​through​ ​the​ ​Fretish℠ messaging​ ​system.​ ​​ ​Ask​ ​them​ ​anything​ ​(e.g.,​ ​Are​ ​there​ ​small​ ​children in​ ​your​ ​household?​ ​​ ​Is​ ​your​ ​place​ ​climate​ ​controlled?​ ​​ ​Are​ ​you​ ​a smoker?).​ ​​ ​If​ ​something​ ​doesn’t​ ​feel​ ​right,​ ​then​ ​you​ ​have​ ​every​ ​right to​ ​reject​ ​the​ ​rental​ ​request.

Should​ ​I​ ​list​ ​the​ ​“crown​ ​jewel”​ ​of​ ​my​ ​guitar​ ​collection​ ​for​ ​rent?​ ​​ ​My grandfather​ ​gave​ ​it​ ​to​ ​me​ ​and​ ​it​ ​has​ ​significant​ ​sentimental​ ​value. It’s​ ​really​ ​like​ ​my​ ​baby.​​ ​​ You’d seriously consider renting your baby?

Well,​ ​no…​​ ​​ ​Look,​ ​start​ ​off​ ​by​ ​listing​ ​an​ ​instrument​ ​in​ ​your​ ​collection​ ​that you​ ​rarely​ ​play​ ​and​ ​perhaps​ ​you​ ​had​ ​considered​ ​selling​ ​to​ ​“thin​ ​the​ ​herd”.​ ​​ ​If renting​ ​out​ ​that​ ​instrument​ ​starts​ ​to​ ​make​ ​money​ ​for​ ​you,​ ​then​ ​consider listing​ ​other​ ​guitars​ ​in​ ​your​ ​collection.​ ​​ ​Or,​ ​consider​ ​listing​ ​that​ ​effects​ ​pedal that​ ​you​ ​never​ ​use.​ ​​ ​Just​ ​take​ ​it​ ​one​ ​step​ ​at​ ​a​ ​time.

Do​ ​you​ ​have​ ​any​ ​additional​ ​suggestions?​​ ​​ ​Before​ ​checking​ ​out​ ​Fretish℠, ask​ ​yourself​ ​this:​ ​Am​ ​I​ ​like​ ​​Nigel​ ​from​ ​Spinal​ ​Tap​?​ ​​ ​If​ ​you​ ​can’t​ ​stand​ ​the idea​ ​of​ ​someone​ ​looking​ ​at​ ​your​ ​guitar,​ ​then​ ​listing​ ​your​ ​gear​ ​on​ ​a peer-to-peer​ ​rental​ ​marketplace​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​your​ ​cup​ ​of​ ​tea.​ ​​ ​But,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​like the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​meeting​ ​fellow​ ​musicians​ ​and​ ​passively​ ​earning​ ​money​ ​from​ ​your guitar​ ​collection,​ ​then​ ​give​ ​it​ ​a​ ​try.

 

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About​ ​Fretish℠​ ​

​​http://fretish.com​​ 

Founded​ ​in​ ​July​ ​2017​ ​and​ ​based​ ​in​ ​Boston,​ ​Massachusetts,​ ​Fretish℠​ ​is​ ​a trusted​ ​community​ ​and​ ​peer-to-peer​ ​marketplace​ ​for​ ​musicians​ ​to​ ​list, discover,​ ​and​ ​book​ ​unique​ ​guitars​ ​and​ ​gear​ ​for​ ​rent.​ ​​ ​Whether​ ​the​ ​available instrument​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Martin​ ​flat​ ​top​ ​guitar​ ​for​ ​a​ ​night,​ ​a​ ​Dunlop​ ​Wah​ ​pedal​ ​for​ ​a week,​ ​or​ ​a​ ​Fender​ ​Jazz​ ​Bass​ ​for​ ​a​ ​month,​ ​Fretish℠​ ​is​ ​the​ ​easiest​ ​way​ ​for people​ ​to​ ​showcase​ ​their​ ​instrument​ ​collection​ ​to​ ​a​ ​wide,​ ​yet​ ​qualified audience.​ ​By​ ​facilitating​ ​bookings​ ​and​ ​financial​ ​transactions,​ ​Fretish℠​ ​makes the​ ​process​ ​of​ ​listing​ ​or​ ​booking​ ​musical​ ​equipment​ ​effortless​ ​and​ ​efficient.

Currently,​ ​Fretish℠​ ​serves​ ​musicians​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Boston​ ​and​ ​greater​ ​New​ ​England area.​ ​​ ​By​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​2017,​ ​we​ ​plan​ ​to​ ​expand​ ​into​ ​New​ ​York.​ ​​ ​And,​ ​assuming all​ ​goes​ ​well,​ ​we’ll​ ​spread​ ​to​ ​Nashville​ ​and​ ​Los​ ​Angeles​ ​by​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of 2018.

The​ ​company​ ​is​ ​privately​ ​held.

To​ ​contact​ ​Sam​ ​T​ ​at​ ​Fretish℠,​ ​use​ ​the​ ​contact​ ​form​ ​at https://fretish.com/user_feedbacks/new

You​ ​are​ ​also​ ​welcome​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​Fretish℠​ ​via​ ​these​ ​social​ ​platforms:
Instagram​ ​​@fretish_com​​ ​|​ ​Twitter​ ​​@fretish_com​​ ​|​ ​FB​ ​​@FretishMusicRentals

 

The post Peer-to-peer​ ​Guitar​ ​Rental​ ​Marketplace:​ ​An​ ​Introduction​ ​to​ ​Fretish℠ appeared first on The Guitar Journal.