How to write tab

Betelgeuxy

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Hello,

I want to down my ukulele arrangements properly for myself (as after a few months my lazily scrawled runes are difficult to translate) and for the other users of this forum.

I was wondering what was the easiest way to create PDFs? Which software I need? etc

Thank You
 
I like Guitar Pro for tabs.
It creates tab and notation and exports to PDF.

There is also TUX guitar which is a free Linux package.
 
Does Guitar Pro allow you to create chord grids?
 
Yes it does but the chord grids images are not in a format you can export. Or you'll have to do some print screens...
If you can see it on your screen, you can "print" it to PDF format. All you need to do is install a PDF print driver/converter like PDF995 or Cute PDF (there are other options, but I know these are both free). Then when you go to print, you just select the PDF option, same as if it were a regular printer.
 
I'm still using powertab because it's free.
 
Hello,

I want to down my ukulele arrangements properly for myself (as after a few months my lazily scrawled runes are difficult to translate) and for the other users of this forum.

I was wondering what was the easiest way to create PDFs? Which software I need? etc

Thank You

When I hear tab I think melody line.
Lyrics and chords only is something different to me.

For a chord chart and lyrics I use ChordFont (free)
If you want the melody line, chords & lyrics I still recommend Guitar Pro.
It exports easily and is tablet friendly too.
 
If you can see it on your screen, you can "print" it to PDF format. All you need to do is install a PDF print driver/converter like PDF995 or Cute PDF (there are other options, but I know these are both free). Then when you go to print, you just select the PDF option, same as if it were a regular printer.

I too use GuitarPro 6 and do this as well, printing to PDF. I'm on a MAC and run a virtual PC as well and it works perfect on either. I can also pull my my tab file on either system since the GP file format is the same.
 
I've now got Powertab. Can a helpful person who also has it tell me how to insert a new measure/bar? Using the help tool feels like drawing blood from a stone and a piece only four bars long is a bit on the short side.
Thank you
 
I use tabledit. It's inexpensive and there's a free "reader" so you can give tabs to people who don't have the licensed version - and it plays what you tab out. I suppose the others do too. They have good customer support as well.

Doug
 
So there is an easier way than using notepad?

I'm an amateur here but was trying to figure out a song that's way too fast for me from a youtube video. I was going to ask for help on the forums in tabbing this but I'm a do it yourself and make the contribution to the forum type so I took the audio from the video and slowed it down I think 50% if I'm correct. I was writing it out like this.

30 Millions d'Amis (générique) as played by UkeHeidi of youtube. (you're on your own for the nose flute)

A|--0-0-0-0-0-0--2-2-0-2-0-2---0-0-0-0-0-X-0---H---0-0-0-0-0-
E|--0-0-2-0-0-2--3-3-3-3-3-3---2-2-3-2-0-5-0---O---0-0-0-0-0-
C|--1-1-1-1-1-1--2-2-2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2-2-2-1---L---1-1-1-1-1-
G|--2-2-2-2-2-2--0-0-0-0-0-0---2-2-2-2-2-2-2---D---2-2-2-2-2-

I find with the control+c control+v commands (copy and paste) and use of my arrow keys its not so bad and should carry over to any computer format. If I were writing a lot of tab I would simply set up a few macros on my mouse with the three most needed symbols.

A|-
E|-
C|-
G|-


-
-
-
-


-0-
-0-
-0-
-0-

I hope this doesn't make me sound like some old dinosaur computer geek snob. AOL users are just wasting bandwith... *points nose in air* :biglaugh:

I'm just an old gamer type. If playing a stringed instrument were only as simple.
 
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The problem with plain text tabs is that they give no indication of timing... you basically have to know the tune to make sense of the tab.

But you are sitting in front of a computer...

Back in the late 80's the tab coming out in guitar mags didn't play the notes for you. As things get easier and easier the human animal doesn't surprise in wanting things even easier yet.

Except for communication there we will happily type along using the slowest form of communication spending minutes on things a few seconds of speech would get across.
 
Back in the late 80's the tab coming out in guitar mags didn't play the notes for you. As things get easier and easier the human animal doesn't surprise in wanting things even easier yet.
My background is in classical guitar, and I do read music written in standard notation. There's a wealth of (relatively) obscure classical music for which you will not find recordings or tabs.

My favorite tab format has both standard notation as well as tab. :)
 
Go check out liveukulele.com. Brad has some video tips on one of the tab programs - I think it's Guitar Pro that he uses.
Trey
 
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