WRITING TABS
Write notes, rhythm, and rests
Use the score, timing controls, and keyboard to turn a musical idea into readable tablature.
5 min read
Add notes to the score
When a tab opens, its first string and first beat are ready for you. Type a fret number from 0 to 24. Use the arrow keys to move between positions and strings, or press Enter to move to the next beat on the same string.
Use Delete or Backspace to clear a fret. Moving right from the final position creates the next bar, so you can keep writing without stopping.
Choose the rhythm
Select a position, then choose a note value from whole through thirty-second notes. The selected value applies only to that position, so your rhythm can follow the phrase rather than a fixed grid.
Use Dotted to make a note last half again as long. Use Triplet to make the selected value last two-thirds of its usual length. Both choices can be removed by selecting them again.
Write silence and musical detail
Choose Rest for a silent position. The score shows the appropriate rest mark, and its duration takes up space in the bar just like a note. Typing a fret in that position replaces the rest while keeping its timing.
The writing tools also support chords, accents, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, and bends when the selected notes can use them. A bar that is overfull or needs more time is quietly marked so you can correct it.