I recently gave Tux another shot and it's gotten pretty good. I've had some glitches, but I was able to do a tune with it that will work for learning/sharing arrangements. It's about as good as Power Tab which I've used in the past, and its printouts are better.
As an example, I did "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" for 3-string fretless. See the attached zip for the .tg (tux) file and a pdf showing how it prints.
To use Tux, you just click on the tab line and start putting in numbers. You don't need to read music, but you do have to understand rhythm to compose something.
Some thoughts:
- The "Excelsior Jet" version didn't install for me. I used the regular "Windows-x86 Installer" version.
- Tux CAN do 3-string, even though the dialog won't let you. It opened a Power Tab 3-string doc just fine, and let me compose, save, print, and everything. I've attached a blank 3-string .tg as a template. you can change the tuning on it as needed and use "Save as" to get a new tune going.
- There are two "voices" which you typically use for bass/treble notes. The point is that you can have different durations, like a ringing bass while the melody does something else. They're like layers - you have to have the voice selected in order to work with those notes. E.g. you can't delete a Voice 2 note while your in Voice 1. So, use Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+2 (on the number pad) to switch as you enter notes.
- Tux automagically enters rests, and sometimes they get screwed up. Shortening the duration of a note in that voice and then changing it back fixes it.
- You can copy and paste groups of measures - that's useful.
- For those that play fretted, it has a pretty neat chord generator
Anyone else use Tux Guitar? Tips? Problems?
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The latest version is awesome. I already transposed three known riffs, "walk this way"," I shot the sheriff"and "come as you are". I am planning on doing more. You need to use the simple versions of songs to get things right.
come as you are.tg
3shot sheriff.tg
walk this way.tg
I couldn't create 3-string, but I could import and save 3-string. Here's a blank.
Joyful.zip
Can you configure it for 3 string tabs? I couldn't figure it out, but was using the online version.
Being able to share the tablature, edit across instrument types and hear the piece even if just to verify the composition all would make that a very useful program. I'll have to try it out!
Hey, I just realized.... this would be great for sharing and learning songs here...... (Hint hint folks!)
To use it, you just enter your tablature (numbers) on the tab line (strings), and musical notation is generated for you. The notation can be turned off if you don't want to see it, and it will just put the stems on the tab so you can still read the rhythm.
One difference between this and paper is that with the software, you have to set the duration of each note, and it has to be logical (the notes and rests of each voice in each measure have to add up). You don't have to really read music - only understand the rhythm.
That might be a hassle if you're just working out fingering for a melody you know, but if you're ever going to share it with someone else, it's good to indicate duration somehow, even on paper. Otherwise, they won't know if --0--2--4--7--9--12-- is just a major pentatonic scale, or the riff from My Girl.
As for midi, it's not really a midi composer or editor, but you can export a midi of your tune, and it uses midi to play back your tab so you can hear that it's right.
Paper has the advantage of portability and speed, but software has the advantage of being able to hear what you're writing - an auditory error-checking. Plus, you get pretty printed output for easily sharing with others.
This looks interesting, but I am a little unsure exactly what I am looking at, does it simply transpose guitar style simple tab to standard tab, or can I do basic midi editing......
Like I said I am a little lost. I am an old analog and pad/paper guy, not ready to graduate into the midi composing age, but trying to learn........
Maybe you could teach us all a little bit here?