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Default tablatures

Tablature notation is used for notating music for plucked string instruments. Pitches are not denoted with note heads, but by numbers indicating on which string and fret a note must be played. LilyPond offers limited support for tablature.

The string number associated with a note is given as a backslash followed by a number. By default, string 1 is the highest, and the tuning defaults to the standard guitar tuning (with 6 strings). The notes are printed as tablature, by using TabStaff and TabVoice contexts

     
     \new TabStaff {
       a,4\5 c'\2 a\3 e'\1
       e\4 c'\2 a\3 e'\1
     }

[image of music]

When no string is specified for a note, the note is assigned to the lowest string that can generate the note with a fret number greater than or equal to the value of minimumFret. The default value for minimumFret is 0.

     
     \new StaffGroup <<
        \new Staff \relative c {
          \clef "treble_8"
          c16 d e f g4
          c,16 d e f g4
        }
        \new TabStaff \relative c {
          c16 d e f g4
          \set TabStaff.minimumFret = #5
          c,16 d e f g4
        }
     >>

[image of music]

Harmonic indications and slides can be added to tablature notation.

     
     \new TabStaff {
       \new TabVoice {
         <c g'\harmonic> d\2\glissando e\2
       }
     }

[image of music]

Selected Snippets

Stem and beam behavior in tablature

The direction of stems is controlled the same way in tablature as in traditional notation. Beams can be made horizontal, as shown in this example.

     
     \new TabStaff {
       \relative c {
         g16 b d g b d g b
         \stemDown
         \override Beam #'damping = #+inf.0
         g,,16 b d g b d g b
       }
     }

[image of music]

Polyphony in tablature

Polyphony is created the same way in a TabStaff as in a regular staff.

     
     upper = \relative c' {
       \time 12/8
       \key e \minor
       \voiceOne
       r4. r8 e, fis g16 b g e e' b c b a g fis e
     }
     
     lower = \relative c {
       \key e \minor
       \voiceTwo
       r16 e d c b a g4 fis8 e fis g a b c
     }
     
     \score {
       <<
         \new StaffGroup = "tab with traditional" <<
           \new Staff = "guitar traditional" <<
             \clef "treble_8"
             \context Voice = "upper" \upper
             \context Voice = "lower" \lower
           >>
           \new TabStaff = "guitar tab" <<
             \context TabVoice = "upper" \upper
             \context TabVoice = "lower" \lower
           >>
         >>
       >>
     }

[image of music]

See also

Notation Reference: Stems.

Snippets: Fretted strings.

Internals Reference: TabNoteHead, TabStaff, TabVoice, Beam.

Known issues and warnings

Chords are not handled in a special way, and hence the automatic string selector may easily select the same string for two notes in a chord.

In order to handle \partcombine, a TabStaff must use specially-created voices:

     
     melodia = \partcombine { e4 g g g }{ e4 e e e }
     <<
       \new TabStaff <<
         \new TabVoice = "one" s1
         \new TabVoice = "two" s1
         \new TabVoice = "shared" s1
         \new TabVoice = "solo" s1
         { \melodia }
       >>
     >>

[image of music]

Guitar special effects are limited to harmonics and slides.

This page is for LilyPond-2.11.58 (development-branch).

Report errors to http://post.gmane.org/post.php?group=gmane.comp.gnu.lilypond.bugs.

Your suggestions for the documentation are welcome.

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