Guitar Tab Maker
A guitar tab maker that works like a spreadsheet for strings: tap a cell, type the fret, hear what you wrote and copy it out as standard text tab.
Tap a cell, then type. Keyboard: 0 to 9 frets, h p / \ b ~ x techniques, arrows move, Backspace deletes, | adds a bar line, Enter adds a column, Space plays and stops.
How to use the guitar tab maker
This guitar tab maker lets you write tab online: tap a cell on a string, type the fret number, add bar lines and techniques such as hammer-ons and bends, hear it played back, then copy it as plain text tab, download it or print it. The guitar tab maker shows one line of tab per string, highest string on top, with the string names on the left. Tap a cell and type a fret number from 0 to 24. Type a second digit straight away for frets 10 and up. The on-screen keypad does the same on a phone: digits, technique letters, a delete key and arrows to move around.
Each column is one step of time. + Column adds an empty column after the selected one, − Column removes it, and + Bar line puts a bar line after it. + Line starts a new line of tab and − Line deletes the selected one. The tab is saved in this browser as you type.
Keyboard: 0 to 9 type frets, h p / \ b ~ x type techniques, the arrow keys move, Backspace deletes a character, Delete empties the cell, | adds a bar line, Enter adds a column and Space plays or stops.
Techniques you can write
Tab uses a few letters and signs between or after the fret numbers. The table shows the ones this editor accepts. You can type them in one cell, for example 5h7 for a hammer-on from the 5th to the 7th fret, or 7b9 for a bend up to the pitch of the 9th fret.
| Sign | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| h | Hammer-on | 5h7 |
| p | Pull-off | 7p5 |
| / | Slide up | 5/7 |
| \ | Slide down | 7\5 |
| b | Bend | 7b9 |
| ~ | Vibrato | 7~ |
| x | Muted (dead) note | x |
Playback sounds the first fret of a cell and, for a hammer-on, pull-off or slide, the second fret half a step later. Bends, vibrato and muted notes are shown in the tab but not imitated in the sound.
Tunings, bass tab and ukulele tab
Choose Guitar, Bass or Ukulele and any of their tunings; with Bass selected it works as a bass tab maker. Guitar tab has six lines, 4-string bass and ukulele have four, and the 5-string bass tuning adds a low B line. The string names on the left and in the text export follow the tuning, so drop D tab starts with a D line at the bottom and the notes you hear match it. If you switch to an instrument with fewer strings, the tab keeps the top strings and drops the lowest ones.
Play it back
Press Play to hear the tab on a plucked string sound. Each column lasts an eighth note at the tempo on the slider, bar lines take no time, and the column being played is highlighted. Slow the tempo down to check a fast run note by note. For practice at a steady beat afterwards, keep the metronome open in another tab.
Copy, print and blank tab paper
The tab also appears below the editor as plain text in the usual format, with the string names at the start of each line and dashes between notes. Copy tab puts it on the clipboard for a forum post, a message or a document, Download .txt saves it as a file, and Print prints it in a fixed-width font so the columns line up.
For writing by hand, choose US Letter or A4 and press Print blank tab: a page of empty tab staves with TAB at the start of each, six lines for guitar or four for bass and ukulele. For standard notation paper, use the staff paper page, and for chord boxes the chord chart maker.
To start from something, the Examples menu loads a one-octave C major scale up and down in first position, worked out for the chosen tuning, or a 1-2-3-4 finger exercise across the strings.
More for guitar: Guitar Tuner · Guitar Chords · Guitar Chord Finder · Guitar Scales · Fretboard Notes · Capo Chart · Virtual Guitar · Chord Chart Maker · Online Guitar Amp · Guitar Effects · Online Looper
More for bass: Bass Tuner · Bass Chords · Bass Scales · Fretboard Notes · Bass Amp Simulator · Online Looper
Questions
How do I write guitar tab online?
Tap a cell on the string you want, type the fret number, then move to the next column. Add bar lines and new lines as you go. When you are done, copy the text tab or print it.
Can I make bass tab with this?
Yes. Choose Bass as the instrument. The editor switches to four lines (five for the 5-string tuning) with the bass string names, and playback uses bass pitches.
Does the tab maker show rhythm?
Only roughly. Each column is one eighth note when you press Play, but plain text tab does not show note lengths. Leave empty columns between notes to show longer gaps.
Can I print blank guitar tab?
Yes. Choose US Letter or A4 under the text and press Print blank tab for a page of empty six-line staves, or four-line staves when bass or ukulele is selected. It can also be saved as an SVG.
Is my tab saved?
It is saved in this browser on this device, so it is still there when you return. Nothing is uploaded. Copy the text or download the .txt file to keep it elsewhere.