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papawhisky
Mar-30-2009, 9:59pm
I am used to tabbing by hand, but thought I might upgrade my act a little. Is anyone using software for creating mandolin tab, that he/she wants to recommend? Must run on a Mac. Free or cheap would be cool.

Thanks!

man dough nollij
Mar-30-2009, 10:05pm
There's a Mac version of Tabledit. (http://www.tabledit.com/download/index.shtml) I'm not sure if you can write in the free version... it wouldn't take long to find out.

demotlj
Mar-31-2009, 8:36am
Tuxguitar is a free opensource tab creation program and I see that the download page has a Mac package. I used it for a while and liked it although I had a little problem adjusting the font print outs. (I think I finally figured it but I don't remember what I did.) I found it much easier to use than Tabledit.

When I started playing with some other people who also needed tab, however, and I was doing tab a lot, I upgraded to Guitar Pro because it does more than any of the free programs. The windows Guitar Pro 5 is really great but the Mac version is only OK. When I need to do any heavy usage on it, I reboot to Windows. (If you buy the Windows version, you can also download the Mac version and use the same license key.)

Tuxguitar, though, was for me, the best of the free stuff I looked at.

SternART
Mar-31-2009, 10:18am
Tabledit already has like a zillion transcriptions for mandolin, available at mandozine.com
Many were done by Mike Stangland, the first of several Comandos who have carried the torch. Most of the transcriptions are pretty darn accurate too.

mando.player
Mar-31-2009, 12:25pm
I just downloaded Tuxguitar and it is much better than expected. I currently use G7 for the Mac, but it's getting a little long in the tooth. The output is beautiful, but as OS X continues to evolve G7 gets a little whackier.

I also didn't know about Guitar Pro. I'm going to check it out also. I'm curious to see how nice the chord diagrams are. If I can find a TAB program that can show me 20 versions of a F#m7b5, I'm in...LOL. Seriously, I spend more time trying to find good chord voicings than I do learning a the actual melody (jazz tunes).

papawhisky
Mar-31-2009, 1:27pm
In general, I think my needs can be met with freeware. However, am I to understand that a Tabledit license includes a transcription library?

Mike Bunting
Mar-31-2009, 1:30pm
No the library is here->http://www.mandozine.com/music/tabledit_search.php

dcdan
Mar-31-2009, 1:46pm
sorry to even ask this question...but I am new to mandolin I play several other instruments for many years I have only briefly looked at tableture...I don't mean any disrespect but what is the point of it? why not use standard notation.
There have been charts I wanted to purchase that I only found in tab. and could not find in standard notation although I am sure I will find them?
also ...is there a rhythm component to it?

Mike Bunting
Mar-31-2009, 2:28pm
Most mandolin players don't read notation. There has been great debate on this list over the years regarding the relative merits of notation vs. tablature. BTW, the Tabledit program (check out "Preferences") can put the music in notation.

Coffeecup
Mar-31-2009, 4:31pm
PapaWhisky, looks as if you've been given some tips, but I'm getting good use from Melody Assistant http://www.myriad-online.com/en/index.htm which comes in Mac and Windows versions. It is shareware with a free trial version - additional functions are unlocked when subscribed.

DCDan, I don't know about "most mandolin players don't read notation"; the reverse seems to be the case around here. To answer the question though; both are useful tools but neither is a complete answer. The information that TAB gives that notation doesn't is specific fingering which can be significant in more complex pieces.

dcdan
Mar-31-2009, 4:41pm
but how does one figure out the :disbelief:

dcdan
Mar-31-2009, 4:42pm
last word was suppose to be rhythm

McCandolin
Mar-31-2009, 4:57pm
Some really heavily accurate tabs include bar lined and a 1-&-2-& type notation at the bottom to indicate rhythm, but most just rely on you knowing the song you are trying to learn well enough to figure out the rhythm.

I think one of the big advantages to tab is that it takes a lot less figuring out if you already know what the piece is supposed to sound like ahead of time.

dcdan
Mar-31-2009, 5:08pm
so there is no "sight tabbing" cold?

papawhisky
Mar-31-2009, 5:20pm
I appreciate ALL the tips. Right now I busy being blown away by the library on Mandozine. That is awesome. Wow.
I am not too proud to admit that I played clarinet in school, so I learned to read standard notation early. But my years in folk music have made me more comfortable with tab. Like some one said, "I can read music, but not so much that it interferes with my picking".

Coffeecup
Apr-01-2009, 5:25pm
but how does one figure out the rhythm


That's why I said that both tools are useful and neither is the complete answer - using notation gives the rhythm and TAB suggested fingering.
(I'm not familiar with the tab+rhythm that McCandolin describes.)

Walter Newton
Apr-01-2009, 5:39pm
but how does one figure out the rhythm

Tabledit can display stems and rests in the tab to indicate the rhythm, just look at the examples here (http://www.tabledit.com/screen/index.shtml).

Mike Bunting
Apr-01-2009, 6:06pm
DCDan, I don't know about "most mandolin players don't read notation"; the reverse seems to be the case around here.
OK, a lot of mandolin players on this list don't read notation. :)
Funny though, from reading the threads on the subject, my perception was that most players on this list don't read notation. Oh, well.