Dragonfire Software

Tab Writer, tablature writing software for windows 7, 8, and 10 was created as an alternative to writing Guitar and Bass tablature using a text editor.  Designed to allow you to easily write tablature for four, five, six, seven, eight, and twelve string instruments as well as user defined custom instruments and tunings.  When you are done writing your tablature, you can save, open, edit, and print your tablature sheets.

• New

  Opens a new blank tablature sheet.  Please note, you must first set the tablature sheet width before you can create a new file, see the set width menu.  If you have made any changes to the current tablature sheet, you will be prompted to save the tablature sheet.

• Open

  Opens a previously saved tablature sheet.  If you are opening a tablature sheet created in a version of Tab Writer earlier than version 4, it will open in read only mode.  If the tablature sheet was created in Tab Writer version 4 or later, the tablature will be converted to version 5 when saved.

• Save

  Saves the current tablature sheet.

• Save As

  Saves the current tablature sheet with another name.

• Page Setup

  You can use page setup to change the default printer settings.

• Print

  Prints the current tablature sheet.  Tablature sheets of different widths are oriented and sized automatically.

• Select All

  Selects everything on the tablature sheet.

• Copy

  Copies any selected portion of the tablature sheet to the clipboard for pasting into another program.  Please note you will not be able to paste from the clipboard into your tablature sheet.  The reason for this is to ensure the formatting of the tablature sheet remains intact.

• Add Tabature Staff

  Adds a tablature staff to your tablature sheet representing the strings on your insrument with the notes on the left side.  You can add as many staffs as are needed for your tablature, and if you find you need more continue adding them.  You may also add staffs to tablature sheets that have been saved and reopened.

• Divider


• Add

  Adds a divider or measure indicator to your tablature staff.  You must place the cursor on the top line of the tablature staff where you want the divider to be placed.

• Remove

  Removes a divider from the tablature staff.  Place the cursor on the top line of the staff just before the divider you would like to remove, and select this option.

• Repeat Start


• Add

  Place the cursor to the right of a divider on the first line of the tablature staff and make this selection to add a repeat start indicator to the tablature sheet.

• Remove

  Place the cursor just before the repeat start indicator on the first line of the tablature staff and make this selection to remove the indicator.

• Repeat End


• Add

  Place the cursor two dashes to the left of a divider on the first line of the tablature staff and make this selection to add a repeat end indicator to the tablature sheet.

• Remove

  Place the cursor just before the repeat end indicator on the first line of the tablature staff and make this selection to remove the indicator.

• Measure


• Copy

  Place the cursor close to the middle on the top line of the tablature staff of the measure you would like to copy and make this selection.  The measure will be copied without any repeat indicators or dividers.

• Paste

  Place the cursor on the top line of the tablature staff at the location you would like to put the copy of the measure.  You may add tablature staffs and continue pasting the measure as many times as needed.

• Lines


• Add Lines

  Adds blank lines above or below your tablature staffs.  Place your cursor where you want the lines to be added, you will be prompted to enter the number of lines you want added to the tablature sheet.

• Remove Line

  Removes one line from the tablature sheet, including any notation on the line being removed.  Place the cursor anywhere on the line to be removed.  Please note you can not remove the first line of the tablature sheet or any line of a tablature staff.

• Bass

  You can select bass with 4 through 12 strings for a new tablature sheet.

• Guitar

  You can select guitar with 6 through 12 strings for a new tablature sheet.

• Custom

  You can select custom, which opens the custom instument setup screen.  The custom instruments setup screen allows you to define and select between 4 custom instruments.
  
  You can also define whether each note is sharp, natural, or flat by selecting one of the four sets of custom notes you would like to define.  Once selected, click the sharp, natural, of flat button for each note.  Click the clear button to reset the sharp, natural, or flat selections for the selected custom notes.
  
  If you leave the selected notes sharp, flat field empty, Tab Writer will default to all natural notes.  The custom settings will be retained and can be changed anytime a new tablature sheet is started.

When a saved tablature sheet is opened, it will retain the string settings for that sheet, and you will be able to edit the tablature even if the bass, guitar, or custom settings have previously been changed.

When starting Tab Writer, unless you are opening a previously saved tablature sheet, set the width of your tablature sheet here first.  The default width is 71 spaces wide, which is the same width as Tab Writer version 4.  This setting will accept any width from 71 to 250 spaces wide.  Once set, the width can no longer be changed for the current tablature sheet.

• Help

  This selection takes you to this page.

• About

  This selection provides Tab Writer version and copyright information.

• Register

  This selection takes you to the online registration form.  If you register you will be added to our mailing list to receive new version notifications, progress updates, and occasional surveys to determine future features.  This mailing list will never be sold.