How do you write your tabs?

[blacktaxi]

I've recently came to conclusion that writing down actual tablatures is much more effective than just recording sketches, because you can just look at the tab at any time and recall what was going on in there

I've tried some tab authoring (editing) programs, but neither suits me quite well. What bothers me, is that in every program that I tried (TuxGuitar, PowerTab, Guitar Pro, TablEdit), you always need to specify note length. This is really tedious, the time I need to finish the tab with this method measures in hours. Would be really cool if there was an option to just make all notes "let ring" (a guitar pro term) and then mute particular string in places where I need.

Does anyone here fiddle with tabs at all?

[stewart]

not much help on the writing tabs front, but if you want to remember what you're actually playing on sketches just film a snippet on a video camera. that way you can see your fingers and hear the audio. simple!

[Mages]

I either write it out on notebook paper or type it up in a simple text editing program. it needs to be one that uses plain text, like notepad for windows or text edit for mac.

[Bacchus]

you always need to specify note length. This is really tedious, the time I need to finish the tab with this method measures in hours.

I'd practise more with specifying rhythms so that you can do it quicker.

Any sort of notation I use Sibelius. I don't know what you're using, but surely if you don't want to specify rhythm you can just put everything in as quavers and it won't play back fine, but it'll read fine if you ignore rhythm when you're reading too?

Or use a pen and paper?

[Doog]

I never tab my own stuff; I just record the guitar part slowly and cleanly (if it's tricky) and play it enough times so you'll recall it when you come back to it. Either that or Stewart's video method have worked infinitely better for me.

[timhulio]

Video camera for me. Saves so much time. I can also listen back and decide how shit what I've just played is. Very.

[broncobuster80]

Mel Bay makes a "Tab book".. its like 4.99 and has a chord chart and several other things. Get one of those and just tab it out, I use this and you can make notes however you want to. Its easy to use and easy to store for safe keeping. (you can get this at just about any equipment store)

[paul_]

Sheet music and a ruler to draw the low E.

I only write out the different chords or lines with the tuning at the top, I don't really tab stuff out properly. I do the video camera thing too on occasion.

My best stuff, like the main songs I have right now, is never documented at the time I come up with it. The good 'uns stick.

[elklotzy]

graph paper notebook does the trick!

[serfx]

lyrics with chord structure notations in a notebook, with solos/bass lines roughly tabbed out.. no idea what the drummer does, we let him handle his own.

[jumbledupthinking]

Sheet music and a ruler to draw the low E.

Exactly the same method for me. My girlfriend is a music teacher, so there's a pretty much neverending supply of manuscript paper in our flat whenever needed.