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<p>
<a name="Default-tablatures"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Custom-tablatures.html#Custom-tablatures">Custom tablatures</a>,
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="String-number-indications.html#String-number-indications">String number indications</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Common-notation-for-fretted-strings.html#Common-notation-for-fretted-strings">Common notation for fretted strings</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="unnumberedsubsubsec">Default tablatures</h5>
<p><a name="index-Tablatures_002c-basic-2080"></a><a name="index-Tablatures_002c-default-2081"></a>
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.
<p>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 <code>TabStaff</code> and
<code>TabVoice</code> contexts
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new TabStaff {
a,4\5 c'\2 a\3 e'\1
e\4 c'\2 a\3 e'\1
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../ce/lily-af1b69dc.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../ce/lily-af1b69dc.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-minimumFret-2082"></a><a name="index-minimumFret-2083"></a>
<a name="index-fret-2084"></a>
<p>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 <code>minimumFret</code>.
The default value for <code>minimumFret</code> is 0.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\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
}
>>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../99/lily-83af7ec8.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../99/lily-83af7ec8.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Harmonic indications and slides can be added to tablature
notation.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new TabStaff {
\new TabVoice {
<c g'\harmonic> d\2\glissando e\2
}
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../07/lily-4ed7a70b.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../07/lily-4ed7a70b.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Selected Snippets</h5>
<p><em>Stem and beam behavior in tablature</em>
<p>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.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\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
}
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../f0/lily-153393ea.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../f0/lily-153393ea.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>Polyphony in tablature</em>
<p>Polyphony is created the same way in a <code>TabStaff</code> as in a regular
staff.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
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
>>
>>
>>
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../72/lily-fe7ff99e.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../72/lily-fe7ff99e.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Stems.html#Stems">Stems</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Fretted-strings.html#Fretted-strings">Fretted strings</a>.
<p>Internals Reference:
<a name="index-TabNoteHead-2085"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/TabNoteHead.html#TabNoteHead">TabNoteHead</a>,
<a name="index-TabStaff-2086"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/TabStaff.html#TabStaff">TabStaff</a>,
<a name="index-TabVoice-2087"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/TabVoice.html#TabVoice">TabVoice</a>,
<a name="index-Beam-2088"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Beam.html#Beam">Beam</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>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.
<p>In order to handle <code>\partcombine</code>, a <code>TabStaff</code> must use
specially-created voices:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
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 }
>>
>>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../78/lily-ded197f3.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../78/lily-ded197f3.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Guitar special effects are limited to harmonics and slides.
<!-- footer_tag --><br><hr>
<div class="node">
<p>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Custom-tablatures.html#Custom-tablatures">Custom tablatures</a>,
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="String-number-indications.html#String-number-indications">String number indications</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Common-notation-for-fretted-strings.html#Common-notation-for-fretted-strings">Common notation for fretted strings</a>
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