Guitar tabs and notation, side by side.
guitarnotation is a guitar tab editor and player for your desktop. See every note on the staff, the tab and the fretboard at once, then slow it down until your hands catch up.
$25 once · Linux, Windows and macOS · No subscription
What you see while you play
See all features →Tab and notation together
Read rhythm from the staff and fingering from the tab, aligned beat for beat.
A fretboard that follows along
Every note lights up where your fingers go, with the current chord shape behind it.
Chord diagrams up top
Each song lists its chord shapes, and the one you're playing is highlighted.
Who it's for
Learning to read notation
Every note on the staff sits directly above its string and fret on the tab. Start from the fingering you already know, and the staff begins to make sense: which line is which note, and how long each one lasts.
Read along with Ode to Joy →Transcribing your own arrangements
Type fret numbers from the keyboard and the notation writes itself. Mark hammer-ons, slides, vibrato and palm mutes, play it back to check it, then export a PDF to print or a MIDI file to share.
Try the editor →Practising hard passages
Loop the one bar that keeps tripping you up, drop it to half speed without changing the pitch, and bring the tempo back up as it settles. The fretboard shows where each note is while you listen.
Loop the technical study →Free tabs to practise with
All 45 free tabs →How it compares
guitarnotation next to Guitar Pro 8, TuxGuitar, MuseScore Studio and Soundslice: what each costs, and what it shows and opens.
| guitarnotation | Guitar Pro 8 | TuxGuitar | MuseScore Studio | Soundslice | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $25 once | $69.95 once | Free, open source | Free, open source | Free; Plus is $50 a year |
| Tab and notation together | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fretboard during playback | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Slow down and loop | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Opens Guitar Pro files | .gp3 to .gp | All versions | .gp3 to .gp | .gp3 to .gp | .gp3 to .gp |
| Opens MusicXML | Yes | Yes | No, export only | Yes | Yes |
| Opens MIDI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| PDF export | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Paid plans only |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Account required | No | No | No | No | Yes, free |
| Runs on | Linux, Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS | Linux, Windows, macOS, Android | Linux, Windows, macOS | Web browser |
Checked on 11 October 2026 against each maker's website, documentation and pricing page. Prices are in US dollars. Guitar Pro is a trademark of Arobas Music; other names belong to their owners. If something has changed, tell us. More detail: vs Guitar Pro 8, vs TuxGuitar, vs MuseScore Studio, vs Soundslice, and the Guitar Pro alternative page.
Pricing
Less than half the price of Guitar Pro 8, with every feature included. One payment, and the app is yours to keep.
- Every feature included, no tiers
- Linux, Windows and macOS
- One licence for all your computers
- Free 1.x updates · 14-day refund
System requirements
- Operating system
- Windows 10 or later, macOS 11 Big Sur or later, or Linux with an X11 or Wayland desktop
- Processor
- Any 64-bit processor
- Memory
- About 250 MB free
- Graphics
- DirectX 12 or Vulkan on Windows, Metal on macOS, Vulkan or OpenGL on Linux. No dedicated graphics card needed.
- Sound
- Nothing to install on Windows or macOS. On Linux, ALSA, which PipeWire and PulseAudio also work through.
- Instrument sounds
- A General MIDI SoundFont for playback and WAV export. GeneralUser GS is a free one-time download of about 32 MB; any General MIDI .sf2 also works, and Linux distribution SoundFonts are found automatically.
- Internet
- Only to download the SoundFont. No account needed.
- Version
- Not released yet. Get an email at launch.
Questions
More answers on the support page →When can I buy guitarnotation?
It isn't on sale yet. Leave your email and we'll write once when it is. It will cost $25, paid once, with no subscription, for Linux, Windows and macOS.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, in your browser. The player and editor demo is free and needs no sign-up: three example pieces and the 45 songs in our free tab library, with tab, notation and a fretboard that follow the music, slow-down and looping, and note entry from the keyboard. The demo can't open or save files; that needs the desktop app.
Is the $25 per computer?
No. One licence covers one person on all of their own computers, whether they run Linux, Windows and macOS, so a desktop and a laptop don't need two copies.
What is the refund policy?
If guitarnotation isn't right for you, email info@guitarnotation.com within 14 days of buying and we'll refund you in full, no questions asked. The same policy is in our terms.
Installing, opening Guitar Pro, MusicXML and MIDI files, and the browser demo are covered on the support page.