mac version of the guide here
Download HERE
Create a new tab by clicking "New Tab" on the tabs list view.
The tab editor view shows a fretboard and a tab row (or rows, depending on screen size).
Click on the tab to select the desired column. Then find the desired string and fret on the fretboard to enter a note. To enter an open string or "0" note, click on the letter to the left of the desired string.
Use the undo and redo buttons to undo or redo edits made. Use the clear button to clear the selected content on the tab.
Enter a symbol by doing the following. Touch and hold directly on the tab where you want the symbol to go. A circular menu should pop up. Slide your finger over the desired symbol and release.
Make sure you are not in Magic Edit Mode otherwise the menu will not pop up.
To use a chord shortcut, open the chord shortcut menu and find your desired chord. Then tap that chord to insert it in the highlighted column on the tab. You can also create custom chord shortcuts.
To overwrite an existing custom chord shortcut, create a new one with the same name.
To delete a custom chord shortcut, tap and hold on the chord name in the chord shortcut menu to bring up a delete dialog.
Tap just above any column to input a column header. You can input the chord name of the column's content or, for example, indicate palm muting (PM). When using chord shortcuts, the chord name will automatically be set as the column header.
You can add up to 4 lines of lyrics content to each tab row. To adjust the lyrics size, go to the tab settings. Note that blank lines will occupy space in View Mode, so delete these lines as desired.
Select the wrench to open the More Tools menu. Here you can:
Scroll the visible tab rows using a swipe movement. On the right edge of the tab, there is also a scrollbar that you can put your finger down on and perform faster scrolling. The scrollbar is hidden unless you touch it or add/remove a tab row.
Magic Edit Mode allows you to drag and select portions of the tab, which you can then move around or duplicate and also shift up and down by semitone. You can drag across tab rows.
To trigger scrolling, move the selection toward the top or bottom of the showing tab rows. You can also use another finger to scroll using the scroll bar.
Unless your phone is quite large, when you turn your phone to landscape, Magic Edit Mode will automatically be enabled as the fretboard cannot fit onscreen.
Click this button to view a tab in View Mode (shortcut: cmd+g). On the top-right of the navigation bar are buttons to play/pause audio playback, adjust display & playback settings, and export/share your tab.
Audio playback position is indicated by the right edge of the highlighted column. You can tap a different part of the tab to move the highlighted column. Tap to the left of the first column in order to start playback at the very beginning.
*"Use Measures for Playback" is a new feature that allows you to set the number of beats per measure and the playback should speed up or slow down depending on the length of the measure. It will work smoothest though if the measures are of equal length. Please send any feedback or issues via reddit or email.
¹ To create a custom tuning, touch and hold directly on the note you want to change. A circular menu should pop up. Slide your finger over the desired note and release.
² The setting "Show Notes On Tab" will cause your tabs to display notes instead of fret numbers. This setting can be easily turned off again.
³ This only applies to smaller screens. Larger screens always show these arrow buttons.
⁴ "Free Scroll" is a different way of editing that allows for more fluid scrolling. It is only available on iPads and will not take effect until you exit the current tab and open a tab for editing.
Make sure to tap "Save Changes" in order for the changes to take effect.
To export a tab for sharing or backup, first open View Mode and adjust the display settings to your liking. Then click Export.
There are options for .gtab (GTAB), PDF, and simple ASCII-based TXT.
GTAB files are specific to Guitar Tab Maker and can be imported back into Guitar Tab Maker, allowing for easy backup and sharing between different users.
If you want to print your tab out, export to PDF.
After exporting you have the option to save or share the file/s via email, text message, etc. Exported items will also be saved in your Files app under a folder for Guitar Tab Maker.
NOTE: If you delete the Guitar Tab Maker app, this folder in your Files app WILL GET DELETED. So if you want to be safe, make copies of your exports elsewhere or use the Back-up All Tabs feature.
Tip - if you want to fit more rows per PDF page, try adding columns to the tab, as this will decrease the height of each row. You can also use the option to display two columns which will fit a lot more per page.
Click the indicated button in the image on the tabs list view to select a GTAB file for importing. You can also click on a GTAB file, say in your Files app, and that should trigger an import.
On the tabs list view, click the gear icon to open app settings. Then hit "Back-up All Tabs".
This process will back-up all your tabs at once into a ZIP file. You can then save the backups in a safe location.
On the tabs list view, select the (i) info button to rename a tab.
Tabs can be grouped into folders for improved organization. A tab can be in multiple folders at once.
Add a tab to folders by clicking the (i) info button, then "+ add folder". You can select a previously created folder or create a new one.
To remove a tab from a folder, please see the "Delete a Tab" section right below.
On the tabs list view, swipe left on a tab and then click Delete.
If you are in a custom folder, you will have the option to simply remove the tab from the current folder OR delete it (remove from all folders).
Deleted tabs are moved to the Deleted folder and are still recoverable. Click a row to restore. Or hit Clear to permanently remove all Deleted tabs.
On the tabs list view, select the (i) info button to duplicate a tab.
On the tabs list view, click the gear icon to open app settings. Here you have the option to Buy Premium.
Premium removes the "ads" (emoji-delay dialogs) that show when you create a new tab and enables the ability to duplicate tabs. Thank you!
By default, all of your tabs will be stored in your iCloud. This enables easy access by all of your iOS/macOS devices. This default setting is highly recommended.
If you disable this or do not use iCloud storage, then tabs will be stored locally on your device — in your Files app under the Guitar Tab Maker folder.
NOTE: If you delete the Guitar Tab Maker app, this folder in your Files app WILL GET DELETED. So if you want to be safe, export copies of your tabs using the Back-up All Tabs feature.
Check out the Guitar Tab Maker subreddit to share tabs, ask questions, and more.
Support Guitar Tab Maker by contributing any amount ($1 or more) toward a new feature you want in the app!
Of course you can also suggest a new feature by emailing me or making a post on the subreddit but monetary contributions are very much appreciated and help me prioritize requests.
If you have any questions or requests, check out the subreddit or email me at kyle@kylegorlick.com