📘 Guitar Scribble Help & Instructions

Complete guide to creating guitar tabs with Guitar Scribble

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← Back to Tab Editor

🚀 Getting Started

Guitar Scribble is a free, fully-functional guitar tab editor that works entirely in your browser. No downloads, no installations, and no rhythm entry required – just focus on the notes!

What Makes Guitar Scribble Different?

• No Rhythm Required: Unlike other tab editors, you don't need to specify note durations or time signatures
• Visual Cursor: See exactly where you're typing with a highlighted cursor
• Click to Edit: Click anywhere to position your cursor instantly
• Cloud Saves: Save your work and access it from any device

✏️ Basic Editing

Positioning the Cursor

• Click: Click on any position in the tab to place your cursor there
• Arrow Keys: Use ←→ to move horizontally, ↑↓ to move between strings
• Home/End: Jump to start/end of current line

Adding Notes

• Type 0-9: Enter fret numbers directly
• Double Digits: For frets 10+, type both digits (e.g., "12")
• Letters: Type letters for special notation (x for muted strings, etc.)
• Bar Lines: Type | to insert a bar line
• Repeat Signs: Use the |: Open and :| Close buttons in the toolbar to insert opening and closing repeat signs. To change the first bar of a staff to an opening repeat, place your cursor at the start of the staff (right after the tuning letters) and click |: Open. Click | Bar in the same position to revert it back to a standard bar line.
• Dashes: Type - to add spacing

Deleting & Editing

• Backspace: Delete the character before cursor
• Delete: Remove character at cursor position
• Ctrl+Backspace or Remove Column Button: Remove entire last column from all strings
• Spacebar or Insert Column Button: Add a blank column to all strings

Managing Tab Lines

• Add Line: Click the ↵ New Line button in the toolbar to add a new 6-string staff below your current work
• Remove Line: Click the − Remove Staff button to delete the current staff at cursor location (including all notes, chords, and picking marks on that line)
• Automatic Line Wrap: When you reach approximately 100 characters, a new staff is automatically created to keep your tab readable

🎸 Alternate Tunings

Guitar Scribble supports any tuning you need!

How to Change Tuning

Fastest way: use the Tuning dropdown next to the Title and Artist fields. Pick a common tuning (Standard, Drop D, Half Step Down, DADGAD, Open G, and more, the same list as the Guitar Tuner) and every string label updates across all staves in the song at once. The dropdown shows "Custom" if your string labels do not match a preset.

Or set a string by hand:

1. Click on any tuning letter (e, B, G, D, A, E) on the left side
2. Type the new tuning (up to 2 characters)
3. Press Enter or click elsewhere to confirm

Popular Alternate Tunings

Tuning Name	Strings (High to Low)
Standard	e B G D A E
Drop D	e B G D A D
DADGAD	d A G D A D
Open G	d B G D G D
Half-Step Down	Eb Bb Gb Db Ab Eb

🎵 Adding Symbols

Symbols add expression and technique notation to your tabs.

How to Add Symbols

1. Select notes: Click and drag across the notes you want to mark
2. Click symbol button: Choose from the toolbar on the left
3. Cycle options: Click the button multiple times to cycle through variations

Available Symbols

🎸 Picking Marks

Add picking direction and fingerpicking notation to your tabs.

How to Add Picking Marks

1. Click on the note where you want to add a picking mark
2. Click the picking symbol button in the toolbar
3. The symbol appears above the note

Important: Picking symbols are added at the current cursor position. To remove a picking symbol, click the symbol's button at the desired cursor position to cycle it on or off.

Available Picking Symbols

Symbol	Meaning
⊓ (n)	Downstroke
V	Upstroke
p	Thumb (pulgar)
i	Index finger
m	Middle finger
a	Ring finger (anular)
c	Pinky (chiquito)
T	Tap

🎼 Chord Names

Add chord names above your tab for reference.

How to Add Chords

1. Position your cursor at the column where you want the chord
2. Click the ♪ Chord button in the toolbar
3. Type your chord name (e.g., Am, G7, Cmaj7, C#m7)
4. Press Enter or click "Add Chord"

How to Remove Chords

1. Position your cursor at the same column as the chord
2. Click the ♪ Chord button again
3. The chord will be removed

🏷️ Section Labels

Mark the parts of your song (Intro, Verse, Chorus, Solo, Bridge) with a clear heading above the staff line.

How to Add a Section Label

1. Click anywhere on the staff line you want to label
2. Click the [ ] Section Label button in the toolbar
3. Type the label (e.g., Verse, Chorus, Intro, Solo)
4. Press Enter or click "Add Label"

How to Remove a Section Label

1. Click on the labeled staff line
2. Click the [ ] Section Label button again
3. The label will be removed

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigation

Shortcut	Action
← →	Move cursor left/right
↑ ↓	Move cursor up/down between strings

Editing

Shortcut	Action
0-9	Insert fret number
Shift+\ |	Insert bar line (the | key)
Shift+[ { / Shift+] }	Insert opening / closing repeat signs (the { and } keys)
- or _	Insert dash/spacing
Spacebar	Insert a blank column (space) at the cursor, pushing later notes right
Backspace	Delete previous character
Delete	Delete character at cursor
Ctrl+Backspace	Remove last column from all strings
Enter	Start a new line (adds a fresh staff below)

Selection & Clipboard

Shortcut	Action
Shift+→ Shift+←	Extend selection horizontally
Shift+↑ Shift+↓	Extend selection across strings
Ctrl+C	Copy selected notes
Ctrl+X	Cut selected notes
Ctrl+V	Paste notes at cursor position

Undo/Redo

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Z	Undo last action
Ctrl+Y	Redo last undone action

View & Zoom

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl +	Zoom in
Ctrl -	Zoom out
Ctrl 0	Reset zoom to 70%

Tab Techniques (select notes first)

Drag-select two notes (or a single note for bend), then press one of these keys to draw the technique symbol. Works exactly like clicking the matching toolbar button.

Shortcut	Action
H or P	Hammer-on / Pull-off arc between selected notes
B	Bend (cycles: 1/4 → 1/2 → Full → Arrow Only → Remove)
S	Slide between selected notes

💾 Exporting Tabs

Important: Upon PDF/PNG export, lines will appear solid for quality printing and display.

Preview Output: The editor is a working view, so it shows dashed connector lines and a grid feel. To see exactly how your tab will look when exported, click 👁️ Preview Output. It renders the real PDF/PNG image (solid lines, clean spacing) right in a window so there are no surprises when you download.

Export to PDF

Creates a high-quality, multi-page PDF perfect for printing or sharing.

• Song title and artist are required and appear at the top of the first page
• All tab lines render as solid, professional lines
• Longer tabs automatically split across multiple 8.5" × 11" pages (up to 8 staves per page)
• Page numbers appear at the bottom of each page for multi-page exports
• Staves are sized consistently across all pages for a professional look
• Custom tunings are preserved in the export
• Free accounts include a "guitarscribble.com" watermark; Pro exports are clean and watermark-free
• Clean, readable output suitable for performers

Export to PNG

Creates a PNG image of your tab.

• Song title and artist appear at the top
• Tab lines render as solid for clarity
• High resolution (2x scale)
• Custom tunings are preserved in the export
• Free accounts include a "guitarscribble.com" watermark; Pro exports are clean and watermark-free
• Perfect for social media or embedding in websites
• Sharp, clear output ideal for digital sharing

Export to .scrb

Creates a Guitar Scribble project file (.scrb) containing your complete tab data. Unlike a PDF or PNG, a .scrb file can be reopened to keep editing your tab later.

• Proprietary format exclusive to Guitar Scribble
• Saves all tab content, tuning, symbols, and zoom level
• Perfect for backup or transferring between devices
• Can be imported back into Guitar Scribble anytime

Every account gets 3 free .scrb exports to try it out. Pro members get unlimited .scrb exports. (Accounts created before this feature launched keep unlimited free .scrb exports.)

Import .scrb Files

Load a previously exported Guitar Scribble project file.

1. Click the 📂 Import .scrb button
2. Select a .scrb file from your computer
3. The tab will load with all original content and settings

Bulk Export (Pro)

Pro subscribers can download all saved tabs at once as a ZIP file containing individual .scrb files. Visit My Tabs and click the "Download All (.zip)" button.

☁️ Saving & Loading Tabs

Saving Your Work

1. Log in to your account
2. Enter a song title and artist name (both required)
3. Click the 💾 Save Tab button (appears when logged in)
4. Verify the title and artist in the save dialog
5. Click Save

Loading Saved Tabs

1. Go to My Tabs page
2. Click Load on any saved tab
3. Tab opens in the editor with all your work

What Gets Saved

• Song title and artist (required fields)
• All tab content (notes, symbols, chords)
• Tuning customizations
• Picking marks
• Multiple staves

📱 Mobile & Tablet Usage

The tab editor now has a built-in touch keypad designed for phones and tablets, so you can enter and edit tabs without depending on the device's soft keyboard.

The Touch Keypad

On any touch device (or any narrow browser window), a keypad sits along the bottom of the screen with two rows:

• Row 1: Numbers 0 through 9 for fret entry, plus ⌫ backspace.
• Row 2: Cursor arrows (← ↓ ↑ →), dash (─) for spacing, | for bar lines, and the technique buttons h (hammer-on), p (pull-off), b (bend), s (slide).

Entering Notes

1. Tap a position on the tab to place the cursor.
2. Tap fret numbers on the keypad to enter notes.
3. Use the arrows to move between strings and columns.
4. Tap | for a bar line, ─ to insert spacing, and ⌫ to delete.

Applying Hammer-on, Pull-off, Bend, or Slide on Mobile

Drag-selecting can be fiddly on a small screen, so the keypad supports a simpler workflow:

1. Single-tap the first note where the technique starts.
2. Tap h, p, b, or s on the keypad.

For h, p, and s, the editor automatically extends from your tapped note to the next note on the same string and draws the arc. For b, it applies bend to the tapped note and cycles through 1/4 → 1/2 → Full → Arrow Only → Remove on repeated taps.

If you prefer to drag-select a range first (e.g. across a longer phrase), that still works too. The auto-extend only kicks in when you have not made a drag selection.

Other Mobile Notes

• Tap to position cursor: Tap any position in the tab.
• Touch selection: Tap and drag across notes to select a range manually.
• Hamburger menu (☰): Access site navigation on phones and iPad portrait.
• Toolbar: The left toolbar stays visible for undo, redo, repeat signs, picking marks, and other tools.

🌟 Tips & Best Practices

Tab Organization

• Use bar lines (|) to organize your tab into measures
• Use repeat signs (|: Open and :| Close) to mark sections that repeat — this matches standard music notation and saves space in your tab
• Add section markers using the chord button (Intro, Verse, Chorus, Solo), or directly type them on the tab lines
• Use the "↵ New Line" button to split long tabs into multiple sections

Readability

• Add spacing between sections with dashes or extra bar lines
• Use chord names to show harmony changes
• Add picking marks for complex patterns

Workflow Tips

• Save frequently! Use Ctrl+S... wait, there is no autosave yet – just click Save Tab often
• Use copy/paste for repeating sections, or use repeat signs to indicate the repeat in standard notation
• Work on small sections at a time
• Export to PDF before sharing for best quality

Performance

• Very long tabs (50+ staves) may slow down the editor
• Split extremely long tabs into multiple files
• Clear your browser cache if the editor feels sluggish

🎵 Chord Diagram Creator

Guitar Scribble includes a free chord diagram creator for building professional chord charts. You can place fingers on a virtual fretboard, create barre chords, hear audio previews, and export diagrams as PNG or SVG.

Building a Chord Diagram

• Place dots: Click any fret position to place a finger dot. Click again to remove it.
• Open and muted strings: Click the area above the nut to toggle a string between open (O) and muted (X).
• Barre chords: Click and drag horizontally across strings at the same fret to create a barre.
• Finger labels: Click any placed dot to cycle through finger numbers (1–4) and labels (T, R, etc.).
• Starting fret: Use the start fret control to shift the diagram up the neck for higher-position chords.

Smart Chord Detection

As you build a shape, the tool analyzes the sounding notes and suggests possible chord names. Because many voicings have multiple valid names depending on context (for example, Am7 and C6 share the same notes), all reasonable interpretations are shown. Click any suggestion to set it as the chord title.

Detection covers the most common chord types — triads, 7ths, extended chords, altered dominants, sus chords, and slash chords — but it may not identify every possible voicing or uncommon spelling.

Chord Lookup

If you know the chord name but need a fingering, type it into the lookup field. The tool covers nearly 400 voicings from basic open chords to complex jazz voicings. Enharmonic equivalents are handled automatically — searching "Db" will find C# chords and display them with your preferred spelling.

Lookup voicings are presented in a closed-position style and represent one practical way to play the chord, not necessarily the only or best-sounding voicing for every musical situation.

Sharing a Chord Collection

Create a collection, add chords, then click the share toggle to get a link anyone can view.

Audio Preview

Click the play button to hear your chord strummed. This is helpful when experimenting with unusual voicings or alternate tunings to confirm the chord sounds as expected.

Alternate Tunings

The chord diagram creator supports Standard, Drop D, Open G, Open D, Open E, DADGAD, and Half Step Down tunings. Chord detection adjusts automatically so suggested names are always accurate to your chosen tuning.

Exporting Diagrams

• PNG: Export as a high-resolution image with transparent or white background. Great for sharing, printing, or pasting into documents. Free accounts include a small watermark; Pro exports are clean.
• SVG: Export as a scalable vector file that stays crisp at any size. Ideal for print materials or professional layouts. Free accounts include a small watermark; Pro exports are clean.
• Embed Embed the chord chart on a website or blog.

📝 Chord Sheet Maker

The Chord Sheet Maker writes chord names over the lyrics, the way you would mark up a lyric sheet to play from. This is different from the Chord Diagram Maker, which draws the finger-position shapes (dots on a fretboard). Use the Sheet Maker when you want a play-from chart, and the Diagram Maker when you want to show how to fret a chord.

Writing a Chart

• Type your lyrics in the editor, then put a chord in square brackets right before the word it lands on, like [G]Amazing [C]grace. The preview lines the chord up above that word automatically.
• Use the chord buttons for the song's key to drop common chords in without typing.
• Add section labels (Verse, Chorus, Bridge) with one tap to keep long songs organized.
• Set the key and capo at the top so the chart prints with that information.

Transpose to Any Key

Tap the ♭ and ♯ buttons to move every chord up or down. The tool spells the new chords correctly for the key you land in (for example, in the key of G♭ it shows E♭m rather than D♯m). Your original typing is never changed, so you can move around freely and reset whenever you want.

Saving Your Charts

• You can build a chart without signing in. To save it, you need a free account.
• Free accounts save up to 3 charts. Pro accounts save unlimited charts.
• Saved charts live in My Charts on the tool page. Open, edit, or delete them anytime.
• Reuse in set lists: charts in your My Charts library can be pulled into any song in a set list. In the set list, add a song, choose Use existing, and pick the chart from your library. It is copied in, so transposing or deleting it in the set list never touches the original. You can also push a chart you build inside a set list back to your library with Save to My Charts.

Exporting

• PNG and PDF export for printing or sending to a bandmate. Long charts paginate cleanly across PDF pages.
• Free exports include a small Guitar Scribble watermark; Pro exports are clean.
• There is no public share link for chord sheets. Because lyrics are usually copyrighted, sharing is done through your own exported file rather than a public page.

🎵 Chord Progression Charts

The Chord Progression Chart Maker builds chord-only lead sheets: chords laid out in measures (bars), the way you read from at a jam, a jazz gig, or a band rehearsal. There are no lyrics and no melody, just the chords and the form. Because there are no lyrics, these charts can be shared publicly. Free to build, no sign-up needed to start.

Building a Chart

• Set the key, time signature, tempo, and style at the top.
• Type bars using | to separate measures, for example | C | Am | F | G |. Put two chords in one bar with a space: Dm7 G7. Up to four chords fit per measure.
• Wrap a repeated section in |: and :|. Mark 1st and 2nd endings by starting a bar with 1. or 2.
• Add sections by typing a label in brackets on its own line, like [A] or [Chorus].
• Navigation signs go on their own line: {Segno}, {Coda}, {To Coda}, {Fine}, {D.C. al Coda}, {D.S. al Coda}.
• The preview updates as you type, and Undo/Redo and Clear sit under the editor.

Chord Names & Transpose

• A lone chord in a measure shows its full name (Cmaj7); measures with two or more chords use compact jazz symbols so everything fits (maj7 → △7, m7b5 → ø, dim → °, aug → +). You can force a preference with the Chord names menu (Auto, Jazz symbols, or Always spelled out).
• Slash chords like D/F# work, and transpose moves both the chord and the bass note.
• Tap ♭ / ♯ to transpose to any key, spelled correctly for that key.

Saving & Exporting

• Build without signing in. A free account saves up to 3 charts; Pro saves unlimited.
• Exports are clean and free for everyone. Free PNG/PDF carry a small "Made with Guitar Scribble" footer line; Pro removes it.
• Saved charts can be pulled into your set lists with Use existing, just like chord sheets.

Sharing & the Community Gallery

• Hit Share to make a chart public: you get a link and an embed code for your own site. You need a verified email to share publicly.
• Public charts can appear in the community gallery, where anyone can browse, open, transpose, and print them, and give a chart a 👍.
• Sharing is optional and you can make a chart private again anytime. You can also choose whether your name shows on the public page.

📋 Set List Maker

The Set List Maker lets you build, organize, and export professional set lists for gigs, rehearsals, or practice sessions. Free to build, with a couple of free exports before a free account is needed to keep exporting. Free PDF exports include a small Guitar Scribble footer, which Pro removes. Free accounts can save 1 set list to the cloud. Pro accounts get unlimited saves, sharing, and collaboration.

What Each Account Level Gets

The set list builder itself is free for everyone. Saving to the cloud, attachments, sharing, and collaboration depend on your account:

Feature	Not signed in	Free account	Pro
Build, edit, sort, multiple sets, durations, listen links	✅	✅	✅
Stage View	✅	✅	✅
Where the list is stored	This browser only	Cloud	Cloud
Cloud-saved set lists	—	1	Unlimited
PDF export	2 free, then sign-up	Unlimited	Unlimited
Export watermark	Yes	Yes	Removed
Song attachments	—	1 file/song, 2 MB each, 10 MB total	5 files/song, 10 MB each, 500 MB total
Share by public link	—	—	✅
Real-time collaboration	—	—	✅
Backup & Restore	—	—	✅

Pro is $4.99/month or $39/year. Only the set list owner needs Pro for sharing and collaboration: invited bandmates can view or edit for free.

Building a Set List

• Add songs: Click + Add Song to open the song entry form. Start typing a title to see auto-complete suggestions from a built-in library of popular cover songs — selecting a suggestion pre-fills the artist, key, and groove.
• All fields are optional except the title. Key, BPM, capo, groove, tuning, and notes can all be left blank and filled in later.
• Edit a song: Click the pencil icon (or anywhere on a row) to reopen the edit form for that song.
• Delete a song: Click the × icon on the right side of any row.
• Reorder songs: Drag the handle (⠿) on the left side of any row to drag songs into a new order.

Starting & Switching Set Lists

• Where you start: If you're signed in and have saved set lists, the Set List Maker reopens your most recent one automatically so you can pick up where you left off. Otherwise (or if you're not signed in) you get a fresh New Blank Set List to title and fill in.
• Make another one: Click the green + New Set List button next to the set list selector at the top to start a brand-new blank list at any time. If your current list has unsaved changes, you'll be asked to confirm first so nothing is lost.
• Switch between lists: Click the set list selector (the bar showing the current list name) to open the dropdown. It shows your Current Set List at the top with its status (Draft, Unsaved changes, or Saved), and a Recents section listing your saved cloud set lists. Click any saved list to load it.

Working with Multiple Sets

• Add a set: Click the + tab at the top of the song list to add a new set (Set 2, Set 3, etc.). You can have up to 10 sets per list.
• Rename a set: Double-click the set tab name to rename it (e.g. "Acoustic Set", "Encore").
• Delete a set: Click the × on the set tab. This also deletes all songs in that set.
• Move between sets: Click any set tab to switch to it. Songs are independent per set.

Smart Sort

Click the Smart Sort button to automatically reorder songs in the current set. Choose from sorting strategies including:

• Energy Arc — Builds from medium energy to a high-energy peak, then winds down for the finale. Good for full gig flow.
• Key Flow — Groups songs by key to minimize retuning between songs.
• BPM Order — Sorts by tempo (low to high or high to low).
• Duration — Sorts by song length (short to long or long to short). Enter durations in MM:SS format (e.g. 3:45) for best results.
• Groove Clusters — Groups similar grooves together (all blues, then all rock, etc.).
• Alphabetical, Reverse, Shuffle — Basic ordering options.

Song Duration & Set Totals

Each song has an optional Duration field. Enter time in MM:SS format (e.g. 3:45, 12:00) and the set list will automatically calculate the total duration for each set. Totals appear on the set tabs, in Stage View, and on exported PDFs. If some songs are missing durations, the total shows a + to indicate it's a partial estimate.

Listen Links & Custom Search Terms

When you edit a song, listen buttons appear for YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and Qobuz. The search field below the buttons is pre-filled with the song's title and artist — edit it to point your band to a specific version or arrangement. For example, change Desafinado Antonio Carlos Jobim to João Gilberto Desafinado original and the buttons will search for that instead. If you leave the default text, it won't be saved — the search will always stay in sync with the song's title and artist.

Exporting to PDF

Click Export PDF to download a print-ready set list. In the export modal you can configure:

• Font size: Small (fits more songs per page, good for reference), Medium (default), or Large (big enough to read on stage from a music stand or tablet).
• Columns: Choose which fields to include — Title and Artist are always shown; Key, BPM, Duration, Capo, Groove, Lead, and Notes are optional.
• Songs per page: How many songs before a page break (default 40). At Large font size a page break is forced earlier automatically.

The PDF includes a header with your set list title and date, separate sections for each set, and (on free accounts) a small Guitar Scribble footer that Pro removes. All sets are included in a single PDF.

Stage View

Click 🎤 Stage View to open a full-screen dark display optimized for reading on stage. Songs are shown in large white text on a dark background. Features include:

• Checkmarks: Tap the ○ circle next to any song to mark it as played — it dims so you can see what's left at a glance.
• All Sets view: Click the All Sets tab to see every set on one scrollable page with set headers. You can drag songs between sets in this view — these moves are temporary and won't be saved.
• Tap to expand: Tap any song row to reveal details like BPM, capo, groove, tuning, and notes.
• Drag to reorder: Use the ⠿ handle to reorder songs on the fly.
• Font size: Use the + / − buttons to adjust readability.

Press Esc, click Exit, or use your browser's back button to return to the editor.

Saving to the Cloud

Any registered user can save 1 set list to the cloud for free. Pro users get unlimited cloud saves. Click Save to Cloud to save a new list, or Update Saved List to overwrite the currently loaded list. Your saved lists appear in the My Set Lists panel on the left — click any to load it.

Pro users can also click Save as New Copy to duplicate a loaded list under a new name.

Sharing a Set List PRO

Click 🔗 Share to generate a public link anyone can use to view your set list. The shared view is read-only — viewers can see the set list and export it to PDF but cannot edit it. Click Unshare to disable the link at any time.

Collaboration PRO

Pro users can invite bandmates to collaborate on a set list. Click 👥 Collaborate, enter the collaborator's email address, and choose their role:

• Editor — Can add, remove, and reorder songs, and save changes back to the cloud. Does not need a Pro account.
• Viewer — Can view and export the set list but cannot make changes.

Collaborators receive an email invite with a link to accept. Once accepted, the set list appears in their My Set Lists panel. The owner can remove collaborators at any time from the Collaborate modal.

Collaboration uses a last-save-wins model — if two people are editing at the same time, the most recent save takes effect.

Song Attachments

You can attach files to any song in a cloud-saved set list. Click a song to open the edit modal and use the Attachments section at the bottom to upload files. Supported formats are PDF, JPG, PNG, and WebP — great for chord charts, lead sheets, lyrics, or stage notes.

Saving happens for you: Attachments are stored with a cloud-saved set list, but when you're signed in you don't have to save manually first. Whether you're adding a new song or editing an existing one, just enter a title and add a file: the song is committed and your set list is saved to the cloud automatically as part of the upload. Guests need a free account, and a free account that already has its 1 saved list is prompted to upgrade for more.

• Free accounts: 1 file per song, up to 2 MB each, 10 MB total storage.
• Pro accounts: 5 files per song, up to 10 MB each, 500 MB total storage.

Click an attachment name to view it — images open in a lightbox and PDFs open in a new tab.

Reusing a File on Another Set List

Attachments belong to the song in the specific set list you added them to. The same song in another set list starts with no attachments, so you can keep, for example, a chart in one key on one singer's list and a chart in a different key on another.

To reuse a file you already have, open a song and click 🔁 Use existing. You'll see your other PDFs (files for the same song are shown first, each labeled with the set list it came from). Picking one drops an independent copy onto the current song.

Because each list gets its own copy, deleting an attachment only affects the set list you delete it from. Copies on other lists are never touched.

Attachments for Collaborators

Each user's attachments are private by default: only you can see what you upload, even on a set list shared with others.

To share a file with everyone on a shared set list, open the song's edit modal and tap the 👥 Share button next to your attachment. The button turns green and reads 👥 Shared. Tap again to make it private again.

• Shared attachments appear to the set list owner and all accepted collaborators on that song, with your display name shown next to the filename.
• Only the person who uploaded a file can toggle its sharing or delete it.
• Storage and per-song file limits are counted against the uploader's plan, not the set list owner's.
• If two collaborators upload files with the same name (e.g. fly-me-to-the-moon.pdf), they are stored separately and labeled with each uploader's name, so there is no collision.

This makes it easy for a band to share chord charts, lead sheets, or stage notes with each other on a per-song basis without exposing private practice files.

Backup & Restore PRO

Every cloud-saved set list has one private backup slot that only the owner can use. If a collaborator wrecks the list, a smart-sort goes sideways, or you just want a known-good snapshot before letting the band loose, save a backup and you can restore it later in one click. This is a Pro feature.

Saving a Backup

1. Open the cloud set list you want to back up (you must be the owner).
2. Click 📦 Save Backup in the toolbar.
3. You'll see "Backup saved" toast confirmation. The backup is stored on the server, not in the My Set Lists panel, so it stays out of your way.

There's one backup slot per set list. Saving a new backup overwrites the previous one (with a confirmation prompt showing the old date).

Restoring a Backup

1. Click ↩️ Restore Backup in the toolbar. (The button only appears if you have a saved backup.)
2. A popup asks "Restore your backup from [date]?" with the timestamp of when you saved it.
3. Click OK and the live set list is overwritten by the backup. The backup itself stays put, so you can keep the restored copy or re-save a new backup later.

What Survives a Restore

• All song metadata (title, artist, key, BPM, capo, groove, notes, duration, lead) restores exactly.
• Set order and song order restore exactly.
• Attachments survive for songs that still exist in the live set list (matched by the same internal song ID). Restoring a song that was hard-deleted after the backup may leave its attachments orphaned. To be safe, also use 📁 Export .gssl for an extra local copy of just the song data.
• Sharing and collaborators are unaffected: only the song content is restored, not the share state.

📲 Install as App & Offline Mode

The Set List Maker can be installed to your iPad or Android device as a home-screen app, and works in emergency offline mode at the gig if you lose your connection. This is single-user only: sharing and collaboration still need an internet connection.

Install on iPad / iPhone

1. Open Safari and go to guitarscribble.com/set-list.
2. Tap the Share button (square with an up arrow) at the top or bottom of Safari.
3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
4. Confirm the name "GS Set Lists" and tap Add.
5. The app icon appears on your home screen. Tap it to launch in full-screen mode.

Install on Android

1. Open Chrome and go to guitarscribble.com/set-list.
2. Tap the menu (three dots) and choose Install app or Add to Home screen. Some browsers show an install prompt automatically.
3. Confirm and the icon appears in your app drawer / home screen.

How to Prep for Offline Use Before a Gig

For your set list to work offline, the app needs to have seen it at least once while you had a connection. Run through this quick checklist while you have Wi-Fi or signal:

1. Open the installed app (or the website) while online and logged in.
2. Load the cloud set list you'll use at the gig.
3. Tap each song that has an attached chord chart, lead sheet, or lyric PDF so it loads at least once. This caches the file to your device.
4. Close the app. You're ready.

What Works Offline

• The app launches and shows your last-loaded set list.
• Songs, durations, set order, and totals are all visible.
• Stage View works for live performance use.
• Attached files you opened while online can still be viewed.
• PDF export of the set list still works (it's local).
• An orange "Offline" banner appears at the top so you always know which mode you're in.

What Does Not Work Offline

• Saving to the cloud is disabled until you reconnect.
• Sharing links and collaboration features are paused.
• Attachments you never opened online will not be available.
• Loading a different set list that you have not previously opened on this device.

Limits and Tips

• iOS Safari can evict the cache under storage pressure. Open the app once before each gig as a habit so it refreshes the cached copy.
• If you logged out before going offline, the cached page may still show your previous logged-in state. Acceptable for emergency mode, but log back in and refresh when you can.
• When you reconnect, the offline banner disappears and Save / Share / Collaborate buttons automatically re-enable.
• Edits made offline are not queued for sync yet. Treat offline mode as read-only emergency access. (Queued offline edits is on the roadmap.)

Guitar Scribble includes a free online guitar tuner that works directly in your browser. Tune with your device's microphone or play reference tones to tune by ear.

Microphone Tuning

Click the microphone button and grant browser permission when prompted. Play a single string and the tuner will detect the pitch, show the closest note, and display how many cents sharp or flat you are. The visual needle and color indicators make it easy to dial in perfect tuning.

Tune by Ear

Click any string label to hear a reference tone. Match your string to the tone by ear. This mode requires no microphone access.

Alternate Tunings

The tuner supports 15+ tunings including Standard, Drop D, Half Step Down, Open G, Open D, DADGAD, and more. Select a tuning from the dropdown and the target notes update automatically.

Multi-Instrument Support

In addition to 6-string guitar, the tuner supports bass guitar and ukulele. Select your instrument to switch between the appropriate string configurations and tunings.

👤 Account Management

Changing Your Display Name

Go to My Account, edit the Display Name field, and click Save. Display names must be unique and at least 2 characters.

Changing Your Password

On the My Account page, scroll to Change Password. Enter your current password and your new one (min 8 characters, at least one number).

Forgot Your Password?

On the login page, click "Forgot your password?" and enter your email. You'll receive a reset link valid for 1 hour. Check your spam folder if you don't see it.

Email Verification

When you create an account, we send a verification email. Click the link to activate your account. The link is valid for 24 hours. If you didn't receive it, click "Resend verification email" on the login page. Be sure to check your spam/junk folder.

Changing Your Email Address

On the My Account page, scroll to Change Email, enter your new address and confirm with your password. We'll send a verification link to the new address — click it to confirm the change.

Profile Avatar

Click your avatar on the My Account page to upload a photo (max 5MB, JPG/PNG/GIF/WebP) or choose from our built-in guitar avatars.

Delete Account

How do I delete my account? Go to My Account and scroll to the Danger Zone section at the bottom.

Sign In with Google

You can link a Google account for quick sign-in. Click "Sign in with Google" on the login page or connect it from the My Account page. If you already have an account with the same email, the accounts will link automatically.

Subscription Plans

Guitar Scribble offers a free plan with up to 3 saved tabs, 1 cloud-saved set list, and access to all core tools. Pro plans add unlimited cloud saves, set list sharing & collaboration, watermark-free exports, and tool presets. Visit the Pricing page for details.

ℹ️ Version & Support

Version: v1.0.0

Last Updated:

Browser Support: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (latest versions)

Report Issues

Found a bug or have a feature request? We'd love to hear from you!

• Use the thumbs down button on any response in the tab editor
• Include details about what happened and what browser you're using

Copyright

Guitar Scribble is © Rob Andrew. All rights reserved.

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