📘 Guitar Scribble Help & Instructions

Complete guide to creating guitar tabs with Guitar Scribble

Last Updated:

← 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
• Ctrl+Shift+Space 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

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

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigation

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

Editing

Shortcut	Action
0-9	Insert fret number
|	Insert bar line
|: Open / :| Close buttons	Insert opening / closing repeat signs
- or _	Insert dash/spacing
Backspace	Delete previous character
Delete	Delete character at cursor
Ctrl+Backspace	Remove last column from all strings

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

💾 Exporting Tabs

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

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
• Includes "Created by GuitarScribble.com" watermark
• 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
• Includes watermark at bottom right
• 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.

• 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

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 Usage

Mobile Compatibility

Limited mobile use is possible, but GuitarScribble.com was intended to be best used on a desktop or laptop computer for the best possible experience and reliability.

Mobile-Specific Features

• Tap to position cursor: Tap any position in the tab
• On-screen keyboard: Appears automatically when you tap a position
• Touch selection: Tap and drag to select notes for symbols
• Hamburger menu (☰): Access navigation on mobile

🌟 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. Includes small watermark in FREE accounts.
• SVG: Export as a scalable vector file that stays crisp at any size. Ideal for print materials or professional layouts. Includes small watermark in FREE accounts.
• Embed Embed the chord chart on a website or blog.

📋 Set List Maker

The Set List Maker lets you build, organize, and export professional set lists for gigs, rehearsals, or practice sessions. Free to use — no account required to create and export. Free accounts can save 1 set list to the cloud. Pro accounts get unlimited saves, sharing, and collaboration.

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.

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 a Guitar Scribble footer. 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.

• 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.

Cross-Set List Matching

Attachments are linked to a song by its title and artist. If the same song appears in multiple set lists, the attachment automatically shows up on all of them. This matching is exact — "Eagles" and "The Eagles" are treated as different artists, so keep your title and artist names consistent across set lists for attachments to carry over.

Attachments for Collaborators

Each user's attachments are private by default — only you can see the files you upload. Set list owners and editors can mark attachments as shared so all collaborators can see them. Viewers can see shared attachments but cannot upload their own.

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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