๐Ÿ“˜ Guitar Scribble Help & Instructions

Complete guide to creating guitar tabs with Guitar Scribble

Last Updated:

โ† Back to Tab Editor

๐Ÿš€ 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 โ€“ just focus on the notes!

What Makes Guitar Scribble Different?

โœ๏ธ Basic Editing

Positioning the Cursor

Adding Notes

Deleting & Editing

๐Ÿ’ก Tip: Click directly where you want to type โ€“ no need to arrow-key your way there!

Managing Tab Lines

๐Ÿ’ก Tuning Tip: New lines automatically inherit the tuning from your first staff line. If you're writing in an alternate tuning, make sure to set it on the first line โ€” all new lines added after that will match. Your custom tuning is also preserved in PDF, PNG, and .scrb exports.

๐ŸŽธ 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
๐Ÿ’ก Tip: Use sharps (#) or flats (b) for non-standard tunings. Example: D# or Eb

๐ŸŽต 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

โŒข Hammer-on / Pull-off

Creates a curved line (โŒข) connecting selected notes. Perfect for legato techniques.

Example: 5h7 (hammer from 5th to 7th fret)

/ Slide

Adds a slide symbol (/) or (\) between notes. Select multiple notes to create consecutive slides under one arc.

Cycles: Slide above โ†’ Slide below โ†’ Remove

Multi-note slides: Select 3+ notes (e.g., 5-7-6) to create slides between each pair under one continuous arc.

โคด Bend

Adds bend notation with different intensities.

Cycles: 1/4 bend โ†’ 1/2 bend โ†’ Full bend โ†’ Arrow only โ†’ Remove

โคต Pre-Bend

Indicates a note bent before striking (release bend).

Cycles: Same as regular bend but with inverted arrow

~ Vibrato

Adds vibrato wave (~) above selected notes.

โ—‡ Harmonic

Wraps notes in < > brackets to indicate harmonics.

Example: <12> (harmonic at 12th fret)

๐ŸŽธ 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
โŠ“ (n) Downstroke
V Upstroke
p Thumb (pulgar)
i Index finger
m Middle finger
a Ring finger (anular)
c Pinky (chiquito)
T Tap

๐ŸŽผ 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 โ™ช 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 โ™ช Chord button again
  3. The chord will be removed
๐Ÿ’ก Tip: You can add any text as a chord name - use it for chord names, section markers (Intro, Verse, Chorus), or any annotations you need!

โŒจ๏ธ Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigation

Shortcut Action
โ† โ†’ Move cursor left/right
โ†‘ โ†“ Move cursor up/down between strings

Editing

Shortcut Action
0-9 Insert fret number
| Insert bar line
- 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+โ†’ Shift+โ† Extend selection horizontally
Shift+โ†‘ Shift+โ†“ 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

๐Ÿ’พ 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.

Export to PNG

Creates a PNG image of your tab.

๐Ÿ’ก Tip: The song title is used for the export filename automatically! Exports use solid lines optimized for readability.

Export to .scrb

Creates a Guitar Scribble project file (.scrb) containing your complete tab data.

Import .scrb Files

Load a previously exported Guitar Scribble project file.

  1. Click the ๐Ÿ“‚ Import .scrb button
  2. Select a .scrb file from your computer
  3. The tab will load with all original content and settings
๐Ÿ’ก Tip: Use .scrb files to backup your work locally or share raw project files with other Guitar Scribble users!

โ˜๏ธ 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 ๐Ÿ’พ 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

๐Ÿ“ฑ 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

๐Ÿ’ก Recommendation: For the best editing experience, use Guitar Scribble on a desktop or laptop computer with a physical keyboard.

๐ŸŒŸ Tips & Best Practices

Tab Organization

Readability

Workflow Tips

Performance

๐ŸŽต 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

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 โ€” triads, 7ths, extended chords, altered dominants, sus chords, and slash chords โ€” 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 โ€” 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.

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

๐ŸŽธ Guitar Tuner

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.

๐Ÿ‘ค 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 โ€” 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.

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 is currently free with up to 10 saved tabs. Pro and Premium plans with expanded features are coming soon.

โ„น๏ธ 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!

Copyright

Guitar Scribble is ยฉ Rob Andrew. All rights reserved.

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