Convert to Tab

Sibelius can instantly turn standard notation into tab notation.

To convert standard notation to tab notation:

1 Choose Home > Instruments > Change.

Press Command+Option+Shift+I (Mac) or Control+Alt+Shift+I (Windows) to change notation.

2 In the Find field, type Electric Guitar, standard tuning [tab].

3 Click OK. The mouse pointer turns dark blue to show that it is “carrying” an object.
4 Click the to the left of the initial barline at the very start of the first system of the Electric Guitar staff.

The notation staff is changed into a six-string tab staff automatically and all the music is converted into tab notation. You can copy music
to and from this tab staff using Option-click (Mac) or Alt+click (Windows). Sibelius automatically transcribes copied music into the ap-
propriate notation for the staff type.

Writing Tab Notation

To enter tab notation:
1 Select the bar rest in bar 21 of the Ellectric Guitar staff.
2 Press N to start Note Input and make sure you have the first Keypad layout showing (press F7 to be sure).
3 Type 3 0 (on the numeric keypad) to input an eighth note rest.
4 Press the Up Arrow once to move up to the fourth string and type 4 (on the main keyboard).
5 Add a staccato articulation using the Keypad.
6 Advance to the next position by pressing the Right Arrow key and then type 4 (on the numeric keypad) to select a quarter note.
7 Press the Up Arrow twice to move up to the second string and type 1 (on the main keyboard).
8 Move up to the first string and type 1 again.

You should see the following:


1
 1

4 4

9 Now input the remainder of the last four bars as tab.

      
1 0 1 X X 1 0 1 7 6 5 6 X X 6 5 6 7 6
 1 0 1
  X
 X
 1 0 1
  X
5
5  0 6
4
5
3
6
4   X
X  X
X  6
4
5
3
6
4   7
6
6
5
4 4 3 4 X X 4 3 4 X 4 5 4

10 Now turn the guitar tab staff back to conventional notation using an instrument change.

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Writing for Guitar