Notation and tab, together
Every guitar part is written on a staff and a tab at the same time. Edit either one and the other follows. Six, seven and twelve-string guitars, bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo all have their own tunings.
Free online guitar tab and sheet music editor
Notation and tablature, typed at the speed you think. Write standard notation and guitar tab side by side in your browser, hear it back, transpose it, and share a link. No download, and no account needed to start.
- Free
- No account needed
- Runs in your browser
- Your files stay yours
What you can do
Type it from the keyboard
Press A to G for pitches, 2 to 8 to stack intervals, + and − for durations, and fret numbers straight onto the tab. Every command has a shortcut and a searchable name. See the shortcuts.
Hear it played back
Press Space and listen. Built-in synthesized instruments cover guitars, bass, piano, organ, strings, winds, brass, mallets, voices and drums. Slow it down without changing pitch, loop a section, count in, and add swing.
See it on the fretboard and piano
A live fretboard and piano show where every note sits as you write and as the score plays. Click a fret to enter a note.
Transpose with correct spelling
Any of the 24 intervals up or down, for a selection or a whole instrument, with key signatures and chord names if you want them. Notes are stored as spelled pitches, so B♭ up a fourth becomes E♭, not D♯.
Guitar techniques built in
Bends, slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs, let ring, palm mute, vibrato, harmonics, dead notes, strum direction and right-hand fingering, each with its own key on the tab.
Open and export the files you already have
Import Guitar Pro, MusicXML and MIDI files. Export PDF for printing or a tablet, Guitar Pro or text tab to share, MusicXML for other notation apps, MIDI for your DAW, and MP3 or WAV to practise along with. All formats.
Versions and sharing
Every save keeps a version you can restore. Scores are private by default; make one unlisted or public and send the link. Viewers can listen, print, and make their own copy. Public scores also appear on the Explore page.
Works with your files
Import
- Guitar Pro .gp, .gp3, .gp4, .gp5, .gpx
- MusicXML .musicxml, .xml, .mxl
- MIDI .mid, .midi
Export
- PDF for printing and tablets
- PNG images to share in a chat or on a worksheet
- Guitar Pro .gp for Guitar Pro 7 and 8, MuseScore and Songsterr
- Text tab .txt, or copied straight to paste into a forum
- MusicXML for MuseScore, Sibelius, Dorico, Finale and others
- MIDI for DAWs and samplers
- MP3 and WAV audio to practise along with
Guitar Pro files open in the browser with no plugin; the importer loads only when you pick a .gp file.
Built for the keyboard
Everything the ribbon can do has a shortcut, and Ctrl+K searches every command by name. Presets modelled on Finale Simple Entry, Guitar Pro and Sibelius are included, and every key can be remapped.
| Area | Keys |
|---|---|
| Playback | Space play / pause · Enter back to start |
| Staff | A–G pitch · Shift+A–G add to chord · 2–8 interval up · Ctrl+↑/↓ octave · Ctrl+G/H/J flat / natural / sharp |
| Tab | 0–9 fret · ↑/↓ string · B bend · H hammer / pull · S slide · P palm mute · I let ring · V vibrato |
| Durations | + shorter · − longer · . dot · / triplet · R rest · L tie · Z grace note |
| Navigation | ←/→ beat · Ctrl+←/→ bar · Shift+arrows extend selection |
| Edit | Ctrl+Z undo · Ctrl+C/X/V clipboard · Ctrl+K command search · Ctrl+S save |
On a Mac, use ⌘ where Ctrl is shown. The full list is under Keyboard shortcuts inside the editor.
64 instruments, guitar first
Classical, steel-string, electric, 7-string, 12-string, baritone and lap steel guitar, dobro, 4 and 5-string bass, ukulele, mandolin, banjo and bouzouki come with their own tunings and tab. Add piano, organ, strings, woodwinds, brass, mallets, voices and a drum set to the same score, each on its own staff with playback.
How it compares
| SimpleNotation | Guitar Pro | MuseScore | Flat.io | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free to use | Yes | No, paid licence | Yes | Free tier with limits |
| Runs in the browser | Yes | No, desktop and mobile apps | No, desktop app | Yes |
| Start without an account | Yes | Needs a licence | Yes | No |
| Notation and tab together | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Opens Guitar Pro files | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard note entry | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Based on the vendors' public product pages, October 2026. Guitar Pro, MuseScore and Flat are trademarks of their owners.
Frequently asked questions
Is SimpleNotation free?
Yes. Writing, playing back, importing and exporting scores is free. There is no watermark on PDF exports and no limit on the number of scores you can keep.
Do I need an account?
No. You can open the editor and start writing right away. An unsaved draft is kept in your browser. Saving to the server creates a guest session, which you can turn into an account later so your scores follow you to other devices.
Which file formats can I import and export?
Import MusicXML (.musicxml, .xml, .mxl), Guitar Pro (.gp, .gp3, .gp4, .gp5, .gpx) and MIDI (.mid, .midi). Export PDF, PNG images, Guitar Pro (.gp), plain-text tab, MusicXML, MIDI, and WAV or MP3 audio.
Can I open Guitar Pro files without Guitar Pro?
Yes. Import a .gp, .gp3, .gp4, .gp5 or .gpx file and SimpleNotation shows the notation and tab, plays it back, and lets you edit it and export it as PDF, text tab, MusicXML, MIDI or audio, or save it back as a Guitar Pro file.
Does it write guitar tab from standard notation automatically?
Yes. When you enter notes on the staff, SimpleNotation chooses a string and fret for each note and for chords, and you can move any note to another string with one key.
Can I use a MIDI keyboard to enter notes?
Yes, in browsers that support Web MIDI (Chrome, Edge and Opera). Connect the keyboard, enable MIDI input in the editor, and play the notes.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The editor runs in mobile browsers with touch input for the score, and the fretboard panel can be hidden on small screens. A keyboard makes note entry much faster, so a desktop or a tablet with a keyboard is the most comfortable setup.
How do I transpose a score, and will the notes be spelled correctly?
Open Transpose from the ribbon or with Ctrl+K, choose an interval up or down, and optionally transpose the key signature and chord names too. Notes are stored as spelled pitches, so a B flat moved up a fourth becomes E flat, not D sharp.
Can I share a score with someone who doesn't have an account?
Yes. Set a saved score to unlisted or public and send its link. Anyone with the link can view and play it; they can make their own editable copy without an account.
Where are my scores stored and who can see them?
Unsaved drafts stay in your browser. Saved scores are stored on the SimpleNotation server and are private by default. Only you can see a private score; unlisted scores are visible to anyone with the link; public scores can be seen by anyone.
Who makes SimpleNotation
SimpleNotation is an independent project by C. Kerger in San Francisco. It started as a way to turn the notes and frets from YouTube guitar lessons into clean, printable tab without buying oversized desktop software. Read the story, or send a bug report or an idea.
Start writing
Open the editor and type your first bar. Nothing to install, nothing to sign up for.
Open the demo score