This digital tablature player allow you to see, hear, and learn how to play melodies and arpeggios on the guitar. There is two methods of navigating the guitar. You can directly click on the instrument using the mouse controls, or you can skip this process and use your computer keyboard (faster but less hands-on).
It is a combination of a regular six-line tab with an actual picture of the fretboard. In other words, a link between the written notes and where they physicaly sit on the instrument. The way Tablature shows music is in six lines across, with every line being a guitar string. The lowest line is the low E string and the highest line is the high e string. Numbers is placed on these lines to show where to place your finger on the fret. Zero indicates an open string, no fingers pressed down on it. Like reading text, the widget proceeds from left to right as the music plays. When it gets to the note, the number of that note will change colour. A vertical band also highlights the note as it plays. This visual feedback keep your eyes locked on the present moment.
How to Use the Guitar Player
Playback controls are fully integrated into your computer keyboard. The spacebar plays or pauses the music, which is the fastest method of controlling playback while your fingers is focused on the strings. Use the left and right arrow keys to move back or forward a single note at a time. This will enable you to step through problem spots and play that section in isolation. Number 1, 2 or 3, pressed on the keyboard changes to the next song from the list of three included options. The question mark button toggles the help panel on and off. Having these shortcuts removes the need to pick up the mouse while practicing.
At the bottom, there is your main control buttons for performing. These include song select buttons that let you play Greensleeves, an A-minor arpeggio study, and Ode to Joy. Each song presents its own technical challenge. Ode to Joy sits predominantly on the top two strings and is a great way into developing your melodic phrasing. Greensleeves brings in bigger intervals and some minor tonalities. The arpeggio study use the picking pattern from House of the Rising Sun and trains your hand to move around several string alternately.
A key part of effective practicing is tempo control. To control the tempo, simply slide the tempo slider left or right. It ranges from sixty to a hundred and sixty beats per minute. Slow it down as far as you want to give your brain more time to process each fret number. Half speed immediately halves the speed. This alone is worth its weight in gold when learning tricky runs and rapid string crossings. There is no need to halt the piece to alter the speeds. As soon as you make the adjustment it happens.
Another great feature is the ability to practice loops. By turning on loop, it will play the song over and over again. This allows you to get into the zone and not have to start the song from scratch each time. When using loop, pair it with half-speed so that you can really focus on in on one part till it starts to feel comfortabley.
The master volume slider controls the volume of what’s coming out of the app. Note this is separate from your computer or phone’s volume settings. Try to set it where you can still hear things well but not so loud you lose the sound of the tone.
It’s a visual cue that shows the exact string and fret position for your finger (the little fret board underneath the tab). It shows you what you would see if you were looking down at the neck of your guitar. In real-time, there will be a dot showing which string and which fret to place your finger on. It helps close the space between learning to read notes and playing chords. Try turning off the sound and follow along with the dot on the fretboard. This is a physical exercise for reinforcing muscle memory.
To open up the widget in full screen, just click that button. This helps on smaller screens. It also helps when you want to really concentrate, removing distractions and giving the tablature some space to breathe.
There’s a little help panel where you can access a quick reference of the controls, and switch them on/off whenever you need a reminder of a keyboard shortcut.
A good place to begin would of with the Ode to Joy. If you lose your way you can step through it note by note, and as you become more confident you can slowly build your speed. Before long, your fingers will memorise the pattern quicker then they can read it from the sheet.