What is TexTab?

TexTab is a simple language for defining conventional music notation (henceforth called `CMN' and tablature notation (henceforth called `TN') for the banjo and other fretted stringed instruments. It was developed because I was fed up with the ugly hand-drawn tablature that permeates so much sheet music. You write a TexTab document using your favourite text generator (e.g. `EDIT' in DOS, or MS-Word).

Three application programs are provided:

  1. A program called `tabmusic' which converts a TexTab file in TN (i.e. string and fret defined) to CMN (i.e. `A'-`G'; natural, sharp or flat).
  2. A program called `musictab' which converts a TexTab file in CMN to TN. This is a much more powerful program than `tabmusic' as it attempts to make an optimal choice of strings and frets to be played, based on a set of rules (e.g. it tries not to play the same string for two adjacent notes).
  3. A program called `showtab' which translates a TexTab file in TN to a sequence of pages of tablature in PostScript format. If you have a PostScript printer you then just send the file to the printer. Alternatively you view and print the file using an application such as Ghostview. You may view an example of the tablature produced by TexTab.
The TexTab application programs are free software, provided as executable code for DOS-type machines. Special arrangements can be made for Unix machines.

Note that this is rather old (1990s) technology - but it still works!

Why is it Called TexTab?

It is called TexTab as an allusion to, and in gratitude for, the marvellous scientific typesetting programs called `TeX' (by Donald Knuth) and `LaTeX' (by Leslie Lamport).

The Home Page

You may either look at this home page in full or in sections, as follows:

Return to the TexTab Home Page or contact John Hunter for help or further information.