Please explain Guitar Pro to me

dennisg
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:04 am

I keep reading about this miraculous software, and I have to admit that I'm curious. Here's my issue: I don't read music and I have absolutely no experience with tabs. What, then, would be the benefit of using Guitar Pro?

- Dennis


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Music Junkie
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:34 am

Hey Dennis:

Well, if you don't read music or TAB, it might be a bit confusing to begin. The first benefit I would see in using it would be learning to read music and TAB.....

TAB is laid out with 6 lines. The bottom line representing the low E string and each line represents another string. The top line would then represent the high e string. Then, the numbers that are placed on the lines represent the fret at which you place your fingers. Really a simplified version of music. The down side to TAB, is it does not represent rhythm....

Anyway, in Guitar Pro, as you place notation across a TAB, you get the musical layout above it. It is helpful in that aspect. I am still learning about the program and still struggle with it. I mostly like to write something up and then play it back to see what it sounds like, or download other guitar pro files and play them back to see if the TAB is any good. I would really like to be able to place my transcriptions in guitar pro to share at the site, but we'll see...

MJ


TGMatt
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 11:04 am

click the banner on the right - then go to the video demos they have

You may find them useful


AndyT
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:43 pm

If you can not read music or TAB, then its pretty much useless for you. Which means its time to learn to read TAB.


BigBear
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 4:08 pm

Dennis- my take on it, and I've been using it for a couple of years, is that it is an incredibly powerful piece of software that is also incredibly difficult to learn. The manual hits all the highlights but doesn't show you really how to use it. So you have to learn it by trial and error (and did I mention frustration, aggrevation and contempt? lol!).

But it is great for downloading midi files or GP tabs and being able to print them out and use them. Their Realistis Sound Engine (RSE) does a good job of converting the mechanical midi tones into something that sounds like music.

Id give the product a 4 out of 5 and the manual a 2 out of 5. It has, by default, become something of a "must have" piece of software. And price is very good for that much power.

Good luck! :cheer:


Chasplaya
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 5:37 pm

AndyT wrote:
If you can not read music or TAB, then its pretty much useless for you. Which means its time to learn to read TAB.
I wouldn't entirely agree about it being useless if you can't read music or TAB, you can use it to aid learning also you can just use the player aspect to play any GPro TABS or import power tabs to. The manual is not the best but trial and error worked for me.


Lavallee
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Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:42 pm

Chasplaya wrote:
AndyT wrote:
If you can not read music or TAB, then its pretty much useless for you. Which means its time to learn to read TAB.
I wouldn't entirely agree about it being useless if you can't read music or TAB, you can use it to aid learning also you can just use the player aspect to play any GPro TABS or import power tabs to. The manual is not the best but trial and error worked for me.
When I dowloaded the trial version of GP, I did not know anything about it. I did not have anybody to ask questions. Here, you have plenty of users who could help.

You can get zillions of tab sheets that are compatible with the software for free. Reading basic tabs is pretty simple, #2 on the second string means you put your finger on the second fret of the second string. You play together the notes that are above each other (chord) and individually the one that do not have anybody below or above. Of course there is more than that but at least if you open one of the sheet that you can dowload from let say TAB911.com, once you click start you will see the green line giving the sound of each note , thus getting as rhythm and melody and learn the fingering of the song. This is a fantastic tool to learn on your own.

Get the free trial version (15 days of full usage). After working with this for a while, I would find it very difficult not to use it (until I can decipher songs by ear).

Marc


quincy451
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Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:13 am

So Dennis if you don't read music or tabs, do you simply dig into a new piece of music by ear. Nothing wrong with that. Some of the best swear it is the only way to truly get good.

I have used guitar pro lightly for the last couple years. I read tabs so it is useful in that regard to weigh a tab I find. I play it there before determining if I want any part of the tab.

But one feature that I didn't know about until recently. One guy on youtube demoed the feature. He recorded a tab he liked for classical gas. But he turned on the fretboard display while it was playing the music. It was awesome to see the string, the fret and the name of the note as it was played.

Question: can you slow playback with this software? I have always played things full speed to hear what it might sound like if the person playing it did everything right.


AndyT
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Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:48 am

Yes. You can slow the playback way down. And following the animated fretboard helps you learn to play TAB's or standard notation.

There's actually quite a few good reasons to have it. Sorry Dennis, my answer earlier was predicated on an incorrect assumption. Yeah, I know... Never aSSume... Sorry.

GP has a looping feature, speed up and slow down feature, animated fretboard, animated piano keyboard, a metronome, and lots of other cool little gizmos to help you out in your learning. Its well worth the price. I've had it for a while now and I use it fairly often but not as much as I should. It would solve some tricky issues for me that I struggle with.


dennisg
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Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:52 pm

As a follow-up to this discussion, I downloaded the demo version of GP and found it to have a tremendous amount of useful potential, while at the same time being extremely complicated to learn. I'm a fairly computer-savvy person, so I was able to start placing notes on a tab. After 4 notes, naturally it wanted to move me to the next measure, which I didn't want, but I imagine I could figure all that out if I were inclined to spend some time with it.

I'm debating whether or not to buy it. It may just be that I'd get my money's worth if I did nothing with it but import tabs. The real question in my mind is if I'll actually use tabs in order to learn how to play songs.

I'd never seen a tab until I came to TG. I understand them in principle, but deciphering them takes some time for me. Until now, I've always just looked at the chords, pictured the music in my head, and just started playing and embellishing, sort of what I did on "For no one." I'm not asserting that's the right way to do things, just that it's what I've done so far.

- Dennis


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