NAMM: Sibelius Creates Guitar Tab Software

(Click for a close-up)

Sibelius Software announced the launch of its new guitar program - G7. Developed to provide a new way for guitarists and songwriters to produce and convert guitar tablature, G7 delivers ease-of-use and product features never available before in tab software, and is designed for use with PC or Mac platforms (including Mac OS X).

G7 is a tool for guitarists of any level to create tab fast and easy, add lyrics and chord symbols and instantly create lead sheets or Piano-Vocal-Guitar arrangements. G7 also enables guitarists to scan tab and instantly turn it into standard notation (sheet music) or scan standard notation and turn it into tab. G7 reads and saves ASCII tab and MIDI file formats so musicians can share music by email or on the Internet. The intuitive virtual fretboard allows guitarists to enter tab by clicking on frets, and the fretboard displays fingerings as it plays back making it easy to learn new songs. In addition to being a tab authoring solution, G7 contains the G7 Guide, a complete information source for guitars, playing techniques and musical styles, with audio examples and useful musical illustrations to help players write and play better. The Guide provides a fully comprehensive tutorial and teaching materials for guitar teachers and all students of guitar.

Other benefits of using G7:

• Guitarists can enter tab via an interactive fretboard, mouse, keystrokes, playing live, or scanning;
• The interactive guitar fretboard provides a visual representation of how to play the music;
• Songs can be saved as a web page and are then ready to be emailed and/or placed on the Internet;
• Tab can be displayed in many rhythmic styles and bends, slides, etc. can be played back;
• Guitarists can edit simply by clicking and dragging the mouse; no modes or tools necessary;
• All guitar tunings and number of strings supported;
• Drum pattern generator creates drum notation automatically for songwriters; and
• G7 offers a unique multimedia guide that lets guitarists explore guitars techniques and a wide range of different styles and genres - from metal to gospel to bluegrass.

G7 retails for $149 US and will be widely available in Q1 2003.