Using Tabledit to Write Tab...

[Dick Sexton]

This just isn't working...

Look at Tabledit Test-Dick
Here: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=594320d13092d8fb

How do you get it to work?

[Alan Bidmade]

I can't find the TableEdit test! Some great stuff on here though - wow! You've certainly put the hours in!

[Dick Sexton]

It is right at the end of that page. Still in Tabledit format. Can't figure out how to do anything else with it. Could waste a lot of time trying. Thought someone might have a cheat sheet that would make it easier. Guess not.

Alan that is about 5 years of up loaded tab, etc. Some pretty good and useful, some not so.

[Doug Beaumier]

I can't find any TE files on that page either...

[Dick Sexton]

Now public. Forgot I had to do that. It's hell to get old!

[George Wixon]

Hi Dick,
I downloaded the tef file and it's fine.
What makes you think it's not working?
George

[Dick Sexton]

George, I was wanting it to write tab in a normal configuration, to be up loaded or shared. What is there, plays just fine on my computer, but I haven't got a clue how to make it look like normal tab. Ie, with pedal and lever designations. In maybe say, a pdf file format. Is there an instruction cheat sheet or something aimed at what I need.

[Doug Beaumier]

You need to set up the pitch change mode to display the letters for the pedals and levers (A, B, C, D, etc.). When that's done the audio will play the pedal/lever changes and they will display properly. There may be some Instructions in the TE Help.

[George Wixon]

Hi Dick,
Sorry Doug, didn't see you post at the same time.
To add a lever or a pedal in back of the string you only need to right click on the number and then choose pitch change. Then click on the letter that applies to the string and the letter will apear in back of the number as well as the note being changed in the top music staff.
For instance lets say that I want the 4th string to be shown in the tab as 12D (D lever lower 4th from E to Eb).
If I entered a 12 on the 4th string of the tab meaning play the 4th string at the 12th fret and I wanted it to be lowered, then after I entered the 12, I would right click on the 12 and then choose "Pitch Change" from the menu that comes up. Another drop down display appears and there is where you will find all your letters as well as a box that shows the amount of change for that string.
So next I would click on the letter "D" and I would be able to see that it would lower the pitch of the string by -1. When I ok the change, I would see that there would be a 12D on the 4th string in the tab and the note on the staff line would have changed from E to Eb.
Hope that helps you out with the tab part for levers and pedals.
As far displaying it, You could export it in the printer file as a bitmap and then change it over to a jpeg for a smaller file but there are also free software pdf file converters that will take the file and convert it to a pdf format.
I don't know of a cheat sheet but I do know that Doug uses this software and he could probably answer any questions you may need help with as well.

[Dick Sexton]

Thank you Doug, guess I need to poke around in there some more. I tried putting in and "A" for the pedal, but it didn't take it and something strange happened, it entered something else... From what your saying, I gather you can assign "Functions". So that it will show an A, but cause the note to bend up to the next tone? I just have to find out how and where to do that. Guess I'll have to write the "simple mans" instructions for that myself.

[Dick Sexton]

I was typing as you were typing... Looks like you've done the work. I'll print out your instructions and give her a try. Thank you both... Very helpful!

[Dick Sexton]

That was easier and quicker then I thought it would be. Of course, I was the problem, the sofware works perfectly. Now I'll work on figuring out how to get it into a pdf file. Again, thank you very much...

[Dick Sexton]

TablEdited by

4/4

| | | | | | | |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|5-------------------5-----------|
|--------------------5---5/--7A--|----7/A-5---------------7/A-5---|
|--------5-------5---------------|------------5-------------------|
|----5-------5-------------------|--------------------------------|
|5-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|------------5-------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

| | | | | | | |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------------5---5---------------|--------7-----------------------|
|----5/--7A----------7/A-5-------|------------9/A-7-------7-------|
|6B--------------------------6B--|4-------------------8B------8B--|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|4-------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

| | | |
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------7-----------------------|
|7/--9A------9/A-7---------------|
|--------------------8B--6-------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|------------------------6-------|
|--------------------------------|



Tablature Legend
----------------
/ - slide

Created with TablEdit http://www.tabledit.com/

[Hal Stackhouse]

Dick, Check your email!

Hal

[Doug Beaumier]

Dick, here's part of a page from my E9 song book. I used TE, the 2006 version. It's a great program, but not very user friendly IMO. You have to tinker with the options and preferences quite a bit to get the look you want.

[Dick Sexton]

Doug, I've got one of your books. Hard to believe that is Tabledit. So far I must be way out in left field on getting this thing set up. Right now garbage out. It does look cleaner, if I just print it, but can't get the SL for slide to go away. Sure doesn't look like yours. That gives me hope. Thank you...

[Doug Beaumier]

To get rid of the Slide... highlight tab number and go to the Effects box and click on X. That should get rid of the slide line and the "Sl".

I put in a lot of hours experimenting with the various settings before I could get things looking right, and I'm still not sure I know what I'm doing!

[Dick Sexton]

Doug, you said that you had used TE to write the book you used as an example. After I've messed with this thing all day, with help from Hal Stackhouse, getting a good measure of success, windows is telling me now that the program is not working properly(I can't print). Are you still using TE to write your books? If not, what?

Sorry if I seem a little frustrated, I wanted to up load what I have been noodling on. Fat chance. And I haven't even touched my steel today. Yet!

[Doug Beaumier]

Yes, I still use TE a lot, but more for non-pedal tab nowadays, like the example below. Non-pedal tab is written in the "guitar mode" which is way easier to use than the PSG mode. No pedals/levers to set up. I know how frustrating TE can be. I spent many long hours learning to use it

[Dick Sexton]

I'm going to think about it.. I can gen them out pretty quick in Excel or a word processor. Already put the time in to learn them and I'm not getting any younger. Also found a way to get them into pdf. which is really what I need to do. Being able to play them from tab is nice I guess. Just time consuming getting them there. I'll think on it some, while I go back to practicing. Obviously has it merits. I think I've got all the info I need for now on the subject.

[Alex Cattaneo]

Dick, don't get discouraged... you didn't give up pedal steel after a couple of days, right? Did you figure out how to save as a .pdf file? If only you had a Mac!
Anyhow, why don't you email Keith, the software designer? Also, read all the FAQ on their website.

[Dick Sexton]

Hey Alex, No I'm not giving up on it. I down loaded the free trial version. It seems to have gotten tired of me messing with it and has lock the print function. If I was a software writer, mine would do the same. I did print a few things and down loaded a pdf converter. I'll try the converter using another program, then make a decision, if TablEdit is the one for me. Once I figured out how to make the tab visually the way I wanted it, it worked as advertised. I actually liked being able to play directly from the tab or let the tab play. Wheather I use TE or not, doesn't have much to do with the program, it has to do with the amount of time I want to spend entering the tab. At 69, I need to choose wisely how I spend my time. I haven't always done that. I do think it is a very good program, with many more functions then I need.

[Alex Cattaneo]

Haaa, well, that's why you can't save as pdf! You get what you pay for! Ha ha ha, seriously, I find that once you figure it out, you save a lot of time with TE because it's easier to edit.

Some people don't seem to realize that if you don't have rhythmic information on your tab, you're telling people the "what" but not the "where" which is equally important. That's why, in my opinion, simple text files don't cut it.

[John McClung]

I'm looking for a better, faster way to electronically create tab, and just downloaded the Mac demo of TE. Can't find a way to to get notation for pedals and levers, and no way to set them up the way I want. Control-clicking or Insert Special doesn't seem to work. Anyone know the trick? Thanks. Jason Gilbert, if you know anything, call or write, appreciate it. Chime in, all Mac experts. Is that editing hobbled in the demo version?

[Nic du Toit]

Some of these PDF converter programs install as a printer....So, when you want to convert the file to PDF format, click on 'print' and select that program in the printer dialogue....then select 'Print to file'....
John, go to 'Instrument' and in the dialogue box that opens up you'll be able to load either E9, or C6.....OR your custom setup that you can set up yourself. I've also adjusted the stock E9 to reflect my changes..... quite ease really, once you get to that section.... If you can't come right, let me know and I'll go to my music PC and see what steps to follow. I suppose it won't be much different in Mac.