The Steel Guitar Forum

Although I'm not naturally musical I would like to try my hand at creating TAB from some of the old music eg Keith Green & Amy Grant, anybody help me with software that a 77yr old dummie can use

Grahame,

That is an interesting question. The way you have worded it, should have a bunch of software
programmers sitting up and taking notice. And it may, atleast hobbiests.

The notion and vision of someone feeding a piece of standard notion sheet music into a scanner,
pulling it up on the computer, making a few minor tweeks and then printing a finished piece of tab for
the exact piece of sheet music, is interesting. I don't think there is a "Program" that does that yet.

Each note could be given a numerical value, an algorithm could be written to position the notes on
the steel neck in the most efficient way to play the piece, wala...

It may have already been done at some school, as a training project for programmers.

I believe the answer to your question is no, not yet. I may be wrong.

Love your web page, by the way... If I ever hit the lotto, we'll meet.

Hi Grahame
The only way I know is to sit down at the PSG wth a blank TAB Sheet and a pencil & rubber!!!
It's a slow process so I don't do it very often.
Cheers
Sandy

A computer doesn't have ears. It can't discern the difference in tone when playing a pedal steel. There are many different positions to play the same note or chord on a pedal steel. And some positions just sound better than others. My favorite "grip" is the 5th, 6th and 8th strings, to my old ears this combination just sounds better. Also, when writing tab, you have to keep in mind where you are coming from and where you are going so you can stay in position and avoid a lot of jumping around. I think Buddy Emmons used to call this "pockets".
The best computer ever built is the one between your ears.

My PC has ears and can process music and it can play some real good PSG, but I'm still the boss and I have to nudge it here and there now and then in the right direction. I have to correct it like I would a child. I might even be guilty of child abuse.

I have software that will convert sheet music to midi and then you can enter the midi into Tabledit.
You will then have to rearrange the notes so they are in useable positions.

If a person can't do that much they probably don't know enough about the PSG to play the tab if it were all done for them anyway.

I don't use it a lot, no need I have Stuart and he never saw sheet music he liked so he makes his own directly in TablEdit.

Buy everything that's available out there so you could create and use good tab and then I wouldn't.

Hi Bo,
Just so I understand you, are you saying you have 2 lots of software (??? & TabEdit)

Do you mind be more explicit as I was born 30 years to early for some of to days tecnoledgy.

Thanks for your help

Grahame

Bo, are you saying that any piece of sheet music can be converted to midi using a scanner, than read into table edit and printed out in tab form? So is this a service Stuart performs? I'm thinking, that since the programs have a learning curve, there might be an advantage for a older gentalman who reads tab and plays, to pay someone who has the computer skills to do such tasks rather then take on the added chore of learning the computer programs himself. All things considered.

I'm not saying that 77 is old or that someone of that age couldn't learn the programs required. I'm sure that Grahame could, but he may have other priorities. I'm just thinking there might be room here for a small cottage industry so to speak, if a skilled computer person like Stuart were so inclined.

I follow his posts and have seen Stuarts work, what he can do, is truely amazing.

Thanks but I was hoping to have the challenge to do it myself so if you could point me in the right direction
I'd be grateful
Thanks Grahame

I have tabbed All the three note chords on a 10 string E9 tuned PSG. From A through G. If anyone is interested