Guitar Pro
Encyclopedia
Guitar Pro is a multitrack editor of guitar
and bass
tablature
and musical scores, possessing a built-in MIDI-editor, a plotter of chords, a player, a metronome
and other tools for guitarists and musicians. It has versions for Windows
, Mac OS X
(Intel processors only), and Linux
and is written by the French company Arobas Music.
Until it reached version 4, the software was only available for Microsoft Windows
. Later, Guitar Pro 5 (released November 2005) undertook a year long porting effort and Guitar Pro 5 for the Mac OS X
was released in July 2006.
On April 5, 2010, Guitar Pro 6, a completely redesigned version, was released. This version also supports Linux
, with Ubuntu
being the officially supported distribution.
On February 6, 2011, the first ever portable release of Guitar Pro (version 6) was made available on the App Store for support with the iPhone
, iPod Touch
, and iPad
running iOS 3.0 or later.
s, drumkits, etc.) for the song to be composed, and allows live previews of the notes to be played at a specified tempo
. It allows for certain tracks to be muted and provides dynamic control over the volume, phasing and other aspects of each track. Included in version 4 onwards is a keyboard that allows pianists to add their part to a composition.
Guitar Pro outputs sound by means of a library and/or, as of version 5, the "Realistic Sound Engine" which uses high quality recorded samples for a more realistic playback. By using its live preview feature musicians may play along with the song, following the tablature played in real time.
Files composed using Guitar Pro are recorded in the GPX, GP5, GP4 and GP3 format, corresponding to versions 6, 5, 4, and 3 of the software. These file formats lack backwards compatibility, and opening them in an older version of Guitar Pro prompts the user to upgrade their software to the respective version.
These tab files are available for free on several websites, including songs of both underground and popular bands. However, copyright issues raised by the Music Publishers' Association
(MPA) pressured some of these sites to close.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
tablature
Tablature
Tablature is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches....
and musical scores, possessing a built-in MIDI-editor, a plotter of chords, a player, a metronome
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
and other tools for guitarists and musicians. It has versions for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
(Intel processors only), and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and is written by the French company Arobas Music.
History
There have been four popular public major releases of the software: versions 3-6. Guitar Pro was initially designed as a tablature editor, but has since evolved into a full fledged score writer including support for many musical instruments other than guitar.Until it reached version 4, the software was only available for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. Later, Guitar Pro 5 (released November 2005) undertook a year long porting effort and Guitar Pro 5 for the Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
was released in July 2006.
On April 5, 2010, Guitar Pro 6, a completely redesigned version, was released. This version also supports Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, with Ubuntu
Ubuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
being the officially supported distribution.
On February 6, 2011, the first ever portable release of Guitar Pro (version 6) was made available on the App Store for support with the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
, and iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
running iOS 3.0 or later.
Background
The software makes use of multiple instrument tracks which follow standard staff notation, but also shows the notes on tablature notation. It gives the musician visual access to keys (banjoBanjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
s, drumkits, etc.) for the song to be composed, and allows live previews of the notes to be played at a specified tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. It allows for certain tracks to be muted and provides dynamic control over the volume, phasing and other aspects of each track. Included in version 4 onwards is a keyboard that allows pianists to add their part to a composition.
Guitar Pro outputs sound by means of a library and/or, as of version 5, the "Realistic Sound Engine" which uses high quality recorded samples for a more realistic playback. By using its live preview feature musicians may play along with the song, following the tablature played in real time.
Files composed using Guitar Pro are recorded in the GPX, GP5, GP4 and GP3 format, corresponding to versions 6, 5, 4, and 3 of the software. These file formats lack backwards compatibility, and opening them in an older version of Guitar Pro prompts the user to upgrade their software to the respective version.
These tab files are available for free on several websites, including songs of both underground and popular bands. However, copyright issues raised by the Music Publishers' Association
Music Publishers' Association
The Music Publishers Association of the United States is a music publishing organization based in New York City. Founded in 1895, the MPA is the oldest music trade organization in the United States...
(MPA) pressured some of these sites to close.