Help Topics ● Introduction - Program overview and requirements ● What's New? - Program Version history; what was fixed and/or added in each version of the program ● Quick Steps To Creating A New Score - A simple guide to creating a Power Tab Score ● Getting Started ❍ Toolbars - Information on showing/hiding toolbars ❍ Creating A New Power Tab File - Information on how to create a new file ❍ The Score Layout - Describes how each Power Tab Score is laid out ❍ Navigating In Power Tab - Lists the different ways that you can traverse through a Power Tab score. ❍ The Status Bar - Description of what each pane signifies in the status bar. ● Sections and Staves ❍ What Is A Section? - Information on the core component used to construct Power Tab songs ❍ Adding A New Section - Information on how to add a new section to the score ❍ Attaching A Staff To A Section - Describes how attach a staff to a section so multiple guitar parts can be transcribed at the same time ❍ Changing The Number Of Tablature Lines On A Staff - Describes how to change the number of tablature staff lines on an existing staff ❍ Inserting A New Section - Describes how to insert a section within the score (as opposed to adding a section to the end of a score) ❍ Removing A Section Or Staff - Describes how to remove a section or staff from the score ❍ Position Width and Line Height - Describes how to change the width between positions and the distance between lines on the tablature staves ❍ Fills - Not implemented yet ● Song Properties ❍ File Information - How to edit the score title, transcriber and copyright information ❍ Performance Notes - How to enter instructions to be used by the reader of the score ❍ Lyrics - Not implemented yet ❍ Fonts - Information on how to change the fonts used by the score in the program ● Guitars ❍ Guitar Setup - How to add guitars to the score and set their attributes ❍ Guitar Ins - Describes how to use Gtr In symbols in the score in order to activate guitars to be used in the song ● Music Symbols ❍ Alteration Of Pace ❍ Dyanmics ❍ Key Signatures ❍ Music Bars ❍ Musical Directions ❍ Rehearsal Signs ❍ Repeat Endings ❍ Song Fade In/Out ❍ Tempo Markers ❍ Time Signatures ❍ Volume Swells ● Tablature Symbols ❍ Arpeggios ❍ Bends ❍ Hammer-Ons And Pull-Offs ❍ Harmonics ❍ Palm Mute ❍ Pickstrokes ❍ Slides ❍ Tap ❍ Tremolo Bar ❍ Tremolo Picking ❍ Trill ❍ Vibrato ● Rhythm Slashes ❍ Working With Rhythm Slashes - Describes what rhythm slashes are, and how to use them ❍ The Chord Diagram List - How to add/edit/remove chord diagrams in the score ● Text ❍ Chord Name Text - Information on how to construct and insert chord names into the score ❍ 'Floating' Text - Describes how to insert general text into the score ❍ Special Text - Time Stamps and Italian Music Terms ● Manipulating Data ❍ Editing Data - Describes how to edit existing data in the score ❍ Removing Data - Describes the different ways to remove data in the score ❍ Triplets And Irregular Groupings - Describes how to apply a triplet or irregular grouping to a group of notes ● MIDI Playback ❍ MIDI Setup - Information on setting up MIDI output devices using for playback ● Importing Data ❍ Importing MIDI Tracks - Describes how to import MIDI Tracks into a Power Tab Score ● Exporting Data ❍ Exporting To ASCII Text - Describes how to export the score to ASCII Text ❍ Exporting To HTML - Describes how to export the score to HTML ❍ Exporting To MIDI - Describes how to export the score to MIDI ❍ Outputing Sections To Bitmaps - Describes how to output a section in the score to bitmap (.bmp) file format (either to file or to the clipboard) ● Options ❍ General Options - Autosave and Autoload options ❍ Printing Options - Options to print Performance Notes, Copyright, etc. ❍ Chord Name Suffix Display Options - Used to set how chord names will be displayed in the score ● Tools ❍ The Chord Dictionary - Stores fingers for a plethora of chord names ❍ The Tuning Dictionary - Stores a list of user defined tunings ❍ The Score Checker - Used to check the active score for several types of common errors ❍ The Chord Identification Tool - Used to identify the chord name of the chord at the current position ❍ The Recovery Tool - Used to reload an autosaved file ❍ The Replacement Tool - Replaces note patterns found in the score with other note patterns ❍ The Rhythm Slash Converter - Used to convert tablature data to rhythm slash data ❍ The Shifter Tool - Tool that can shift tablature data (fret numbers) to and from different strings and frets ❍ The Tonality Tool - Used to help determine the key signature of the song ❍ The ASCII Tablature File Fixer - Used to make unreadable ASCII Tablature files downloaded off the internet readable again ❍ Customizing The Tools Menu - Information on how to add your own tools to the tools menu ● Appendices ❍ Appendix A - Keyboard Map - List of keyboard shortcuts used to execute common commands in the Power Tab Editor ❍ Appendix B - FAQ - A collection of frequently asked questions about the Power Tab Editor ❍ Appendix C - Power Tab On The Web - List of Power Tab related web sites © 2000 Brad Larsen. All rights reserved. Terms of use. Introduction Overview The Power Tab Editor is a tablature authoring tool for Windows 95/98. It allows for the creation of music scores in both standard and tablature notation that can be printed out and played back via MIDI. Requirements ● Microsoft® Windows 9x, NT 4.0, 2000 * ● Microsoft® Common Controls version 4.70 or greater ● Microsoft® Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher ** ● Microsoft® HTML Help files ** ● Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 or higher *** ● Pentium 166 Mhz or greater **** ● 32MB RAM **** * The program has not been throughly tested on any version of Microsoft® NT/2000. I do not have access to these products so I have no way to verify program runnability at present time. Several users have reported that it works fine on these products. ** These components are needed to view the Power Tab Editor .chm help file. If you're using Windows 98 or higher, you have all the necessary files to open the help file. The latest common controls can be downloaded here. (50comupd.exe). *** This component is required to view the Power Tab Editor .pdf help file. The reader is freeware and can be found at www.adobe.com **** The CPU and RAM requirements were the setup used on the computer that the program was built on. The program has not been tested on a setup with lower values than these, it does not mean that the program will not run on these machines. © 2000 Brad Larsen. All rights reserved. Terms of use. What's New? Version History ● Version 1.7 - August 30, 2000 ❍ Additions ■ New Open Dialog - Displays information about a Power Tab file without having to open it ■ Page Setup implemented - Allows changing of paper size within the program. Currently does not save paper size though. (must be reset each time program runs) ■ Mousewheel functionality implemented - Mousewheels can be used to jump from section to section ■ Adobe Acrobat Help File (.pdf) - You no longer need to have IE 4/5 installed to view help ❍ Updates ■ Song Attributes changed to File Information - The information now differentiates between songs and lessons. ❍ Fixes ■ Autosave Feature bug fixed - Autosave was not updating itself properly after changing the autosave time. ■ Save bug fixed - Program was asking to save file, when nothing had changed in file. ■ Printing bug fixed - Program was not printing properly on non 8.5 x 11in paper. ■ Tremolo bar bug fixed - The 4 step dip was incorrectly displayed as 3 in the tremolo bar dialog box ■ Rehearsal Sign/Music Bar bug fixed - When updating a music bar that had a rehearsal sign at the same position, the alignment would go out of wack. ● Version 1.5 - May 22, 2000 ❍ Additions ■ Several new hot keys added for accessing common features ■ Alteration of Pace functionality implemented. This allows for gradual tempo changes to occur. ■ Added Copy Special Position. (Edit Menu -> Copy Special -> Copy Position) This copies the current position to the clipboard ■ Music Bar hot spot added (music staff only) - It is now possible to edit a music bar by clicking on the music bar in the music staff ■ Double sharps and flats are now used when necessary on the music notation staves ■ Sections can now be exported to bitmap format (either to clipboard or to file) ■ Octave signs implemented (8va, 15ma, 8vb and 15mb) ■ Added 2 Tab Notation Options, display "Full" or "1" for both bends/tremolo bars ■ "Not Released" added to list of Released On types in Song Attributes ■ Song Fade In/Out implemented ■ Added Play From Beginning MIDI button. This plays the score from the start, regardless of where the active position is ■ Updates ■ Music bar automatically stored at the start of every section ■ Autosave now saves the last ten files instead of just the last five ■ Music notation now uses chord names (combined with the key signature) to determine the proper accidental to display ■ Upgraded bends with the ability to control vertical drawing placement ■ Tempo markers updated to includes listessos and more triplet feel types ■ Redesigned how Time signatures are stored. They also now have a Pulses value to determine how metronome clicks during playback ■ Chord Name class upgraded. Allows for N.C. + Brackets as well as B#, Fb, E#, Cb ■ Dynamic support added for rhythm slashes ■ Anacrusis' (Incomplete bars at start of score) are now allowed ■ Changed how Let Ring was implemented during playback. In old version, was using hold pedal data, but replaced that scheme with "let ring ties"; this holds the note until let ring is over, or next note on same line is hit ■ Playback completely dependant upon Gtr. Ins now. If Gtr. Ins aren't properly placed, no music will play back ■ Artificial Harmonics now capable of displaying double sharps/flats in pitch name ■ Artificial Harmonic pitch accidentals are now drawn using Power Tab font ■ Copyright now prints at bottom of first page of printer output ■ Muted notes and Time Signature numbers are now drawn using Power Tab font ■ Trilling and tremolo picking now use a ratio based on the current tempo to calculate the note durations during playback.