Last updated: August 30, 2026
This document is a reference manual for notave, a browser-based guitar/bass TAB and staff notation editor. It documents each screen element and feature with screenshots.
On first launch you get a single line of guidance — click the notation to start entering notes — and nothing else in the way (the old 8-step tour is now opt-in from the help dialog). The full keyboard shortcut list is available anytime from the ? icon in the top bar.
1. Screen Layout
The notave screen is made up of the following blocks:
- Header: view toggle (Session Sheet / Chord Chart), undo/redo, new sheet, File (import/export), print, keyboard shortcuts, feedback, language switch, sign-in
- Sheet settings bar: shows the current time signature, key signature, measures-per-line, and tuning. Click to open/close the settings panel
- Playback bar: play/stop, previous/next measure, loop, BPM, swing, volume, guitar tone, metronome, backing band
- Sheet area: staff and TAB. Clicking a measure number opens that measure’s settings panel
- Input panel: on the right (a bottom sheet on mobile). Switches between four modes: Staff, TAB Input, Voicing Select, Manual Input
2. Sheet Settings
Clicking the sheet settings bar opens a panel with a “Sheet” tab and a “Tuning” tab.
2.1 Sheet tab
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Sheet title | Free-text title for the sheet |
| Time signature | 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8 (the sheet’s default; to change it for a single measure, see “5. Measure Operations”) |
| Key signature | Select from a list of major/minor keys |
| Transpose | “Transpose…” next to the key buttons opens a dialog that transposes the whole sheet in semitone steps (see 2.2) |
| Measures per line | 1–6 |
| Equalize measure width | When on, all measures in a line get equal width regardless of note density (a measure that needs more room still gets the space it requires) |
| Show intervals | Shows each note’s interval from the chord root, between the staff and TAB |
| Two-voice input (melody + accompaniment) | For solo-guitar (chord-melody) writing. Enables a voice-switch UI; melody notes are entered as the up-stem voice |
| Open input panel on edit | When the input panel is closed, clicking the staff or TAB auto-opens the matching input panel (on by default) |
2.2 Transpose
Clicking “Transpose…” next to the key signature buttons opens the Transpose dialog. Pick an amount from −11 to +11 semitones and press “Transpose” to shift every note, chord symbol (both events and the chord lane), and the key signature of the whole sheet at once. The dialog previews the resulting key (e.g. Key: C → D), and key/chord spellings follow the target key’s sharp/flat family.
- Each note shifts frets on its own string. When a shape would leave the fretboard, chord-derived voicings are re-voiced to the closest shape of the transposed chord (a Drop 2 stays a Drop 2 where possible), while single notes move to a nearby string
- If even one note would fall outside the instrument’s range, the transpose is not applied and an error is shown (try a different amount or review the tuning)
- The operation is not covered by Undo (Ctrl+Z). Transposing back by the same amount restores the key and chord names, but not the voicings of chords whose shapes changed — to keep the original, save the file before transposing
2.3 Tuning tab
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Presets | Standard (EADGBE), Drop D, DADGAD, Half-step Down (Eb), Full-step Down (D), Open G, Open D, Drop C |
| Custom | Set each string (6 through 1, or 4/5 for bass) to an individual pitch |
| Capo | Off, or fret 1–7 |
| On tuning change | “Keep fingering (sound changes)” keeps the fret positions as-is; “Keep sound (fingering changes)” recomputes frets to preserve pitch. Determines how existing voicings are handled when tuning or capo changes |
3. New Sheet
“New Sheet” in the header opens an instrument picker. Choose from Guitar (6-string, standard tuning), Guitar (7-string, low B), Bass (4-string), or Bass (5-string, low B), then click “Create” to start a new sheet.
4. Input Panel
The input panel’s top tabs switch between the note-entry modes (Staff / TAB Input) and the chord (voicing) modes (Voicing Select / Manual Input).
4.1 Staff mode
Clicking the staff places the cursor at that beat.
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Enter note name (same note removes it) | A–G |
| Flat / sharp | [ / ] |
| Adjust by semitone | ↑ ↓ |
| Adjust by octave | Shift + ↑ ↓ |
| Move between beats | ← → |
| Move note earlier/later (slide or swap) | Alt + ← → |
| Set duration | 1–7 |
| Convert to rest | 0 |
| Tie | L |
| Move note to other voice | Shift + U |
| Cycle fret position | Tab |
4.2 TAB Input mode
Clicking the TAB switches to entry driven by fret numbers.
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Enter fret number | 0–9 |
| Move between beats | ← → |
| Move between strings | ↑ ↓ |
| Jump to next/previous measure | Ctrl + ← → |
| Move note to adjacent string | Alt + ↑ ↓ |
| Move note earlier/later (slide or swap) | Alt + ← → |
| Transpose note (semitone) | Shift + ↑ ↓ |
| Tie | L |
| Hammer-on | H |
| Pull-off | P |
| Slide | S |
| Ghost (dead) note | X |
| Palm mute | M |
| Accent | A |
| Cycle bend | B |
| Bend & release | Shift + B |
| Glissando in | G |
| Glissando out | Shift + G |
| Vibrato | V |
| Grace-note input mode | O |
| Move note to other voice | Shift + U |
| Convert to rest | R |
| Erase note on string | Backspace |
| Delete beat | Del |
| Confirm edit | Enter |
With grace-note input mode (O) on, the next fret you type is attached to the previous note as a grace note. A wider set of techniques (tapping, slap/pop, harmonics, tremolo, whammy bar, and more) lives in the Expression panel — see “4.5 Expression (techniques).”
A tie (L) joins two notes of the same pitch, and auto-ties when the pitch matches the previous note. Trying to tie two different pitches with L shows a hint to use a slur instead.
4.3 Voicing Select mode
Picks a voicing (fingering) from a chord name.
- Choose a root note (C–B, ♯/♭) and a chord type (7th / Triad / Sus / 6th / Tension category, then the specific quality). A Notes / Degrees toggle switches how the root is entered. In Degrees mode, buttons I–VII pick a diatonic note (root + accidental) relative to the sheet’s key, so the same degree progression stays easy to enter when the key changes
- Candidates appear under “Select Voicing.” Narrow them with filters — Open, Drop2, Drop3, Omit Root, Omit 5th, Omit R+5, Triad, Spread — plus root string (6th-string-root-only / 5th-string-root-only) and top note
- Candidates that connect smoothly to the surrounding chords (smooth voice leading) are marked “Recommended”
- Click a candidate to add it, or use “Add w/ Name” to add it with the chord name displayed
The chord-name text field also accepts Roman numerals (degrees). Relative to the key, II resolves to Dm7, V7 to G7, bVII to B♭ (a bare numeral is the diatonic 7th; add a quality or accidental to override).
4.4 Manual Input mode
Bypasses automatic suggestions; the fingering is specified directly. Click on the fretboard, or enter values into the “String” and “Fret” number fields and click “Add Note,” to build a shape one note at a time.
4.5 Expression (techniques)
“Show Expression” on the duration row opens the Expression panel. It applies techniques — including ones with no keyboard shortcut — to the note being edited (or the one about to be added) via buttons. Drag the panel’s top edge to resize it.
| Group | Contents |
|---|---|
| Event | Palm mute (P.M.) / Staccato / Accent / Fermata / Let ring / Rake / L.H. slap (bass only; can also sit on a rest) |
| Tremolo | / = 8th, // = 16th, /// = 32nd tremolo picking |
| Stroking | ↓ Down / ↑ Up |
| Glissando | Slide in (↗ / ↘) / Slide out (↗ / ↘) |
| Note | Ghost (x) / Tap / Slap / Pop / Thumb ↓ (T↓) and Thumb ↑ (T↑, bass only) / Natural harmonic (N.H.) / Artificial harmonic (A.H.) / Pinch harmonic (P.H.) |
| Vibrato | Vibrato / Wide vibrato |
| Whammy bar | Scoop / Dip / Dive |
| Bend | 1/2, Full, 1 1/2, plus Pre-bend and Bend & Release |
Ghost is an independent toggle rather than one of the mutually exclusive techniques, so it stacks on slap or pop (slap + ghost = a dead note struck with the thumb). In TAB input it also toggles with X, and it plays back as a damped percussive hit.
The palette is per-instrument: Thumb ↓ / Thumb ↑ and L.H. slap appear only on bass charts, never on guitar ones (the filter applies to the input palette only — techniques already in a chart are drawn, played, and exported on any instrument). Tapping, whammy bar, and the harmonics are mainly guitar techniques. Applied techniques are drawn as symbols on the staff/TAB and carried through to playback, video, and MusicXML export.
5. Measure Operations
Clicking a measure number (①②③…) above the staff opens a settings panel scoped to that measure.
| Group | Options |
|---|---|
| Edit | Copy / Cut / Delete Measure |
| Insert | Insert Measure Before / Insert Measure After |
| Barlines | \|: (repeat start) / :\|: (repeat end + start) / :\| (repeat end) / \|\| (double bar) / \|] (final barline) |
| Time Sig | Override the time signature for this measure only (2/4–12/8) |
| Volta brackets | 1st / 2nd / 3rd ending, for repeat branches |
| Repetition signs | 𝄉 (Segno) / 𝄌 (Coda) / D.C. (Da Capo) / D.S. (Dal Segno) / Fine / To 𝄌 / D.C. al 𝄌 / D.C. al Fine / D.S. al 𝄌 / D.S. al Fine |
| Rehearsal / Text | Set a rehearsal mark (boxed, e.g. A / B / 1, up to 4 chars) and free text above the measure (up to 40 chars). Both render above the staff and travel with share links, saves, and copies |
Among the repetition signs, 𝄉 and 𝄌 place the Segno and Coda markers themselves; the rest (D.C., D.S., Fine, To 𝄌, etc.) are navigation instructions specifying where playback should jump to or end.
6. Playback
6.1 Basic controls
The playback bar has Play/Stop, Previous/Next measure, and a loop toggle that repeats the selected measures (or the whole piece if none are selected). The loop region can also be set by typing the start and end measure numbers directly (the matching measures are highlighted).
6.2 Tempo, swing, volume
BPM is set with -/+ or by typing directly into the field. The Swing slider adjusts the shuffle ratio; the Vol slider adjusts playback volume. “Tone” sets the notated guitar’s timbre — Acoustic, Electric (clean), or Electric (dist); applied techniques are preserved across all tones.
6.3 Metronome
Clicking the metronome icon expands a settings row.
| Field | Options |
|---|---|
| Pattern | All Beats / 2 & 4 / Upbeat |
| Click volume | Slider |
| Count-in | Off / 1 Bar / 2 Bars |
6.4 Backing band
Clicking the backing-band icon expands a settings row. It auto-generates bass, drums, and comping (accompaniment) that follow the entered chord progression.
First pick a “Style” for the feel — Jazz swing, Neo-soul, Rock, or Pop — which changes the groove and each part’s pattern (neo-soul uses a straight feel, so swing is turned off).
| Part | Options |
|---|---|
| Bass | E.Bass / Upright (volume slider) |
| Drums | Volume slider only |
| Comp | Nylon gtr / Piano / E.Piano / O.D.Gtr (volume slider) |
| Pad | Sustained pad / strings layer (sounds when the style provides one; volume slider) |
7. notave AI
The purple icon in the bottom-left corner opens notave AI, a natural-language sheet generation and editing feature.
- Generate a sheet from scratch, e.g. “Autumn Leaves as a jazz guitar comping part”
- Hand it the current sheet and request an adjustment, e.g. “make this more jazzy”
Output is AI-generated and not guaranteed to be accurate — play it back to verify before relying on it. Usage is capped; see “14. Plans (Free/Pro)” below.
8. File (import / export)
The “File” menu in the header provides:
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Share link | Share the sheet via a URL |
| Save to / open from cloud | Store sheets in the cloud and open them from another device (see 8.1) |
| Open file | Load a sheet from a JSON file |
| Save to file | Save the sheet as JSON |
| Video export | Export an MP4 with the sheet scrolling in sync. Supports YouTube (16:9), Shorts (9:16), and square (1:1), plus overlay strips for play-through videos (Band 16:3 / Band Short); includes guitar audio and metronome clicks. A chroma-key (green screen) background is also available |
| Image export | Export the sheet as an image |
| MIDI to TAB | Generate a sheet from a MIDI file |
| MusicXML to TAB | Generate a sheet from a MusicXML file |
| MIDI export | Pro plan only — export MIDI for DAW editing |
| Export MusicXML (with TAB) | Pro plan only — export MusicXML including TAB string/fret data, ready to open in notation software like MuseScore |
Video and print exports on the Free plan include a watermark.
8.1 Save to / open from cloud
Sheets normally live in your browser. Sign in and you can also store them in the cloud and open them from another device. Choosing “Save to / open from cloud” opens the Saved sheets dialog (if you are signed out, it prompts you to sign in first).
Saving
- Save as new — store the sheet you are editing as a new cloud sheet
- Overwrite “(title)” — shown when you are editing a sheet you opened from the cloud; updates that same sheet
Starting a new sheet, importing a share link, or opening a JSON file clears the link to the cloud sheet. From then on a save creates a new sheet, so nothing is overwritten by accident.
The list
Each row shows the title, measure count, and last-updated time, with Open, Rename, and Delete actions (delete asks for confirmation). Once you have 8 or more sheets, a title search box appears. The dialog header shows how many slots you have used out of your limit.
If the sheet you are editing has unsaved changes, opening a different one asks whether to discard them.
Limits and read-only sheets
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Sheets stored | 3 | 100 |
| Length of a stored sheet | up to 32 measures each | up to 300 measures each |
When the library is full, the Free plan is offered an upgrade. A sheet longer than your plan allows (over 32 measures on the Free plan) becomes read-only: it can be viewed, played back, and exported, but not edited or saved. Cancelling Pro never deletes stored sheets — the ones past the limit simply become read-only.
9. Print
“Print” in the header lets you set measures-per-line (2 or 4) and print size (Large/Medium/Small) before printing to PDF.
10. View toggle: Session Sheet / Chord Chart
The toggle at the top-left of the header switches the sheet’s display format.
- Session Sheet: the standard view, showing staff and TAB together
- Chord Chart: hides TAB and shows only the chord progression, for viewing the whole song’s changes at a glance
11. Mobile
notave is responsive and works from a phone browser. The input panel appears as a bottom sheet, with tabs to switch between Staff, TAB Input, Voicing Select, and Manual Input.
12. Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
Shortcuts specific to each input mode are listed in the tables under “4. Input Panel.” Below are the global shortcuts.
General
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z |
| New Sheet | Ctrl + N |
| Open file | Ctrl + O |
| Save to file | Ctrl + S |
| Ctrl + P | |
| Session Sheet view | Ctrl + 1 |
| Chord Chart view | Ctrl + 2 |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | ? |
Input mode
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Staff mode | Ctrl + Shift + 1 |
| TAB mode | Ctrl + Shift + 2 |
| Chord mode | Ctrl + Shift + 3 |
| Manual mode | Ctrl + Shift + 4 |
| Switch voice (melody/accompaniment) | U |
Playback
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Toggle playback | Space |
Measure operations
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Copy measures | Ctrl + C |
| Cut measures | Ctrl + X |
| Paste measures | Ctrl + V |
| Delete measures | Del / Backspace |
Editing
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Exit edit mode / Deselect | Escape |
| Navigate events | ← → |
Duration (edit mode)
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Set duration (whole–64th) | 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 |
| Shorten duration | + / = |
| Lengthen duration | - |
| Toggle dotted | . |
| Toggle triplet | T |
| Toggle 5/6/7-tuplet | Shift + 5/6/7 |
13. Mic input (TAB Input mode)
The TAB Input panel includes a “Mic Input” section at the bottom. It listens to audio from the microphone and estimates the fret/string being played, entering the corresponding notes once enabled (see the panel’s “How it works” link for details).
14. Plans (Free/Pro)
| Feature | Free | Pro ($2.99/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Measures per sheet | Up to 32 (8 when signed out) | Up to 300 |
| Cloud storage | 3 sheets | 100 sheets |
| notave AI generations | 5 (trial) | 25 / month |
| Video export | Watermarked | No watermark |
| Print export | Watermarked | No watermark |
| MIDI export | — | ✓ |
| MusicXML export (with TAB) | — | ✓ |
The measure cap also depends on whether you are signed in: a signed-out visitor gets 8 measures per sheet, and signing in (free) raises that to 32.
The 300-measure ceiling is a system-wide limit shared by every plan — Pro cannot exceed it either. A sheet past your plan’s limit becomes read-only (see “8.1 Save to / open from cloud”).
Related: Create Guitar TAB in Your Browser for Free (feature overview)
