JSON to Guitar Tab

This is a tool to generate guitar tablature using JSON notation.

Usage

[
    {
        "chords": ["D major"],
        "pattern": "x---"
    },
    {
        "chords": ["-57775", "577655"],
        "pattern": "x--x--x-"
    }
]

This tool expects an array representing each bar of the resulting tab.

Each bar should contain an array of chords and a string representing a pattern

Chords

There are 2 ways that chords can be written.

• Chords can be written in English (eg A minor) and if it is recognised a shape will be randomly selected. The available extensions are major, minor, 5, 7, maj7, and min7. Any note in the chromatic scale can be used as a root. Flats and sharps should be converted appropriately.
• Chords can also be written as a 6 character string (EADGBe), where each character represents a string on the guitar. For example, an E major chord could be written as 022100. Fret numbers are hexadecimal, so frets from 0-15 can be expressed using this notation. A dash - should be used to denote strings that are not played as part of a chord and an x should be used to denote a muted string.
• This app was intended to represent chord progressions, rather than being a comprehensive tabbing tool. But single notes can be added by using dashes for the 5 other strings. Eg --4--- or leaving any strings after the intended string blank and filling any before with dashes. Eg --4.

Pattern

The pattern string allows different rhythms to represented. Currently 4/4 is the only time signature supported.

• The app assumes that every dash represents a 16th note.
• For complete control over each bar, a 16 character pattern should be passed. If less characters are passed, then the pattern will repeat to fill out the bar.
• x is used to represent a note being played in that position. - is used to represent rests.
• A four-to-the-floor pattern would be expressed as x---x---x---x---
• random can be passed as a pattern to randomly generate a pattern

Demo

The linked demo allows you to experiment with the tabbing syntax in real time.

http://json-to-tab.surge.sh/