7.5.3 Non-guitar tablatures

You can change the tuning of the strings. A string tuning is given as a Scheme list with one integer number for each string, the number being the pitch (measured in semitones relative to middle C) of an open string. The numbers specified for stringTuning are the numbers of semitones to subtract or add, starting the specified pitch by default middle C, in string order. LilyPond automatically calculates the number of strings by looking at stringTuning.

In the next example, stringTunings is set for the pitches e, a, d, and g

     
     \new TabStaff <<
       \set TabStaff.stringTunings = #'(-5 -10 -15 -20)
       {
         a,4 c' a e' e c' a e'
       }
     >>

LilyPond comes with predefined string tunings for banjo, mandolin, guitar and bass guitar.

\set TabStaff.stringTunings = #bass-tuning

The default string tuning is guitar-tuning (the standard EADGBE tuning). Some other predefined tunings are guitar-open-g-tuning, mandolin-tuning and banjo-open-g-tuning.

See also

The file scm/output-lib.scm contains the predefined string tunings. Program reference: Tab_note_heads_engraver.

Bugs

No guitar special effects have been implemented.