What the tab looks like
Six lines, high e on top and low E at the bottom, in standard tuning. Each number is the fret to play on that line; 0 is an open string. Stacked numbers are played together. The gaps follow the timing of the recording, so a pause in the playing is a longer run of dashes, and every block starts with the time in the song so you can find it.
A minor pentatonic run transcribed from a clean recording comes out like this:
| String | Tab |
|---|---|
| e | ----------0--3--5--3--0---------- |
| B | ----1--3-----------------3--1---- |
| G | -2-----------------------------2- |
| D | --------------------------------- |
| A | --------------------------------- |
| E | --------------------------------- |
How it picks the string and fret
Most notes on a guitar can be played in two to five places. The tool tries every place for every note and chooses the path that moves your hand the least, so a riff stays in one box instead of jumping across the neck. It prefers lower positions and open strings when both are equally close, the way most players would read it.
Notes that start together become a chord on separate strings, with the fretted notes kept inside a four-fret stretch. Notes below low E or above the 19th fret of the high e are left out of the tab, but they stay in the MIDI file.
What it does well, and what it does not
- Good: a single clean guitar playing riffs, licks, melodies, arpeggios and simple chords; a guitar stem split from a song.
- Good: checking a part you half know, or getting a first draft to correct by ear.
- Not yet: bends, slides, hammer-ons and vibrato are written as plain fret numbers.
- Not yet: rhythm notation. The spacing shows roughly when notes fall, not note values.
- Hard for any transcriber: distorted rhythm guitar with heavy chords, and a full band mix. Split the guitar first, and expect to tidy dense strumming.
- Standard tuning only. For drop D or a capo, read the notes from the MIDI or shift the frets yourself.
From a full song to tab in three steps
- Split the song with the guitar extractor (or the 6-stem splitter) and download the guitar stem.
- Cut the section you want with the audio cutter if you only need one riff or solo.
- Drop the stem here for the tab, and use the chord finder for the chord names and chord boxes of the rhythm part.
How it compares with Guitar2Tabs
Checked on 4 November 2026 on klang.io. Free rules change, so confirm on the site.
| TuneSplit | Klangio Guitar2Tabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Free length | Whole recording, up to 6 minutes | First 20 seconds as a free demo |
| Sign-up | None | Account for paid plans |
| Upload | None: transcribed in your browser | Upload or YouTube link |
| Exports | Text tab and MIDI | PDF, MIDI, MusicXML and Guitar Pro |
| Edit in the page | Notes slider and shortest-note filter | Edit mode |
| Split the guitar out first | Yes, extractor on the same site | Not verified |
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert an MP3 to guitar tab for free?
Yes. Drop the MP3 into the tool above. The whole file, up to 6 minutes, is transcribed in your browser and the tab is free to copy or download, with no sign-up.
Does it work on a full song with vocals and drums?
It runs, but the other instruments get transcribed too and the tab gets messy. Split the guitar out first with the guitar extractor, then drop the guitar stem here.
Is my audio uploaded?
No. The model runs in your browser and the file never leaves your device. You can switch off the network after the model has loaded and it still works.
Can I open the result in Guitar Pro or MuseScore?
Download the .mid file and import it. Guitar Pro, TuxGuitar and MuseScore can turn MIDI into tab and notation there. The text tab is for reading, printing or pasting into a forum.
Does it write bends, slides and hammer-ons?
Not yet. Every note is written as a plain fret number. Listen to the recording for the technique, or switch on pitch bends to keep them in the MIDI.
Does it work for bass?
Not as tab yet. The tab is for six-string guitar, and a bass line sits an octave lower, so most of its notes fall below the guitar's low E and are left out. The .mid download keeps every note, and bass extractor plus audio to MIDI gives you the bass line as MIDI.
How is this different from the chord finder?
This page writes the individual notes as tab, which suits riffs, solos and melodies. The chord finder names the chords over time and draws chord boxes, which suits strummed rhythm parts.