Tab markup language
Tabdown is a simplified version of a tab layout language that lets you read and edit tab texts in the most convenient manner, but also can be transformed into more advanced languages ( HTML, iOS/Android apps, Rich Text, etc.)
The main idea behind the Tabdown syntax was to make it as easy to read as it's possible. The thing is, that Tabdown-formatted tablature can be submitted/published as a bare text like there are no special formatting tags in it. Nevertheless, text in tabs should still remain a subject to the computer processing and be a well-structured document.
The Tabdown format is a Markdown language extension, suited to make the tab and chord making process easier.
- Based on text input only. There's no need to use third-party editors and instruments, a simple text field is enough. This way you may be sure there won't be any malfunctions. Minimum coding. A couple of widespread tags and a few rules is all you need to remember. Once and for all.
- The source code is very easy to read. When you edit a tab and see the Tabdown code you can tell at first glance where chords and author commentary are. Everything is intuitive.
- You can automatize some of the operations, like pasting repeating song parts, separating musical parts from commentaries, writing down chords with variations.
- It's open source software that is licensed under the terms of New BSD License.
- Applying unique definitions for each operation ( '[ ]', '#', '//' etc.) lets any Tabdown user to create a WYSIWYG editor with autocompletes. For instance, entering '#' will open a menu where you can see the list of already created sections and with one simple click you can add an entire chunk of text to a tab page. There's no need to keep the same text chunks in a source file!
- Flexibility - any "global variable" (e.g. "Chorus") can be overridden simply by applying the necessary adjustments.
- The Tabdown format entails the separation of musical content and author comments visually.
- The rule that must be followed: You can't simply name a section "# Author comments" or start writing a commentary. It must be defined.
- The only major effort that authors need to make for things to work is to follow the rules. You can think about it as a next level of creating tabs.
- Special characters must be escaped. if you want to use one of the technical symbols, used for the Tabdown layout you must enter a backslash before them.
Chords are placed in square brackets:
[Am]
[Dm] [A#] [F] [C]
Do you know what's worth fighting for,
[Dm] [A#] [F] [C]
When it's not worth dying for?
[Dm] [A#] [F] [C]
Does it take your breath away
[A#] [C]
And you feel yourself suffocating?
If you want to mention a specific chord variation that must be applied to all the same chords in tab, use the following construction:
[chord]: fingering
For instance:
[G7b13]: 3x344x
To define two-digit frets, strings must be separated with a hyphen "-":
[chord]: f-i-n-g-e-r-i-n-g
For instance:
[Cadd9]: x-x-10-9-8-10
Besides that, a variation for a specific chord can be defined if it differs from the variations of other chords with the same name. There are 2 ways to represent a variation.defined if it differs from the variations of other chords with the same name. There are 2 ways to represent a variation.
- Inline with chord
- As reference in the tab legend below a tab
Specific chord variations can be defined together with normal chords
[chord](fingering)
For instance:
[Dm](x-x-10-9-8-10) [A#] [F] [C]
Do you know what's worth fighting for,
Variation can be defined as link, which can be seen in a tab legend below a tab:
[chord][link_number]
[link_number]: fingering
For instance:
[Dm][1] [A#] [F][2] [C]
Do you know what's worth fighting for,
[Dm] [A#] [F][2] [C]
When it's not worth dying for?
.....
[1]: x-x-10-9-8-10
[2]: 1x323x
Song section title is words, that follow the "#" sign and non-mandatory space after it. Songs section title ends with a line break.
# section
For instance:
# Verse
Section body is all the lines from the title of the current section to the title of the next section or the end of a song, provided there are no more sections.
You should use commentary characters in order to define author commentary. The most important thing about a commentary is that it refers to the current song section and is not transferred to repeating song sections. Commentaries may be onelined:
// comment
For instance:
[Dm][1] [A#] [F][2] [C]
Do you know what's worth fighting fоr,
// Can be played with D# instead of Dm
[Dm] [A#] [F][2] [C]
When it's not worth dying fоr?
And multilined:
/*
comment
*/
For instance:
[Dm][1] [A#] [F][2] [C]
Do you know what's worth fighting fоr,
/*
Can be played with D# instead of Dm
Sounds better with capo
*/
[Dm] [A#] [F][2] [C]
When it's not worth dying fоr?
Metadata is defined in the following way:
% metaName1: value
% metaName2: value
For instance:
% tuning: E A D G B E
% capo: 2
To define metadata follow the following rules:
- A line that contains metadata must start with a % symbol
- Metadata must be written in the "key: value" format
- There may be non-mandatory space between % and key
- The key and value divider (the colon ":") may contain an unlimited number of spaces before and after it
- Metadata value must be written in the same line as key
- All metadata must be written in a single block, line by line, without any breaks
- There can be only one metadata block (first at the top)
- Metadata is non-mandatory tab information. However, meta-information title (key) is restricted by the list of available values (see below). Metadata that doesn't belong to this list must be escaped.
- Metadata may be bordered with 3 dashes at the top and bottom. E.g.
---
% tuning : E A D G B E
% capo : 2
---
Valid key and value for metadata:
| key | values | type | default | example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tuning | E A D G B E | string | E A D G B E | E A D G B E |
| capo | 0..100 | number | 0 | 1 |
| description | string | This version is different because unlike the others it has no bar chords and has a capo on the 3rd fret. It's very easy for beginners. | ||
| instrument | guitar,bass,drum,ukulele,piano | string | guitar | ukulele |
| type | text,tab pro | string | text | text |
| song-part | whole song,intro,solo,chorus | string | whole song | intro |
| arrangement-type | original,author | string | original | original |
| arrangement-style | fingerstyle | string | fingerstyle |
If you want to use any of the technical characters that are used inTabdownlayout, place a backslash "" before them.
\[Green Day - 21 Guns\]
[Dm][1] [A#] [F][2] [C]
Do you know what's worth fighting for,
[Dm] [A#] [F][2] [C]
When it's not worth dying for?
.....
[1]: xx109810
[2]: 1x323x
The Tabdown format is licensed under the terms of New BSD License