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AMAZING TRICK FOR ARRANGING IN GPRO AKA holy crap ive been doing this all wrong

Dao Jarlen

Joined: Mar 10 2015

Ok, this may be totally common knowledge for some of you but I literally JUST figured out that you can combine tracks in GuitarPro using "voices". And it is making arranging song SOO much easier.

So basically when I make an arrangement now this is my process-

1. download a midi of song to be arranged(vgmusic.com)
1.5 give the midi a listen, if accurate, go to step 2, if not, back to step 1
2. Guitarpro>file>import>midi>downloaded midi file
3. Add track>guitar
4. Choose melody track from midi>select all>copy>paste into voice one of guitar track
5. If unplayable, undo, change tuning of guitar 1-2 full octaves up or down depending on needs, redo paste
6. Decide whether using a capo would change difficult fingerings into easy open positions
7. If yes, undo melody paste, add capo to proper fret, redo melody paste. If not, go to step 8
8. Choose bass track from midi>select all>copy>paste into voice TWO of guitar track
9. If unplayable, undo, change tuning of guitar 1-2 full octaves up or down depending on needs, redo paste
10. Redo steps 8 and 9 for any other midi tracks you would like to add to your solo guitar track but paste them into voice THREE or FOUR
11. Hit the music note button at the end of the voices bar to view in multitrack, so you can see your voices combined!

And that's pretty much it! After that, it just takes moving and deleting some notes.

(Another useful trick; if you want a note moved up or down a string, just highlight that note, hold alt, and use the up or down arrow key to change what string that note is on)

What's really nice though is this just lines up the rhythms of the bass and melodies so easily! It has totally revolutionized the way I make arrangements, so hopefully it will be useful to some of you too.

Let me know if you have any questions, I will do my best to provide answers. Cheers!
Submitted on Tue, 05/10/2016 - 21:48

Thanks for the tips!

thedstring

Nate Brooks

Location: Utah

Joined: Jan 05 2011

Thanks for the tips!

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Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDZ6Phrm42vhPfADrJqCwfw
Facebook music page - http://www.facebook.com/NateBrooksMusic
Submitted on Tue, 05/10/2016 - 22:57

Here's another trick...

MechaKrauser

Joined: Sep 04 2014

Here's another trick for Guitar Pro wizarding:

Transpose to Capo.gp5

1. Open that gp file in GP and add all those tracks' tunings to Guitar Pro's tuning database and name them the same as the track name. (use the + above tuning name)
2. Then you can go to the tunings page of a track and change it to one of the Capo tunings and transpose to jump all the notes at once to that capo position.
3. If it looks good, change the track back to standard without transposing and add the capo.
4. If Capo+Drop D might be better, manually knock down the low E-string two notches on the tuning page and transpose.

*You can also use this method to easily change a track that requires a capo to be played in standard.
Change the track's tuning to it's capo position WITHOUT TRANSPOSING. Then change it back to standard and transpose it then.

And like you said Dao, Alt+Up and Alt+Down is good for shifting notes back and forth between strings.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVswiiI_PmU
Submitted on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 00:41

using midi files from online

Jacob31593

Location: Tampa, FL

Joined: Jan 04 2009

using midi files from online isnt really the best approach because random internet people made them and random internet people can be wrong
Submitted on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 03:29

What Jacob said is true

hashel

Location: Liège (Belgium)

Joined: Mar 04 2008

What Jacob said is true :)

What i do in general is download a bunch of midis and Gpro tabs, make a new file and take everything i like from those midis/tabs and then just mess with chords, melodies, add new parts, add new harmonies etc to make it my own.

Ofc i'm not making solo guitar arrangement like you guys ^^

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I do VGM covers and stuff at https://www.youtube.com/c/hashel
Submitted on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 04:07

Re: using midi files from online

Dao Jarlen

Joined: Mar 10 2015

Jacob31593 said

using midi files from online isnt really the best approach because random internet people made them and random internet people can be wrong

lol, with that mentality, I guess we shouldn't use the tabs on this site since they're made by "random internet people" too.

Actually, I've found the midi's on VGmusic to be extremely accurate. Even more so than the tabs here in fact. Which actually does make sense when you think about it. Of course if a person was wiling to dedicate that much time to creating an entire midi for a VG song they like, they are probably going to try to make it as accurate as possible.

As far as "the best approach" is concerned, perhaps you might gleam more insight from creating your own arrangement fully from scratch but I think utilizing the work that has been done already by huge fans like us makes a lot of sense.

That said, you have a point, I should have stated that you should give the midi a listen before you start your arrangement. Thank you.
Submitted on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 12:49

Oh good I already use this

BigHeadClan

Joined: Jan 20 2012

Oh good I already use this method, would have cried if there was a much easier way. lol
Submitted on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 18:57

I always start my own tabs

MechaKrauser

Joined: Sep 04 2014

I always start my own tabs from scratch. I swore to myself that I would never rely on internet tabs to learn a song! Although I've decided to make an exception for this site :P
But that's just my pride talking lol. For me it's as much an exercise as well as a means to an end. I like to dissect and explore the songs I like the most try and understand what it is exactly that attracts me to them.

Honestly, I'm not a fan of using multiple voices in tabs. I prefer to exploit tied notes and let-ring. The reason is that sometimes a bar becomes unevenly 'crushed' and hard to read, and the other is that when there is an overlap in the note durations in the standard notation and notes on the 6 strings of the tablature, Guitar Pro doesn't playback some of the notes; just skips over them. Maybe it's a bug that was fixed in GP6?
Idk, but when I decide to seriously learn a tab with multiple voices I convert it to 1 voice. Export tab as ASCII, then import it back in to a new track. Guitar Pro conveniently does all the math during the ASCII export to correctly adapt the tab to a single voice for ease of display as text.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVswiiI_PmU
Submitted on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 02:38

Re: using midi files from online

Jacob31593

Location: Tampa, FL

Joined: Jan 04 2009

well in the end its your arrangement, i just hope you remember to leave a credit to whoever authored the midi you used
Submitted on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 04:32

Hmm i don't think i've ever

scarecrowlol

Scarecrowlol

Location: New Zealand

Joined: Jul 06 2012

Hmm i don't think i've ever tried importing midi's into guitar pro or using multiple voices either. Tbh i just use the original song i want to tab with the program Transcribe! and work out the tab in one voice. But thats just my process.

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Hey B0ss ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Submitted on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 04:56

Re: Hmm i don't think i've ever

Jacob31593

Location: Tampa, FL

Joined: Jan 04 2009

i use transcribe! too!
Submitted on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 05:03

Yes, Transcribe! is a

MechaKrauser

Joined: Sep 04 2014

Yes, Transcribe! is a godsend! Custom markers to flag each part of the song, vocal-remover that sometimes works, isolation of left or right panned audio, customizable EQ with built-in presets, pitch and tempo control...

Transcribe! has it all!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVswiiI_PmU
Submitted on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 05:32

I tried using MIDI before too

johnbie

John Lee

Location: Vancouver, BC

Joined: Sep 17 2015

At first it might seem like using midi would make tab-making a piece of cake, but from my experience it isn't.

Using MIDI made the tab very complicated for me. Dealing with the noise created is often more of a hassle than manually copying the tab.

Here are some tips I can give you about tab making:

  • Split the voice. Use one for bass and other for melody.
  • REDUCE. Tabs usually require you to play only two notes at the same time.
  • REDUCE. There's usually max 3 bass notes on a given bar. Bass notes Bass repetition notes can usually be combined into one.
  • Use open notes as much as possible, but don't be afraid of using the fifth fret.
  • TEST. I found myself making many tweaks after trying the song out myself.

☺☺☺ Also, don't be afraid to deviate from the original song. It's called arrangement for a reason ☺☺☺

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My Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ688pFDw9QxGkFFB_T32g
Submitted on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 19:52

I'll just leave this here

Kabukibear

Happy Strumming!

Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Joined: Mar 22 2007

I'll just leave this here ;) It's a bit oudated but maybe someone will find it useful.

http://www.gametabs.net/article/kabukibears-way-too-long-arranging-tutorial
Submitted on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 20:20

I've had some success

karathrow

Joined: Oct 26 2010

I've had some success transcribing by ear via notepad or whatnot. I've managed to isolate the melody in some pieces and write them down and then the bass notes but when I try to reconcile them I run into the issue of getting the timings and pauses wrong in guitar pro so it just turns into a fucking mess.

I wish there was an easier way, or that I could just play my guitar with the recording and have something auto-transcribe the notes/timing I use.
Submitted on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 21:20

I would highly recommend

scarecrowlol

Scarecrowlol

Location: New Zealand

Joined: Jul 06 2012

I would highly recommend kabuki's article on arranging, especially beginners. I think back when i first took an interest i gave it a good read over and that's how i came across Transcribe!. I dont think i could tab the way i do without that program, it's an arrangers best pal ;)
Looking at how others arrange i seem to approach it a bit differently:
- First i acquire the original song file from the OST, and open it in Transcribe!
- Using the programs 'Note guessing' function i'll listen to the whole song and find the lowest bass note. This usually dictates what tuning i'll use or whether i de-tune.
- Then i'll go through the song and build it bar by bar with the melody and rhythm at the same time. (I read alot of others work out the melody first and then go back and do the bass line).
- During this process i might decide to go to a drop tuning or re-tune other strings to make it easier.
- Then once im done tabbing i'll just go over the tab again and again to make sure its playable. Sometimes tabs sit on my pc for months before i get around to exporting to ascii from GP6.
- Then there's the slightly annoying process of tidying the notepad file as GP usually does a nasty job of exporting if there are sixteenth or thirty-second notes and dotted notes
- Something extra i do, which doesn't always work with all my tabs, is i'll actually play the finished guitar pro tab alongside the actual song in windows media player and match the tempo's. This also helps to ensure all the note durations are correct and the notes themselves. Most of my tabs are like this and the GP file will sync with the actual song near perfectly, just starting the two at the same time is a little tricky and usually i'll start the GP file briefly after starting the original song and match them up.

How you actually arrange the song and what finger positions to use and what not really just comes down to practice and whats playable. The more you do the better you get ;) I have to admit my first tab was awful really in terms of play-ability, and even now some tabs i do are a bit too hard. But i'd rather challenge myself than simplify to something that doesn't quite sound like i want it too. But some of my older tabs could really benefit from a bit of reworking.

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Hey B0ss ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Submitted on Fri, 05/13/2016 - 18:05