# Converting midi files to tablature



## bigcatJC (May 31, 2021)

I hope this is the right place to post this!
I'm starting a project with a guitar playing friend who doesn't read music notation. I write on Reaper, which doesn't convert midi to tab. Is there free software out there that imports midi files and converts to tab, or even one that allows you to enter midi as a piano score or regular notation then export as tab? I would love to be able to send tab as a pdf or some other readable file without using a tab program like Guitar Pro.
Thanks in advance!


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## d.healey (May 31, 2021)

Musescore can probably do it but first thing I'd try is TuxGuitar http://www.tuxguitar.com.ar/


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## rudi (May 31, 2021)

Yes, Musescore 3 lets you do it. 

1) To import a .mid of .xml file simply use File > Open and select your file.

2) Once open, to change any staff to tablature:

right click on the staff > Staff Properties > select "Plucked Instruments" and then any instrument with (Tablature) in their name. 

3) To add your own empty tablature staves:

Edit > Instruments > select "Plucked Instruments" and any instrument with (Tablature) in their name.


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## johnruddock (Aug 13, 2021)

rudi said:


> Yes, Musescore 3 lets you do it.
> 
> 1) To import a .mid of .xml file simply use File > Open and select your file.
> 
> ...


Hi, could you help, what is and were do you find this "STAFF", that you have to right click > Staff Properties > select "plucked instruments etc, etc. Thanks Yours JohnR.


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## rudi (Aug 13, 2021)




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## ShikiSuen (Nov 1, 2021)

This can lead to a problem that the generated tab might not be optimized for guitar players.
I wonder whether there's an approach to optimize this automatically.


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