AvailableOpen, play and practice
Open Guitar Pro 3–8, MusicXML and MIDI files, play back your score and follow the moving cursor.
Smart Beat: a free tab editor in the spirit of Guitar Pro 5 for macOS, Windows and Linux
Smart Beat is a tablature editor for macOS, Windows and Linux, with optional self-hosted AI that turns a hummed melody into a full accompaniment.
AI features are coming soon. Audio to tab and hum-to-accompaniment are in development and not yet available.
View on GitHubFree for non-commercial use
Free for non-commercial use. Source-available under the PolyForm Noncommercial licence. Installers and source code are on GitHub.
Meet your new music workspace
Tabs in.
Music out.
Smart Beat is a tablature editor and player for guitar, bass, drums and more. Open a Guitar Pro file, read it as standard notation or tab, play it with a moving cursor and mixer, and practise with loops and a Speed Trainer. Save back to Guitar Pro, MusicXML, MIDI or MuseScore.
Independent of Guitar Pro and the company that makes it. Guitar Pro and its version names are trademarks of their owner.
Explore Smart Beat on GitHubMade for the way you play
Features
From a first listen to the final note on the page.
Available
AvailableWrite tabs and scores
Write guitar tabs and standard notation for strings, bass, banjo, ukulele and drums.
AvailableLearning mode
Practice with the Speed Trainer, Loops, Metronome, Fretboard view and Follow mode.
AI · Coming soonAudio to tab
A planned AI feature for turning an audio file into editable MIDI and tablature.
AI · Coming soonRecord to tab
A planned AI feature for turning a recording into editable tablature.
AI · Coming soonSpeech to tab
A planned AI feature for turning a spoken musical idea into a tab.
AI · Coming soonHum to accompaniment
A planned feature to turn a hummed melody into a full accompaniment.
Explore the code, contribute, or follow development on GitHub.
Bring your own music
Files Smart Beat opens and saves
Work with scores and tabs you already have, across the tools you use.
Opens
- Guitar Pro 3–8 (.gp3, .gp4, .gp5, .gpx, .gp)
- MusicXML (.musicxml, .mxl)
- MIDI
- MuseScore (.mscx, .mscz)
- alphaTex (.atex)
- Capella (.capx)
- Text tab (.txt)
Saves and exports
- Smart Beat (Guitar Pro 7, .gp)
- Guitar Pro 5, 4 and 3
- MuseScore
- MusicXML (including compressed files)
- MIDI
- alphaTex
- ASCII tab
- WAV
- M4A on macOS
Some information can differ between file formats; see what each format can hold.
Supported file formatsSmart Beat opens and edits the tabs and scores you already have, in Guitar Pro, MusicXML, MIDI or MuseScore format. It does not include a song library.
Download Smart Beat
.dmgmacOS
Apple Silicon and Intel
Signed with a Developer ID and notarised by Apple. Drag Smart Beat to Applications.
Download for macOS
.exe or .msiWindows
64-bit desktop installer
Not code-signed yet. If SmartScreen appears, select More info, then Run anyway.
Download for Windows
.AppImage, .deb or .rpmLinux
Linux installation instructions
Choose the package for your distribution. Use the appropriate command to install it:
AppImage
chmod +x ./SmartBeat.AppImageDebian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install ./file.debFedora
sudo dnf install ./file.rpmAppImage, Debian / Ubuntu and Fedora
Choose the package for your distribution. Make the AppImage executable before opening it.
Download for LinuxOnly install files from the GitHub releases page of this repository. Once installed, Smart Beat checks for new versions at most once a day and asks before downloading.
All releases and release notesView the repository on GitHubMade to be shared
Open source.
With clear terms.
Smart Beat's source code is on GitHub under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence. Personal, educational and other non-commercial use is free. Commercial use needs a separate agreement (see COMMERCIAL-LICENSE.md).
The project is source-available; its licence is not an OSI-approved open-source licence because it restricts commercial use. Released builds are freeware under the EULA.
View source on GitHubBuilt with open-source projects
Music notation and tablature renderingReads Guitar Pro files, draws the standard notation and the tablature, and drives the score, the cursor and parts of playback.cpalby RustAudioCross-platform audio input and outputSends the sound to your speakers or headphones on macOS, Windows and Linux.RustySynthSoundFont synthesizerTurns notes and SoundFonts into sound: the software synthesizer of the audio engine.SymphoniaAudio decodingDecodes audio files (MP3, WAV, FLAC, Ogg, AIFF) for the audio track.nam-rsNeural audio modelsPlays Neural Amp Modeler captures, which model real guitar amplifiers.
A heartfelt thank you to the maintainers whose work makes Smart Beat possible. Meet a few of the projects behind the music. Special thanks to alphaTab, the heart of Smart Beat: this project would not exist without it. Please star alphaTab on GitHub and try it in your own projects. Smart Beat is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by alphaTab or any of these projects.
Good questions, clear answers
Frequently asked questions
Smart Beat is an early preview. Here are clear answers about compatibility, licences and what is available today.
Smart Beat on GitHubWhat is Smart Beat?
Smart Beat is a free, open-source tablature editor for macOS, Windows and Linux. You can open, read, play and edit Guitar Pro 3–8 files, MusicXML and MIDI, and save your work back to Guitar Pro, MusicXML, MIDI or MuseScore.
Is Smart Beat a Guitar Pro alternative?
Yes. Smart Beat opens Guitar Pro files (GP3–GP8, including .gp5) and saves to Guitar Pro 5, 4 and 3 and to its own Guitar Pro 7 (.gp) format. It is independent of the company that makes Guitar Pro, and "Guitar Pro" is a trademark of its owner.
Can Smart Beat open Guitar Pro 5 files (.gp5)?
Yes. Use File › Open, press Ctrl+O (Windows and Linux) or ⌘O (macOS), or drop the file on the window. Smart Beat also saves to the Guitar Pro 5 format.
Which operating systems does Smart Beat run on?
macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows and Linux. Linux installers are AppImage, .deb and .rpm.
Is Smart Beat free?
Yes, for personal, educational and other non-commercial use. The source is under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence. Commercial use needs a separate agreement.
Where do I download Smart Beat?
From the latest release on GitHub: https://github.com/mbalyi/smart-beat/releases/latest. Every installer is attached there.
Does Smart Beat include guitar tabs or sheet music?
No. Smart Beat is an editor and player for the tabs and scores you already have. It does not include a song library and does not sell or host music.
Can I edit tabs in Smart Beat?
Yes. Write notes on tab or staff with full undo and redo, for guitars (3 to 10 strings), basses (4 to 6), banjo, ukulele, drums and any General MIDI instrument. You can set custom tunings and a capo.
Does Smart Beat play the music back?
Yes. It plays with a cursor that follows the music, a mixer with volume, pan, mute and solo per track, and a fretboard view. Two built-in sound sets are available: a standard one (about 1 MB) and a high-quality one (about 15 MB).
Can I practise with Smart Beat?
Yes. Loop any range of bars, play at 25–200 % speed, and use the Speed Trainer to raise the tempo step by step. A metronome and count-in are included.
Does Smart Beat work with MuseScore and MusicXML?
Yes. It opens and saves MuseScore (.mscz, .mscx) and MusicXML (.musicxml, .mxl, including compressed files), and exports MIDI, alphaTex, ASCII tab, WAV and, on macOS, M4A. The file-formats page on GitHub lists what each format cannot hold.
Is Smart Beat safe to install? Why does Windows show a warning?
The macOS installer is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarised by Apple. The Windows and Linux installers are not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may warn you. Click More info, then Run anyway. Only download installers from the GitHub releases page of this repository.
Does Smart Beat update itself?
The desktop app checks for a new version at most once a day. It only downloads an update when you click Download & Install. You can also use Help › Check for Updates.
What are the AI features?
Audio to tab, record to tab, speech to tab and hum to accompaniment are AI features in development, marked as coming soon. They are not available yet.
Is Smart Beat open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub: https://github.com/mbalyi/smart-beat. It is source-available under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence (not an OSI-approved open-source licence, because it restricts commercial use).
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