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Is there an Open-Source Tab Database? (programming.dev)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I was reading a discussion about UG and how their money-seeking practices are rather poor, for lack of better words.

Does anyone know if there is an open-source database of tabs and chord charts, or perhaps some kind of aggregator for community contributions?

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That's a really good question! All I've got is software sadly, but it might help the cause at least:

GUITab is a visual editor for tabs

TuxGuitar for opening and editing power tabs, making PDFs of tabs, midi etc.

I've found a couple of neat tab places specific to bands themselves, but they're not open source as much as maintained by one or a few people - nonetheless not UG :)

Sonic Youth have an officially hosted tab place on their site.

The Fall have tabs hosted on what I think is a fan site :)

I'm guessing the reason there's not one already is the sheer number of copyright issues that would appear the second it's online - Ultimate Guitar made some kind of deal if I remember correctly, which is probably why they're so aggressive about making me download the silly app and buying premium. :/

[–] insomniac 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Back in the early 2000s, we had MX Tabs which was not quite open source but amazing. It collapsed because of copyright issues. But while it lasted, it had basically anything you can think of. Usually 4 or 5 versions and they were all wrong in different ways.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Oh wow, that took me back! I used to learn bass songs on MX Tabs, but it was so long ago I forgot; I still have Nirvana tabs from MX that younger me printed out! :)