TuxGuitar Editor's Review

Make Sweet Music with TuxGuitar.

This free, open-source piece of music transcription software is certainly a useful tool for beginners and accomplished musicians alike. It has a host of features to make transcription easy including the ability to view musical scores and guitar tabs at the same time, and even the option to lift your notes directly off a guitar fret-board. There is also a range of guitar-specific effects such as slides and bends.

It's easy to use and the help manual is simple and to the point. Tempo control allows for more complicated pieces to be played at a slower speed with a single click - great for beginners and those attempting high-level compositions.

Many free or shareware software options do not allow for the creation or saving of edited files, but TuxGuitar operates as a complete system - at zero cost. The ability to open a variety of different file types such as TablEdite and GuitarPro is a boon, as are the various options for export.

The one downside is that the instrument sounds are not as realistic as they could be. If you are using it as a composition tool you could find the inaccuracies somewhat frustrating, but for anything less than a full orchestral piece it is perfectly serviceable.

Pros: Free, Guitar-specific effects and composition tools, compatible with multiple file types.

Cons: Playback is primitive.

Conclusion: A nice little tool that offers great features for guitar players and other musicians. Certainly worth a download.