PrintTabs.com is now live! You can now sign up, and create your own songbooks. Things might be a little rough around the edges still, so be sure to contact us if you run into any issues!

The Story

I’ve been playing (err, fiddling with the) guitar for 15 years. When I was single and had lots of free time, I’d read Guitar Pro tabs at my desk and practice away whenever I had free time. That app is seriously amazing. It helped me progress so much.

Fast-forward to more recently: I have a family, work a lot, and don’t have a ton of free time where I want to be on the computer. I haven’t kept up with playing music because everytime I tried I’d get discouraged. I’ve tried printing tabs, and have had varying success over the years. But, invariably, I end up losing them or get frustrated trying to read them.

Finding the right music or inspiration

Sort of an aside, but I discovered my particular sweet spot is classical guitar. I’ve always favored finger-picking songs but never considered getting a classical guitar and finding more appropriate music. I have major nostalgia for 90s/2000s video game soundtracks: Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, etc. and have always enjoyed various covers over the years.

I recently discovered Sam Griffin’s and John Oeth’s beautiful arrangements which convinced me to buy a classical guitar and commit to playing more seriously. What a joy it has been.

Playing offline: Peaceful focus

After committing to getting a music stand, and playing away from the computer, I have started making consistent progress. It’s amazing actually: I feel like I’ve made more progress in this past year than the previous 10 combined. And there were many attempts.

Sitting away from technology, with sheet music propped up on a music stand, instrument in hand, ended up being the peaceful mental escape I have been looking for. I don’t have the distraction of work, Slack, or social media.

I just keep my music stuff in the living room where it’s easy to grab when I have downtime.

The paper challenges

Unfortunately, dealing with printers, and tons of loose paper was an absolute nightmare. Our printer is frustrating, even when it’s actually working, and the whole paper management thing was hard.

I tried a few things… hole puncher and binders, clips; but it was still a pain. Every time I want to try a new song there’s this big barrier and frustration.

“Why can’t I just order a book with these tabs?”

and here we are! This one was a labor of love.

Interested more in how it works?