Metadata

Metadata is specified using \tagname value at the beginning of the score. It can be used to specify global information like title, tempo or track tuning. Metadata is optional, but if specified, it must be followed by a dot to indicate the end of the metadata.

Some of the metadata tags can also be specified when starting a new staff or track. Please refer to the Tracks and Staves or details on how to start new tracks and staves.

// Song information (only at the beginning) \title "Song Title" \subtitle Subtitle \artist Artist \album 'My Album' \words Daniel \music alphaTab \copyright Daniel \instructions "This is an example.\nWith instructions." \notices "Additional notes\nEmbedded in the data model." \tab "Daniel" // Tempo in BPM (label is optional) \tempo 200 "Tempo Label" // Track and Staff Settings (can be used after \track and \staff) // Instrument as General MIDI number or name \instrument 30 // Capo fret \capo 2 // String tuning starting at the most bottom string \tuning e5 b4 g4 d4 a3 e3 // end of metadata .

// Song information (only at the beginning)
  \title "Song Title"
  \subtitle Subtitle
  \artist Artist
  \album 'My Album'
  \words Daniel
  \music alphaTab
  \copyright Daniel
  \instructions "This is an example.\nWith instructions."
  \notices "Additional notes\nEmbedded in the data model."
  \tab "Daniel"
  // Tempo in BPM (label is optional)
  \tempo 200 "Tempo Label"
// Track and Staff Settings (can be used after \track and \staff)
  // Instrument as General MIDI number or name
  \instrument 30
  // Capo fret
  \capo 2
  // String tuning starting at the most bottom string
  \tuning e5 b4 g4 d4 a3 e3
// end of metadata
.

Strings can contain escape sequences: \n, \r, \t, \\, \", \'.

since 1.5.0 its possible to also change the template and alignment of the song information via \tagname value template alignment.

The template is a string which can have following placeholders which are then replaced with the respective info of the song:

%TITLE%
%SUBTITLE%
%ARTIST%
%ALBUM%
%WORDS%
%WORDSMUSIC%
%MUSIC%
%TABBER%
%COPYRIGHT%

The alignment is one of the following values:

left
center
right

\title "Song Title" "Title: %TITLE%" left \artist Artist "Written by %ARTIST%" right .

\title "Song Title" "Title: %TITLE%" left
\artist Artist "Written by %ARTIST%" right
.

Instrument

As indicated above, the instrument can be changed via the \instrument metadata. Refer to the table below for all possible values and names. The list represents the General MIDI instrument list. You can either leave out the spaces or put the names into quotes e.g. AcousticBass vs "Acoustic Bass".

Number	Name
0	Acoustic Grand Piano
1	Bright Grand Piano
2	Electric Grand Piano
3	Honky tonk Piano
4	Electric Piano 1
5	Electric Piano 2
6	Harpsichord
7	Clavinet
8	Celesta
9	Glockenspiel
10	Musicbox
11	Vibraphone
12	Marimba
13	Xylophone
14	Tubularbells
15	Dulcimer
16	Drawbar Organ
17	Percussive Organ
18	Rock Organ
19	Church Organ
20	Reed Organ
21	Accordion
22	Harmonica
23	Tango Accordion
24	Acoustic Guitar Nylon
25	Acoustic Guitar Steel
26	Electric Guitar Jazz
27	Electric Guitar Clean
28	Electric Guitar Muted
29	Overdriven Guitar
30	Distortion Guitar
31	Guitar Harmonics
32	Acoustic Bass
33	Electric Bass Finger
34	Electric Bass Pick
35	Fretless Bass
36	Slap Bass 1
37	Slap Bass 2
38	Synth Bass 1
39	Synth Bass 2
40	Violin
41	Viola
42	Cello
43	Contrabass
44	Tremolo Strings
45	Pizzicato Strings
46	Orchestral Harp
47	Timpani
48	String Ensemble 1
49	String Ensemble 2
50	Synth Strings 1
51	Synth Strings 2
52	Choir Aahs
53	Voice Oohs
54	Synth Voice
55	Orchestra Hit
56	Trumpet
57	Trombone
58	Tuba
59	Muted Trumpet
60	French Horn
61	Brass Section
62	Synth Brass 1
63	Synth Brass 2
64	Soprano Sax
65	Alto Sax
66	Tenor Sax
67	Baritone Sax
68	Oboe
69	English Horn
70	Bassoon
71	Clarinet
72	Piccolo
73	Flute
74	Recorder
75	Pan Flute
76	Blown bottle
77	Shakuhachi
78	Whistle
79	Ocarina
80	Lead 1 Square
81	Lead 2 Sawtooth
82	Lead 3 Calliope
83	Lead 4 Chiff
84	Lead 5 Charang
85	Lead 6 Voice
86	Lead 7 Fifths
87	Lead 8 Bass and Lead
88	Pad 1 newage
89	Pad 2 warm
90	Pad 3 polysynth
91	Pad 4 choir
92	Pad 5 bowed
93	Pad 6 metallic
94	Pad 7 halo
95	Pad 8 sweep
96	Fx 1 rain
97	Fx 2 soundtrack
98	Fx 3 crystal
99	Fx 4 atmosphere
100	Fx 5 brightness
101	Fx 6 goblins
102	Fx 7 echoes
103	Fx 8 scifi
104	Sitar
105	Banjo
106	Shamisen
107	Koto
108	Kalimba
109	Bag pipe
110	Fiddle
111	Shanai
112	Tinkle Bell
113	Agogo
114	Steel Drums
115	Woodblock
116	Taiko Drum
117	Melodic Tom
118	Synth Drum
119	Reverse Cymbal
120	Guitar Fret Noise
121	Breath Noise
122	Seashore
123	Bird Tweet
124	Telephone Ring
125	Helicopter
126	Applause
127	Gunshot

Tuning

The tuning of the instrument is defined by the \tuning tag. For stringed instruments like the Guitar, each tuning value defines one string. The format of the tuning value is {note}{octave}. {note} is one value of the following values: C, C# or Db, D, D# or Eb, E, F, F# or Gb, G, G# or Ab, A, A# or Bb, B. {octave} is a number defining the octave.

For example, a standard guitar tuning is \tuning E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 E2. A 5 string bass would be \tuning G2 D2 A1 E1 B0.

For non-stringed instruments, the values piano, none or voice can be used depending on preference.

If \instrument is specified without \tuning, alphaTab will try to make a guess and apply the right default tuning.

Instrument​

Tuning​

Instrument

Tuning