Guitar Pro 3-5 (.gp3, .gp4, .gp5)
Introduction
Guitar Pro is a software program available on Windows and Mac OS that allows all musicians to read, write and share their tablatures. The world leader in tablature editing, Guitar Pro has been downloaded over 15 million times worldwide since 1997. https://www.guitar-pro.com/
Up to version 5, Guitar Pro was using a proprietary file format encoded in a binary structure. Arobas Music once released a documentation of version 4. With this as base, any further format details have been manually reverse-engineered using test files.
Compatibility Level: Mature and well tested
Feature Table
Number of total supported features: 96% (80/83)
Number of relevant supported features: 95% (66/69)
Table Legend
The following table describes the support of the different features of the input format.
Columns
- Feature: The related feature. If marked with ⭐ its a new or changed feature compared to the previous version of this format (e.g. a feature added in Guitar Pro 6)
- Data Model: Whether alphaTab supports storing this information in its own data model (e.g. from other formats).
- Reading: Whether alphaTab can read this information from the file format.
- Rendering: Whether alphaTab can display the information in the music sheet when rendered (display might differ from reference software).
- Audio: Whether alphaTab can generate audio information for this feature.
- alphaTex: Whether this feature is supported when describing music notation with alphaTex.
Values
- ✅ Supported - The feature is fully supported by alphaTab.
- ⚠️ Partial - The feature is partially supported by alphaTab, hover the item to see more details.
- ❌ Not Supported - The feature is not supported by alphaTab.
- ✅ Ignored - The feature is ignored from the input format because it is considered not relevant for display or playback. This is opinionated based on the feature set in alphaTab, open a feature request if you need it.
| Feature | Data Model | Reading | Rendering | Audio | alphaTex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score Level | |||||
| Score Information | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Lyrics (with special syntax) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Page Setup > Page Format | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Page Setup > Orientation | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Page Setup > Score Size | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Page Setup > Margins | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Page Setup > Header & Footer | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Track Level | |||||
| Name | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Color | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| String Tuning | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Show/Hide Standard Notation | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Show/Hide Tablature | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Frets | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Capo | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Simulate 12 stringed Guitar | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Particular for Banjo 5th String | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Style > Indicate Tuning on the Score | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Style > Show Rhythm with Tab | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
| Style > Extend Rhythmic inside the Tab | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
| Style > Force Horizontal Beams | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Style > Diagrams List On Top of the Score | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
| Style > Diagrams In the Score | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
| Style > Diagrams/Chords Below the Standard Notation | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Channels > Force Channels 11 to 16 | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Playback Information > Instrument, Volume, Pan/Balance, Mute/Solo | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Playback Information > Midi Channels and Ports | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not Supported |
| Playback Information > Chorus, Reverb, Phaser, Tremolo Change | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Bar Level | |||||
| Time Signatures | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Key Signatures | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Triplet Feel | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Repeats | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Alternate Endings | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Directions (Jumps) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Markers/Sections | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Double Bar | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Line Breaks | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Beat Level | |||||
| Multiple Voices | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Chord Names | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Chord Diagrams | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Durations (Whole to 64th) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Durations (Dots) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Durations (Tuplets) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Grace Notes | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Dynamics | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Beaming Mode (Force, Break, Invert) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Text | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Mix Table > Instrument Change | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Mix Table > Volume Change | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Mix Table > Pan/Balance Change | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Mix Table > Chorus, Reverb, Phaser, Tremolo Change | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
| Mix Table > Tempo Change | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Whammy Bars | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Wide Vibrato | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Tap/Slap/Pop | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Fade In | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Wah Wah | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Brush Stroke | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Pick Stroke | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Rasgueado | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Beat Harmonics (GP3) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Ottavia | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Tremolo Picking | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Note Level | |||||
| Swap Accidentals | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
| Accentuations (Normal/Heavy) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Bends | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Tied Notes | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Sound Duration | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported |
| Rests | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Left Hand Fingering | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Right Hand Fingering | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Dead Note | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Ghost Note | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Let Ring | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Natural Harmonics | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Artificial Harmonics | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Hammer-On / Pull-Off | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Slides | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Vibrato | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Trill | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Tremolo Picking | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Palm Mute | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Staccato | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Special Tracks | |||||
| Percussion Tracks | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |