Here at Fretbase, we are regular users of Guitar Toolkit - one of the best-selling iPhone apps for the guitar.  So when we heard that Agile Partners was releasing Tab Toolkit - an iPhone application for guitar tablature - we had to try it.  We were given special access to take Tab Toolkit on a test drive and we’re glad we did.

Simply stated, Tab Toolkit is intended to allow you to take your guitar tablature with you and access it on the iPhone or iPod touch.  For anybody who has ever been caught without a key piece of tablature at home or tried to read tablature on a Kindle, the need for a piece of software like this can’t be over-stated.

Just like Guitar Toolkit, we love Tab Toolkit because it does exactly what it claims it will do.  When you first open the application, Tab Toolkit presents you with a list of tabs to get you started.  Because of licensing issues, these tabs are indie songs or songs that are in the public domain.

Still, diving into the tab for The Star Spangled Banner gave us a sense of the power of this application.  Because the iPhone and iPod Touch screen is small, Tab Toolkit has the tab actually scroll across the page rather than sit on one page (which would be way too small to view).  This allows the tab to be large enough to read (and even read in the dark considering the brightness of the screen).

We like how Tab Toolkit allows you to listen to a synthesized version of the song.  It doesn’t really sound like your Fender Stratocaster playing the song but it gives you enough to give you an idea of how the song *should* sound.  We also like the built-in, adjustable metronome that helps you keep the beat.  Tab Toolkit also lets you see a visual representation of a fretboard (or keyboard) while you are playing so that you can actually see where your fingers are supposed to be on the fretboard.  And most impressively, all of this stays on pace while you are playing the song.

To get you started, Tab Toolkit comes with about twenty different tabs that include National Anthems like O Canada and The Star Spangled Banner.  But it is when you upload your own tabs onto the device that Tab Toolkit really shines.

Yes that’s right, Tab Toolkit lets you have access to your own tabs. You can upload tabs to iPhone or iPod Touch over your home network or you can even browse the web for tabs to add.  Tab Toolkit supports Power Tab, Guitar Pro, text and PDF.  Storing text and PDF files is cool, but it is when you load your Power Tab and Guitar Pro tabs, Tab Toolkit makes you feel like you have been transported into the future.

To test the power of this application, we tried it out using a Power Tab version of The Beatles’ Here Comes The Sun.  Tab Toolkit gave us a URL to paste into our browser for importing the tab and in under a minute, our power tab was on our iPhone.  Sure enough it played flawlessly - which is more than I can say when this author plays it.

Tab Toolkit has many impressive features that are too numerous to discuss in detail.  The application lets you turn standard notation and tablature on and off while you are playing the tunes so you can use your limited screen space to see just what you want.  It also lets you switch to a version for left-handers.  All sounds (like instrument audio and the metronome) can be turned on and off.  You can even choose from over a dozen sounds for the metronome.  You can also see how to play the song on a piano keyboard rather than a guitar fretboard if you are so inclined.

Our Conclusion

Tab Toolkit is an excellent way to be sure that you always have your most important tabs with you and like Guitar Toolkit it is an extremely well-produced application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  We think it is well worth its price of $9.95 and a must have for all guitar players who play with tablature.  The only catch is that with Tab Toolkit you’ll no longer have the excuse of not having your music with you when you are asked to play.

Tab Toolkit (iTunes)

Guitar Toolkit (iTunes)

iPhone Apps for Guitar Players