# Guqin Music Web ### Some traditional Guqin Music...
**[See more in the Guqin Library ](/library.html)** ### Some arrangements...
**[See more in the Guqin Library ](/library.html)** ## Reading Guqin music using NLTabs Create Guqin music with the NLTabs (Numeric Linear Tablature) system. This creates Guqin music with a simple entry method. Guqin Notation traditionally has been a bit tricky to read. It's efficient in that it compresses a bunch of playing instructions into characters. However, it has a rather steep learning curve, and more importantly I could not find a way to write scores in the traditional notation on a computer. I don't really own paper anymore, so..... I created my own system for writing Guqin music! NLTabs basically converts the finger positions into a more visual schema, using lines to represent lines (crazy!) of the Guqin, and numbers to represent which position along the line to press or touch. The text above the 7 line tabs represent what you do with your right hand and which finger to use, and the text below represent what you do with your left. Here's a comparison between traditional format and NL Tabs. | Traditional Notation | NLTabs Notation | | --------------------------| ---------------------------| |  |  | Check out my blog post for [more information](https://blog.nyl.io/guqin-part-3-tablature-old-and-new/) on the NLTabs notation. **Interested in seeing some music in this format?** [Browse the Guqin Tabs Library ](/library.html) ## Composing and Rendering Scores To make it easier for me to write music, I also developed a shorthand which converts into the tablature format you see above. A "减字谱" (jianzipu) if you will, or 减字Tabs. The shorthand is broken into `n:` lines (notes) and `f:` lines (finger positions). The note lines follows your basic LilyPond flavor notation, where notes are represeted by `a`-`g` (FanYin represented by capitalized `A`-`G`). Rhythms are represented by numbers (`4` is a quarter note, `2` is a half note). So `c4` is a bass c quarter note. The finger lines has three main parts. (1) The number `1`-`7` represents which string to use. (2) Left hand positions are represented by `s` (4th finger/ring), `d` (3rd finger/middle), `f` (2nd finger/index), `v` (1st finger/thumb). Because this is where they rest on the US keyboard. (3) Right hand positions, similarly based on where fingers rest on the keyboard follows as such: `n` (thumb plucking inward), `j` (index plucking inward), `k` (middle plucking inward), `h` (thumb plucking outward), etc. There are also options for characters like `~` to represent vibratos; `/` and `\` to represent sliding in and out of a note. Here's a quick example: #### The Song of Getting Started ([link](/nltabs/8oxs3oT)) **Want a full analysis of what is going on here?** [Check out the Getting Started Page ](/gettingstarted.html) **Want to write something?** [Start composing ](/nltabs)