Write shamisen tablature. Hear it. Share it.

ShamiTab is a free browser-based shamisen tablature and bunkafu editor. Create polished scores with fast position entry, accurate rhythm notation, multitrack playback, lyrics, tuning tools, and print-ready PDF export.

Start writing for free Explore features

ShamiTab shamisen tablature editor displaying the Japanese folk song Hanagasa Ondo with notation palette, playback controls, tuning inspector, and track mixer — 花笠音頭 (Hanagasa Ondo) arranged in ShamiTab.

Built-in playbackHear every part as you write

Shamisen notationWestern Rhythm & Traditional Style

Bunkafu notation Western Rhythm & Traditional Style Guitar Pro · MusicXML · MIDI Playback & mixer Print & PDF

Purpose-built for shamisen

Create shamisen notation without adapting a guitar editor

ShamiTab treats shamisen strings, positions, tunings, techniques, and rhythm as first-class score data. Its musical cursor moves through valid rhythmic slots, so empty bars, rests, chords, and multitrack arrangements remain editable as music rather than as loose text on a page.

Inside the editor

A complete shamisen notation workspace

Move from precise note entry to playback, tuning, arrangement, and page layout without switching applications. Every tool stays connected to the score.

ShamiTab editor at the middle of Hanagasa Ondo, showing numbered shamisen tablature, rhythm notation, tool palettes, track settings, and measure timeline — **Navigate a complete arrangement**Jump between sections and measures while the score, cursor, and timeline stay synchronized.

Close-up of ShamiTab notation tools for durations, rests, triplets, dynamics, repeats, shamisen techniques, and finger markers — **Notation at your fingertips**Durations, rests, dynamics, repeats, techniques, grace notes, and finger markers.

Close-up of ShamiTab playback transport with zoom, score view, play controls, loop, count-in, metronome, tempo, meter, and duration readout — **Playback built into the score**Control tempo, meter, count-in, looping, metronome, and playback feel.

Close-up of the ShamiTab track inspector with shamisen tuning, string pitches, soundbank, visual style, and note font controls — **Shamisen-specific track controls**Set tuning, string pitches, sound, notation format, and score appearance.

Later section of Hanagasa Ondo in ShamiTab showing triplet brackets, ties, rests, a simile measure, section marker, and coda navigation — **Handle real musical structure**Write tuplets, ties, repeats, simile bars, section changes, and score navigation.

Close-up of the ShamiTab bottom toolbar with track volume, pan, mute, solo, measure navigation, and colored section timeline — **Mix and navigate long scores**Manage tracks and move through every measure from one compact timeline.

Shamisen notation features

Everything you need to create shamisen music online

A complete notation workflow for composing, arranging, teaching, and practicing shamisen music—without forcing it into software designed for another instrument.

Bunkafu-style tablature entry

Type shamisen position numbers directly, move between strings and rhythmic slots, and edit chord cells without losing neighboring notes.

Western Rhythm and Traditional Style

Choose familiar stems and beams or traditional rhythm flags, rest marks, and shamisen-focused symbol placement.

Score playback and practice

Listen with tempo, count-in, metronome, looping, swing feel, tied-note sustain, track sounds, and mixer controls.

Print and PDF export

Use page-aware score layout, headings, spacing controls, and browser print to produce material for lessons and performance.

Music file import

Bring in Guitar Pro, MusicXML, MXL, or MIDI files, then adapt the imported music to shamisen notation and tuning.

Lyrics, tuner, and multitrack tools

Add up to four lyric verses, tune from your microphone, and manage multiple parts with visibility, pan, volume, mute, and solo controls.

Rhythm-aware editing

Write readable shamisen scores in the notation style you use

Add notes, rests, dots, ties, grace notes, triplets, finger markers, techniques, dynamics, repeats, alternate endings, and section labels. The score renderer keeps rhythmic spacing and notation geometry connected to the underlying musical timing.

Explore every ShamiTab feature

Clean ShamiTab score view showing Hanagasa Ondo in numbered shamisen tablature with rhythmic stems, repeats, tuning, tempo, and section markers — Switch to a focused score view when it is time to read, rehearse, or present the music.

Made for real music workflows

Shamisen notation software for players, teachers, students, and arrangers

Players and students

Slow down practice with tempo and looping, follow the playback cursor, check tuning, and keep lyrics beside the notes.

Teachers

Prepare legible exercises, add comments and finger markers, organize sections, and export handouts as print-ready PDFs.

Arrangers

Import existing music, work across multiple tracks, control playback balance, and refine measure and system layout.

Start writing

Open ShamiTab and create your first shamisen score

The editor runs directly in a desktop or tablet browser.

Launch the shamisen tablature editor