Technical FAQ

Q1 : GUITAR PRO 6 - What is it? Systems, features and Tech Specs

Please look up our pages about the Features or System Requirements of the software for an overview.

Guitar Pro is natively Windows / Mac OS X / GNU Linux compatible.

On Windows: Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.
On Mac: Mac OS X 10.4 and later (Intel processors only).
On Linux: Ubuntu (officially supported distribution).

- Does Guitar Pro support the Mandolin, Ukulele...? YES
All fretted 4- to 8-stringed instruments are supported, and their tunings are fully configurable.
NB: You can write scores for the mandolin, but Guitar Pro doesn't for the time being carry the corresponding soundbank.

- Can I plug a MIDI instrument (keyboard, guitar) in and capture what I play into Guitar Pro? YES
Guitar Pro 6 does support MIDI capture.

- Can I import a WAV or MP3 file? NO
WAV and MP3 are particular audio signal files from which it is very difficult, or even impossible, to properly extract a score.

Q2 : LANGUAGES - I would like to translate the Guitar Pro software into my own language, how should I go about it?

Please contact us, we'll let you know what to do.
To see which languages are already available, click here.

Q3 : What is the RSE? What minimal technical specifications does it demand?

Please refer to our Audio page, and to the Minimal Requirements section of our website.

Q4 : How can I know which version of Guitar Pro I am using?

Look under « Help > About... » (Windows) or « Guitar Pro > About Guitar Pro... » (Mac).

Q5 : LANGUAGES - In what languages is Guitar Pro 6 translated?

To see the list of languages available, click here.

Q6 : Can Guitar Pro 6 open files produced with the previous versions of Guitar Pro?

YES, you can open gp3, gp4, and gp5 files. (The gtp format (Versions 1 and 2) will also soon be available in Guitar Pro 6.)

All files will be saved in the .gpx format, and you can export to the .gp5 format as well (menu File > Export > GP5...).

Q7 : Which instruments does Guitar Pro 6 support?

Guitar Pro 6 supports all fretted instruments from 4 to 8 strings (inc. bass, banjo, ukulele, etc.), and their tuning can be entirely customized. Our other tools like the Chord Diagram Generator and the Scale Engine are also compatible with those instruments.
Furthermore, Guitar Pro 6 includes advanced support for piano, drums, and about fifty other instruments.

Q8 : Can I plug my guitar into my computer and see the score I'm playing?

NO, you cannot. Fot the moment only MIDI capture (which is not audio capture) is available.

Q9 : Can I plug a MIDI instrument (keyboard or guitar) into my computer and see the notes I'm playing?

YES, you can. Guitar Pro includes a MIDI input to allow you to capture notes that way.

Q10 : Can I import WAV or MP3 files?

No, you cannot. WAV and MP3 are audio formats whose scores are extremely, or even impossible to extract.

Q11 : How can I type in two notes played at the same time but with different duration values?

Guitar Pro supports more than one "voice" for each track.

Each Guitar Pro staff contains two independent voices in the case of GP5, and 4 for GP6. This type of notation is thus closer to the standards of musical notation.

To edit a voice, choose the "Edit > Voices > Edit Voice 1" or "Edit > Voices > Edit Voice 2" menus (or voice 3 or 4 in GP6).
For more clarity in Guitar Pro 5, you can choose to grey out the voice you're not editing at the moment: "Edit > Voices > Gray Inactive Voice".
In Guitar Pro 6, simply choose to work on Voice 1, 2, 3, or 4, or in multitrack mode.

Q12 : UPDATE - How do I update Guitar Pro 6? Do I need to pay again?

The Updater integrated into the software will automatically take care of the updates for v6.x.
If your computer is off-line, please find a detailed guide here.

As a registered version 6 customer, you are entitled to free updates to 6.x.
Just as well, you can download the software again, free of charge, is you move to another platform (Linux, Windows, or Mac OS); and activate it up to 5 times over a one-year period (cf. license agreement).

To download a new copy of the software, please go to the Customer Area of our Support section.

Q13 : How can I display only tab or standard notation?

You just need to go down the menu to Track Properties..., of hit the F6 key.
There, select which types of notation you want for that track.

You may also just click on the little " i " just above the tracks' names, bottom-left of your screen.

Q14 : FRETLIGHT READY - How can I update to the Fretlight Ready edition?

Guitar Pro 6 Fretlight Ready edition is available only on the Fretlight Guitar website and the Fretlight store.

Q15 : LICENSE - What if the system does not recognize my USER ID and KEY ID?

First make sure that you have correctly entered your USER ID and KEY ID (for instance, do not type "1nt" for "int", and respect the format XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX for the Key ID).
We recommend you use the license-recovery form to check your license numbers.

Click here to find a detailed installation / activation guide, and see how to achieve off-line activation.

If you are sure you have made no mistake, or in case the e-mail address you used when you registered your license isn't active any more, do contact us directly. Please make sure you give us your full name and postal address at the time of your purchase/registration of Guitar Pro, so we can retrieve your file from our database.

Q16 : LICENSE - How can I recover my license info (USER ID, KEY ID) if I have lost it?

You simply need to use the license-recovery form.

In case the e-mail address you used when you registered your license isn't active any more, do contact us directly. Please make sure you give us your full name and postal address at the time of your purchase/registration of Guitar Pro, so we can retrieve your file from our database.

Q17 : UPDATE - I cannot, or I don't know how to download the updates or the RSE soundbanks.

The updates as well as the RSE banks are available via the Updater integrated into Guitar Pro 6.
(Menu 'Help > Launch Updater' on Windows; or 'Guitar Pro > Launch Updater' on Mac)

If you wish to launch the Updater without starting Guitar Pro:

On Windows, click on Start (bottom left corner of your screen), then on My Computer.
Click on C:, open 'Program Files' (or 'Program Files(x86)' if you are on a 64-bit machine), and then in the 'Guitar Pro 6' folder right-click on GPUpdater and choose 'Open as administrator'.
This will launch the Updater. In the list of available items, you can choose to download the latest GP6 update, the RSE soundbanks, language packs, etc.

If you are on a Mac computer, use the following link to download a program that will launch the Updater for you:

http://www.guitar-pro.com/support-tools/LaunchUpdater-Mac.zip

Q18 : INSTALLATION - How do I install, start, and/or activate Guitar Pro 6 ?

Click here for a detailed installation guide, including the activation process.

Windows users : After installing Guitar Pro, you can start it from the Desktop or from the « Start > Programs > Guitar Pro 6 » menu of Windows.
Mac users : After installing Guitar Pro, go into the « Applications » folder where you can launch the software from the « GuitarPro.app » file.

Note to Mac users: If you are not getting a .dmg file, use Safari or Mozilla Firefox to download.
If it's a .dmg file but Mac OS X can't find the right software to open it, right-click (or « Ctrl » + click) on the file then choose « Open with > DiskImageMounter ».
Finally, if you get a message telling you that the program hasn't been able to mount the image, it means that the file is corrupted and you have to download it again.

Q19 : INSTALLATION - Can I install GP6 on a 64-bit Linux architecture?

We currently do not have 64bits versions. But you can use 32bit wrappers to use GP6 with a 64bit distribution.

Q20 : OLDER VERSION - Can I retrieve an older version of Guitar Pro that I bought a while ago?

YES. You can retrieve a copy of an older version of Guitar Pro, provided you registered your license with us.
NB: Guitar Pro is Mac compatible since version 5. If you wish to reinstall an older version on a Mac computer you won't be able to, and we'd recommend that you upgrade to version 6.

Log into your Customer Area with your registered UserID and password. If you do not recall what they are, please use the license-recovery form.
In case the e-mail address you used when you registered your license isn't active any more, do contact us directly. Please make sure you give us your full name and postal address at the time of your purchase/registration of Guitar Pro, so we can retrieve your file from our database.

Q21 : SMARTPHONE - Is the Guitar Pro app for iPhone / iPad available for other systems?

Please go the iTunes Store and discover Guitar Pro for iPod touch / iPhone / iPad.

We hope to develop an app for the Android smartphones later this year. It is unlikely that we adapt it to other systems.

You may intervene on our forum's dedicated page, and vote for the ideas you think best on this topic.

Q22 : SMARTPHONE - On which generations of iOS does the Guitar Pro app run?

Please read our dedicated product page. Guitar Pro is optimized for iPod touch 3G, iPhone 3GS, 4G, and iPad.

Q23 : The RSE is stuttering and the sound is of poor quality.

Open the 'Preferences' window ([F12] on Windows, or [Apple+,] on Mac), and uncheck the 'Enable RSE multi threading' option.

Q24 : The program crashes when I try to print out my document.

Please make sure that you are using version 6.0.5 or higher of Guitar Pro. If you are, then you probablement just need to update or reinstall your printer's drivers.

Q25 : I cannot hear the metronome in Guitar Pro 6.

Make sure you have installed the "Drums" soundbank, which provides the sound for the metronome.

The soundbanks are available via the Updater integrated into Guitar Pro 6.
(Menu 'Help > Launch Updater' on Windows; or 'Guitar Pro > Launch Updater' on Mac)

In case your computer is not online, use one that is, log into your Customer Area with your User ID and password, and click on the link [Download].
You can then download the soundbank onto a USB stick, and install it on your computer afterwards.

Q26 : How to access to Guitar Pro 6 beta versions?

If you wich to access Guitar Pro 6 Beta version follow these steps:
- Log into your Customer area of the Support section;
- Click the link "Access the beta versions of Guitar Pro";
- Click the link "Yes, I do wish to take part in the testing program ...";
- Start the updater.