Note Symbols in Guitar Pro 8

The symbols related to note definition determine the duration, pitch, and dynamics of notes.

Covering durations (from whole note to sixty-fourth note), rests, triplets, ties, dynamics, etc., these symbols shape the rhythmic structure and sonic intensity of your musical notation.

Icon	Name	Quick Description
	Whole Note	Play a whole note.
	Half Note	Play a half note.
	Quarter Note	Play a quarter note.
	Eighth Note	Play an eighth note.
	Sixteenth Note	Play a sixteenth note.
	Thirty-Second Note	Play a thirty-second note.
	Sixty-Fourth Note	Play a sixty-fourth note.
	Rest	Add a rest.
	Dotted Note	Add a dot to the note.
	Double-Dotted Note	Add a double dot to the note.
	Triplet	Play the notes as a triplet.
	Custom N-tuplet	Play the notes in a custom polyrhythm.
	Nested N-tuplet	Create N-tuplets that can be nested within another N-tuplet.
	Tie	Tie the notes.
	Multiple Ties	Tie multiple notes.
	Fermata	Add a fermata (multi-track).
	Double Flat	Apply the double flat accidental.
	Flat	Apply the flat accidental.
	Natural	Apply the natural accidental.
	Sharp	Apply the sharp accidental.
	Double Sharp	Apply the double sharp accidental.
	Change Accidental	Change the accidental while keeping the note’s pitch.
	Lower by a Semitone	Lower the note by a semitone.
	Raise by a Semitone	Raise the note by a semitone.
	Pianississimo	Play the note very very softly.
	Pianissimo	Play the note very softly.
	Piano	Play the note softly.
	Mezzo Piano	Play the note moderately softly.
	Mezzo Forte	Play the note moderately loudly.
	Forte	Play the note loudly.
	Fortissimo	Play the note very loudly.
	Fortississimo	Play the note very very loudly.
	Crescendo	Play increasingly louder.
	Decrescendo	Play increasingly softer.

Note Duration

Note durations form the rhythmic foundation of your score, ranging from the whole note, a full measure in 4/4 (four beats), to the sixty-fourth note, 1/16th of a beat.

In Guitar Pro 8, these symbols define the duration of a note or rest at the cursor, instantly shaping the rhythmic flow:

• Whole Note: Four beats in 4/4.
• Half Note: Two beats.
• Quarter Note: One beat.
• Eighth Note: Half a beat.
• Sixteenth Note: Quarter of a beat.
• Thirty-Second Note: Eighth of a beat.
• Sixty-Fourth Note: Sixteenth of a beat.

When different durations overlap on a beat, such as a bass quarter note under a melody in eighth notes, Guitar Pro 8’s multi-voice editing ensures efficient management.

Voice 1 maintains the bass, voice 2 plays the melody, with each duration remaining distinct on the same staff.

More information on Voices in Guitar Pro.

Dotted and Double-Dotted Notes

Add length with dots.

A single dot increases a note by half its value, a double dot by three-quarters.

• Single Dot: A quarter note (1 beat) becomes 1.5 beats.
• Double Dot: That quarter note reaches 1.75 beats.

Click the dot icon in Guitar Pro 8, the dot is added to the selected note, and playback reflects the additional duration.

Rests

A rest introduces a pause in your score, a planned interruption that shapes phrasing as much as a note.

Each rest corresponds to a note duration, determining the length of the pause:

Symbol	Name	Correspondence
	Whole Rest
	Half Rest
	Quarter Rest
	Eighth Rest
	Sixteenth Rest
	Thirty-Second Rest
	Sixty-Fourth Rest

Click the rest icon in Guitar Pro 8, the pause is inserted at the cursor, ranging from a whole rest (one measure in 4/4) to a sixty-fourth rest (a brief interruption in a fast passage).

Triplets, N-tuplets, and Polyrhythms

Triplets and N-tuplets, or irregular rhythms, divide a beat into a number of subdivisions different from those expected by the time signature, enriching the rhythmic structure.

In Guitar Pro 8, these divisions, marked by brackets and numbers, allow for precise creation of complex rhythms, essential for syncopation, swing, or polyrhythms in jazz, classical, or progressive music.

More information on Triplets, N-tuplets, and Polyrhythms in Guitar Pro.

Ties

A tie connects a note to the previous one, merging their durations to create a continuous, uninterrupted sound.

It allows a note to extend beyond its rhythmic value or measure and is essential for indicating legato phrasing or a prolonged sustain.

Click this icon to tie the current note to the previous one (same pitch and same voice). For example, a quarter note tied to an eighth note will have a total duration of 1.5 beats.

Multiple Ties

Multiple ties allow you to connect an entire beat to the previous beat across all voices.

Select a beat containing notes in multiple voices, then click the icon to automatically tie all notes to the previous beat. For example, quarter notes of a chord distributed across voices 1 and 2 will be extended together, carrying the harmony into the next measure.

This ensures a smooth transition, especially for a sustained arpeggio crossing a measure line.

Fermata

A fermata, or pause, suspends time, extending a beat across all tracks.

It indicates a flexible pause, the duration of which depends on the musician or conductor, for a dramatic effect.

Select the Fermata icon to open the window and apply the corresponding symbol for the desired delay: short, medium, or long.

Accidentals

Accidentals modify the pitch of a note within a measure, overriding the key signature.

Types of accidentals:

• Double Flat (bb): Lowers by two semitones, e.g., E to D-flat.
• Flat (b): Lowers by one semitone, e.g., C to B-flat.
• Natural (♮): Cancels previous accidentals, e.g., F-sharp to F in G Major.
• Sharp (#): Raises by one semitone, e.g., G to G-sharp.
• Double Sharp (x): Raises by two semitones, e.g., C to D.

Select the icon corresponding to the desired accidental, and it is applied to the note at the cursor.

Courtesy Accidentals:

Courtesy accidentals remind musicians of the pitch. They can be enabled from the menu Note > Accidentals > Courtesy Accidentals.

Change Accidental

Change accidental allows you to modify the notation of a note without changing its pitch, known as enharmonic rewriting.

Enharmonic notes have the same pitch but different names (e.g., F♯ = G♭), which can improve readability or consistency with the key.

Click the icon to apply this change to the note under the cursor. For example, a G♭ in a key with sharps can be converted to F♯ to match the key signature and avoid an accidental.

This function is also accessible via the menu Note > Accidentals.

Raise or Lower by a Semitone

Adjust the pitch of notes using the Raise by a Semitone and Lower by a Semitone buttons, which shift a note or selection one semitone up or down.

Click these icons to apply the change to the note under the cursor. For example, G becomes G-sharp (up), or F-sharp becomes F (down).

To transpose an entire track, make a global selection (Edit > Select All or Command A), then apply the shift.

More information on transposition tools in Guitar Pro.

Dynamics

Dynamics define the intensity of a note and modulate the volume to reflect musical intent.

They act on the MIDI velocity, on a scale from 0 to 127, directly affecting the rendered sound.

List of available dynamics:

• Pianississimo (ppp): Very very soft (~20)
• Pianissimo (pp): Very soft (~40)
• Piano (p): Soft (~60)
• Mezzo Piano (mp): Moderately soft (~80)
• Mezzo Forte (mf): Moderately loud (~100)
• Forte (f): Loud (~110)
• Fortissimo (ff): Very loud (~120)
• Fortississimo (fff): Very very loud (~127)

Click one of the dynamics icons to apply it from the note under the cursor. The chosen dynamic remains active for all subsequent notes until a new indication is set.

You can choose to show or hide dynamics in the score from the Stylesheet.

Crescendo and Decrescendo

The Crescendo and Decrescendo options allow you to gradually adjust the volume over the selected beats, increasing or decreasing the intensity.

These gradual variations add expressive dynamics: a crescendo creates a rise in tension (toward a chorus, for example), while a decrescendo leads to calm or silence.

Select the relevant beats in your track, click the Crescendo or Decrescendo icon, then choose a target dynamic (e.g., from mp to f for a crescendo).

A crescendo over four beats, going from p to ff, will naturally result in a sonic climax during playback.