# Creating a tablature staff
## Overview
Music for fretted, stringed instruments is commonly notated using **tablature** (often abbreviated as **tab**); this gives a visual representation of the strings and fret numbers. Tablature is frequently found in combination with traditional staff notation.
## Types of tablature staves
A variety of tablature templates for common instruments are supplied. If this isn't quite what you're looking for, you can easily change the template (see [Changing tablature staff type](/idiomatic-notation/guitar/customizing-a-tablature-staff.md#changing-tablature-staff-type)), and/or customize the staff (see [Tablature: customization](/idiomatic-notation/guitar/customizing-a-tablature-staff.md)).
## Adding a tablature staff to your score
There are three possibilities:
* [Create tablature as part of a new score](#add-tablature-using-the-new-score-dialog).
* [Add tablature to an existing score](#add-tablature-using-the-add-or-remove-instruments-dialog).
* [Change an existing staff from standard to tablature](#change-an-existing-staff-from-standard-to-tablature).
### Add tablature using the New Score dialog
To create tablature as part of a new score:
1. Open the [New Score](/basics/setting-up-your-score.md) dialog.
2. Select the required tablature from either the **Choose Instruments** or **Create from template** tabs.
3. Complete the rest of the New Score dialog.
### Add tablature using the Instruments dialog
To create a tablature staff in an existing score:
1. In the **Layout** panel, click on the `Add` button; or press the shortcut key, I. This brings up the **Add or remove instruments** dialog.
2. Click on the **Strings – Plucked** family and choose the desired tablature from the **Instruments** column.
3. Press `OK`.
### Change an existing staff from standard to tablature
1. Make sure that the standard staff contains a plucked string instrument;
2. Use one of the methods described under [Changing tablature staff type](/idiomatic-notation/guitar/customizing-a-tablature-staff.md#changing-tablature-staff-type).
## Creating paired standard and tablature staves
Music for the guitar (and other plucked-string instruments) is often notated using paired standard *and* tablature staves. In MuseScore, the staves can be either *linked* or *unlinked*.
* **Linked**: Any change you make to the notation in one staff automatically updates the other.
* **Unlinked**: Each staff is edited independently. To update the other staff, copy and paste the relevant music notation.
*Note* : In both cases, the staff/tablature pair shares the *same* instrument.
### Create paired standard/tab staves using the New Score Wizard
There are two ways to do this when creating a new score (A or B):
**A.** For *linked* staves only:
1. Open the New Score Wizard.
2. In the "Create from template" tab, click on the "Solo" category and choose the "Guitar + Tablature" .
3. Complete the rest of the New Score wizard.
4. Change the instrument type, if required, in [Staff / Part properties](/notation/instruments-staves-and-systems/staff-part-properties.md).
5. Change the tablature type, if required (see [Changing tablature staff type](/idiomatic-notation/guitar/customizing-a-tablature-staff.md#changing-tablature-staff-type)).
**B**. For linked *or* unlinked staves:
1. Open the New Score Wizard.
2. In the "Choose instruments" tab, click on the "Strings – Plucked" family, and select a staff option from the "Instruments" column.
3. Complete the rest of the wizard.
4. Add the desired staff using the [Instruments panel](/notation/instruments-staves-and-systems/instruments-and-system-markings.md).
### Create paired standard/tab staves using the Instruments dialog
Use this method when you want to add to an existing score:
1. Open the **Add or remove instruments** dialog: press I; or, alternatively, the `Add` button in the **Instruments** sidebar
2. Click on the **Strings – Plucked** family and choose the desired staff from the **Instruments** column.
3. Press `OK`.
4. Add the desired tablature from the [**Layout** panel](/notation/instruments-staves-and-systems/instruments-and-system-markings.md).
**Note**: If you already have one staff of a standard/tab pair in your score, you can simply add the missing staff from the **Instruments** panel. See [Adding and configuring staves](/notation/instruments-staves-and-systems/instruments-and-system-markings.md#adding-and-configuring-staves).
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