# TEFpad — Tablature editor

> Tablature editor for creating and editing music tablatures on iOS devices. (iPhone/iPad app by TablEdit.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tefpad/id517830471 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [TablEdit](https://appshunter.io/developer/492060416)
- Category: Music, Productivity
- Price: $5.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.20/5 from 46 App Store ratings · 101 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 9 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, European Portuguese, Russian, Chinese (Simplified, China), European Spanish, Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan) and 1 more
- Released: 2012-04-18
- Data updated: 2026-09-01
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tefpad/id517830471/reviews.md

## What is TEFpad?

TEFpad is a tablature editor designed for the iPad that implements most features available in the TablEdit desktop program. It is also compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch.

Just like TEFview for iOS, our free file viewer, TEFpad opens, displays, prints and plays all TablEdit files (.tef format). It imports as well many types of music files (ASCII tablatures, ABC files, MusicXML, MIDI, Guitar Pro, PowerTab...).

In addition to this, TEFpad opens TabRite files and lets you create new tablature arrangements from scratch.

The files you have created on your device with TEFpad can be edited and saved without any limitation.

Warning: You can edit files not created with TEFpad or imported into TEFpad, but only the first 16 measures can be saved. Likewise the app does not allow copying the contents of one of these files into another .tef file. To get rid of these limitations, you can upgrade to TEFpad Pro (available as an In-App purchase).

The .tef files saved with TEFpad can be opened and modified in the TablEdit desktop program that offers advanced capabilities not completely available in TEFpad.

Please submit your suggestions and bug reports to http://www.tabledit.com/contact/feedback/

Specifications:
- Open/Import TablEdit, ASCII, ABC, MIDI, Music XML, PowerTab, TABrite and GuitarPro files
- Optical recognition of tablatures and scores (PDF or image)
- Extracts TablEdit files contained in a zip archive
- Display tablature and/or standard notation
- English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Chinese and Italian language support
- Embedded Help (tap the info button in the top-right corner of the screen)
- File manager with subdirectory management
- Email files as attachment
- PDF export. The PDF can be emailed or opened in a third party app
- iTunes file sharing
- WIFI file sharing
- Integration with the Files app
- MIDI Playback with full real time control (speed, pitch, volume and MIDI instrument)
- Metronome and count down settings
- Ability to change the soundfont and to access all the presets
- Playlist
- Customize background color for screen, special keyboard, palettes,
- Print to an Air Printer
- ABC, MIDI, ASCII, WAV file, Music XML export
- Time and Key signature setup along with a transpose feature
- Measures management (Add/Delete/Copy/Move/Pick-up measure)
- Instrument setup (String number, Tuning, Capo, Clef...)
- Quantize notes (after a MIDI import)
- Enter notes and rests in the tablature or standard notation
- Edit notes (duration, velocity, special effect, staccato...)
- Create chord diagrams
- Insert text, tempo changes, pick strokes and fingerings and format them
- Create and edit lyrics
- Reading guides (repeats and endings)
- Fingerboard or keyboard view
- External keyboard support
- Support for Page turners
- Print options dialog
- Support drum tabs and pedal steel guitar tabs
- Simple grace note management
- iPad Pro support

## Key features

- Import various music file formats
- Create new tablature arrangements
- Edit and save tablature files
- Display tablature and standard notation
- MIDI playback with real-time control
- Export to PDF, ABC, MIDI, WAV, and Music XML

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $5.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TEFpad Pro | $19.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of TEFpad?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👍 Intuitive usability
- 🎵 Versatile for music notation
- 🎸 Excellent for tablature
- 📱 Mobile convenience
- 💡 Powerful features for price
- 🚀 Fast playback
- 📤 Easy file sharing
- 🛠️ Good developer support
- 💻 Seamless cross-platform sync
- 🌟 High value for money

**Cons**

- 👎 Manual difficult to use
- 🖱️ Clunky interface
- 🐞 Buggy performance
- 💸 Expensive Pro version
- 📚 Incomplete help files
- ⚙️ Inconsistent button functions
- 😵 Steep learning curve
- 📱 Not iPad-friendly features
- 🚫 Lacks basic features
- 🗑️ Files can become corrupt

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Rating pop-ups ignore iOS settings
- Pro version disappeared after purchase
- App crashes when printing
- Audio quits playing
- Adding pull-offs creates ties across bars
- Imported Guitar Pro files have errors (triplets, repeat barlines)
- Triplet button inconsistency
- App crashes
- Work not saved when app crashes
- Song title not saved
- Dulcimer TAB not working
- Tab won't switch to dulcimer DAD TAB
- Highlighting and repeating passages is difficult
- Vertical highlighter does not work
- Notes muted during playback due to highlighter issues
- File corruption
- PTB files corrupt
- 1/8 beat time signature issues
- Cannot save as a different name (overwrites original)
- Inserting double bar that cannot be removed
- Reversing tablature issues
- Changing instrument destroys file
- Automatic rests not working correctly
- Saving files beyond 16th measure is lost
- Unable to close options popup
- Notes and playback are 1 octave apart
- Triplets not entering correctly
- Saving a tab deleted it
- Spontaneously closes without saving
- Cannot view bar being edited
- Cannot delete bars without tempo/key dialog
- Cannot delete notes without undo/select/cut
- Cannot save more than 16 bars of a file
- Sudden crashes after update
- Cannot close options popup
- Cannot add bars after Pro upgrade
- Cannot change instrument after import
- Cannot find how to change tempo
- Cannot change instrument assignment and volume
- Deleting past 16th measure on import
- Pages reflow on zoom
- Cannot select multiple measures/notes

**Most requested features**

- Search function for manual
- Support for Apple Magic Keyboard
- Simultaneous input of text, chords, and TAB numbers
- Ability to change instrument display on sidebar
- Ability to make font larger
- Add title on first page
- Add D.S. al Coda and Fine
- Add lyrics and chord notation
- Files app support (iOS 11 folder support)
- Open in functionality
- Custom instrument input (number of strings, string notes)
- Solfege notation conversion
- Ability to change pedal steel pedal assignments
- Ability to customize button placement and size
- Swing eighth notes setting
- Better scrolling
- Custom tuning transpose functionality
- Cut-and-paste between files/tunings
- Easier to delete bars/notes
- Delete notes without undoing/cutting
- Double tap to open file

## Recent user reviews (10 of 101)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tefpad/id517830471/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Inutile

*2026-05-05*

. Cher / peu pratique,peu intuitif, usine à gaz 
Ne pas acheter !

**Developer response:** "peu pratique, peu intuitif" C'est votre jugement. Par contre "usine à gaz" mériterait d'être justifié par au moins un exemple de complexité inutile.

### 5/5 — Brilliant App

*2025-10-31*

Very versatile, lots to import from Classclef.

### 1/5 — Rating Pop-Ups

*2025-10-10, version 4.0.0*

The developer ignores iOS settings to disallow ratings requests and spams users with its own pop-ups begging for ratings. This willful disregard for user preferences is an automatic 1 star rating.

### 5/5 — LOVE THIS, but…

*2025-08-29*

I love the immediate intuitive usability  of this app, but wish the manual were easier to use.  I would love a search function for the manual.  We’re not all music pros, so simply trying to find how the special notation works is NOT obvious.  I can see where and how to PUT in “D.C” and “al” and “Coda” and “Fine”, but to make them work on playback is another function… perhaps I am missing something obvious?? 
Otherwise, I love being able to score tablatures on my iPad with this app.

### 3/5 — Not quite what I was hoping for

*2024-12-14*

This tablet version isn’t incredibly intuitive, but that’s just a learning curve I suppose. What really bothers me is it says it supports a keyboard, but really you must use the virtual keyboard and the Apple Magic Keyboard is NOT supported. I was looking forward to this replacing my laptop for tab editing, but it’s awkward to use while I am also holding my instrument since I have to poke around on the screen. So there’s my biggest feature request. Until then I guess it’s back to pencil and paper.

### 5/5 — Excellent app for guitarist

*2024-11-23*

I like it and easy to use.

### 3/5 — Tef

*2024-07-18*

Maybe because I use Apple iPad. But a lot of the promised features don’t seem to work.

**Developer response:** Sorry for the late reply. Could you please be more explicit about the missing features?

### 5/5 — Superlative

*2023-09-06, version 3.7.1*

This is a neat little program for musicians whether learning or fully fledged.
I have played for 55 years and though I still prefer to write on manuscript for working out ideas and retaining them mnemonically and as being a good sight reader, but I have found this little program more useful that much bigger and expensive software options; this fits in my pocket and the files can be easily shared.
I’m very happy with this purchase.
Not a bug in it and is thoroughly and well thought through.
All musicians should have this neat little program.

### 3/5 — テキストとコード・ダイアグラムについて

*2023-09-02*

TAB譜を作成するためにTEFpad Proを購入しましたが、改善してほしいところがあります。

TAB譜の「数字」と「テキスト」と「コード・ダイアグラム」を同時に入力できるようにしてほしいです。

現在のままだと、全ての弦に数字を入力したい場合はテキストやダイアグラムの挿入はできないです。

お願いします。

**Developer response:** If all notes on the beat occupy all available positions, you can enter the text or diagram in 1/64 note mode, exactly one position later. You can also insert the text or diagram from the standard notation. TEFpad will find the first available position.

### 4/5 — Functionality good. Pro version disappeared after purchase

*2023-04-20*

I like this app and bought the pro version upgrade today but now the app has reverted to the LE version. Apple shows the pro purchase so what happened. Restoring the pro purchase was successful but I lost a significant amount of work.

**Developer response:** Do you mean that during a session, the application reverted to a light version? Or was it a new session? 
I'm leaning towards the second hypothesis, as the LE or Pro version is tested only once at the start of a session, using your device's user preferences.
But I have no explanation as to what could have happened.

## Frequently asked questions about TEFpad

### What can TEFpad do?

TEFpad is a tablature editor for iOS that allows you to open, display, print, and play TablEdit files. It can also import many other music file formats like ASCII tablatures, ABC files, MusicXML, MIDI, Guitar Pro, and PowerTab. You can create new tablature arrangements from scratch and edit existing files.

### What are the limitations of the free version?

In the free version, you can edit files not created with TEFpad or imported into it, but only the first 16 measures can be saved. The app also does not allow copying content between .tef files. To remove these limitations and gain full editing and saving capabilities, you can upgrade to TEFpad Pro.

### What file formats can TEFpad import and export?

TEFpad can import TablEdit, ASCII, ABC, MIDI, Music XML, PowerTab, TABrite, and GuitarPro files. It can export to ABC, MIDI, ASCII, WAV file, Music XML, and PDF formats.

### Is TEFpad compatible with other tablature software?

Yes, TEFpad is compatible with the TablEdit desktop program. Files saved with TEFpad can be opened and modified in TablEdit, which offers more advanced capabilities. It also imports files from popular software like Guitar Pro and PowerTab.

### What devices does TEFpad support?

TEFpad is designed for the iPad and implements most features available in the TablEdit desktop program. It is also compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch devices.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.2 — 2026-08-04

Maintenance update
Bug fixes
New Lyrics dialog

### 4.1.0 — 2026-03-12

Maintenance update
Bug fixes

### 4.0.0 — 2025-04-18

In Options, the Preferences tab lets you define advanced display options

### 3.9.4 — 2024-11-03

For some time now, TEFpad has recognized PDF tablatures. Now TEFpad also imports PDF musical scores.
Double-tapping a bar line causes the Score window to appear.
Some small bugs fixed

### 3.9.3 — 2024-08-28

Instead of cloning the current score, the New button now allows you to determine the essential characteristics of the new document (instrument, bar type and key).

## Apps similar to TEFpad

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Staventabs: Compose & Notate](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539) | 3.7 (69) | Free | Music |
| [Guitar Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-pro/id400666114) | 3.7 (889) | $6.99 | Music |
| [Banjo Rolls Trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/banjo-rolls-trainer/id588384861) | 4.3 (22) | $4.99 | Music |
| [Reflow - Score Editor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reflow-score-editor/id517574672) | 3.5 (33) | Free | Music |
| [Strum Machine - Backing Tracks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strum-machine-backing-tracks/id1509158553) | 4.7 (118) | Free | Music |
| [Start Jamming with Grass](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/start-jamming-with-grass/id6741807679) | 5.0 (8) | Free | Music |

## More apps by TablEdit

- [TEFview](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tefview/id492060413)
- [Sudoktor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoktor/id673673295)
- [Duplikat](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duplikat/id1281728394)

All apps by TablEdit: https://appshunter.io/developer/492060416

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-01.*