Here you will find many free PDF tunebooks created with my ABC Transcription Tools.
Most of the tunebooks have both a standard notation version as well as tablature versions for many instruments including Mandolin, Ukulele, Fiddle Fingerings, Bouzouki (GDAD), Guitar, Mountain Dulcimer, Tin Whistle, B/C and C#/D Box, and Anglo Concertina.
Click on any tune name in the tunebook's Table of Contents or Index to jump to the tune.
The tune pages in the books are interactive, clicking on the tune's title will open the tune for playback in my ABC Transcription Tools player.
I'm frequently adding new tunebooks, or updating older ones with new content and features, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back every few weeks!
Table of Contents
Click the links below to jump to the section
Interactive Tunebook Walkthrough Tutorial Videos
50 Traditional Irish Session Tunes
50 Session Tunes With Both Notation and Tablature for Various Instruments
116 Popular Tunes With Both Notation and Tablature for Various Instruments
"The King Street Sessions Tunebook"
Over 1000 Tunes With Both Notation and Tablature for Various Instruments
A Dozen Lovely Waltzes With Tablature for Box and Anglo Concertina
A Collection of 28 Renaissance Lute Pieces
How to Use the Interactive Tunebooks
How to Read the B/C and C#/D Box Tablature
How to Read the Anglo Concertina Tablature
Changing the Instruments Used for Playing Tunes from the Tunebooks
Using the PDF Tunebooks on iOS and Android Devices
My Tip Jars
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These tunebooks as well as my ABC Transcription Tools are completely free.
If you find these tunebooks useful, please support my ongoing development
of my ABC tools by tossing a few bucks into one of my virtual tip jars:
PayPalhttps://paypal.me/MichaelEskin
Venmo@MichaelEskin
Pushing the Limits of ABC
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This online interactive PDF flipbook shows what's possible
with ABC notation and playback using my ABC Transcription Tools
Click any title in the flipbook to play the tune.
Click here to launch the Ultimate ABC Demos PDF Flipbook in a new tab
Interactive Tunebook Walkthrough Tutorial Videos
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Walkthough of the "King Street Sessions" Interactive Tunebook
Walkthrough of the CCE Dublin 2001 Interactive Flipbook
50 Traditional Irish Session Tunes
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50 Session Tunes With Both Notation and Tablature for Various Instruments
Includes Slow, Medium, and Full Speed Versions for Practice
Click any tune name in Table of Contents and Index to go to the tune's page.
On the tune's page, click the title to play it in my ABC Transcription Tools.
Click the << and >> arrows to return to the Table of Contents or Index.
How to Use the Interactive Tunebooks
Standard Notation
Interactive Flipbook Version
Mandolin Tab
Ukulele Tab (for Flatpicking)
Fiddle Fingerings
Bouzouki (GDAD) Tab
Tin Whistle (D) Tab
Keyless Traditional Irish Flute Tab
B/C and C#/D Box Tab
Click to Download the B/C Version
Click to Download the C#/D Version
How to Read the B/C and C#/D Box Tablature
Anglo Concertina Tab
Click to Download the Jeffries-style Version
Click to Download the Wheatstone-style Version
How to Read the Anglo Concertina Tablature
CCE Dublin 2001 Tunebook
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116 Popular Tunes With Both Notation and Tablature for Various Instruments
Click any tune name in Table of Contents and Index to go to the tune's page.
On the tune's page, click the title to play it in my ABC Transcription Tools.
Click the << and >> arrows to return to the Table of Contents or Index.
How to Use the Interactive Tunebooks
Standard Notation
(Tunes play with an Accordion sound)
Standard Notation
(Tunes play with a Piano sound)
Interactive Flipbook Version
(Tunes play with a Piano sound)
Standard Notation First Line Incipits
Mandolin Tab
Ukulele Tab (for Flatpicking)
Fiddle Fingerings
Bouzouki (GDAD) Tab
Guitar (Standard Tuning) Tab
DAD-Tuned Mountain Dulcimer
Tablature for a DAD tuned instrument with a 6 1/2 fret.
High D String Linear Style
Cross-String Style
Tin Whistle (D) Tab
B/C and C#/D Box Tab
Click to Download the B/C Version
Click to Download the C#/D Version
How to Read the B/C and C#/D Box Tablature
Anglo Concertina Tab
Click to Download the Jeffries-style Version
Click to Download the Wheatstone-style Version
How to Read the Anglo Concertina Tablature
"The King Street Sessions Tunebook"
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Over 1000 Tunes With Both Notation and Tablature for Various Instruments
Created with the permission of the original author, Michael D. Long
Original Tunebook
Click to download the original "King Street Sessions Tunebook"
Notation Full Tune Version
Click to download the "Interactive" Full Notation edition
Notation Incipits Version
Click to download the "Interactive" One-line Tune Incipits edition
Notation Incipits Interactive Flipbook Version
Mandolin Tab
Ukulele Tab (for Flatpicking)
Fiddle Fingering Tab
Bouzouki (GDAD) Tab
Standard Guitar Tab
DADGAD Guitar Tab
DAD-Tuned Mountain Dulcimer
Tablature for a DAD tuned instrument with a 6 1/2 fret(836 tunes from the original collection).
High D String Linear Style
Cross-String Style
Tin Whistle / Irish Flute (D) Tab
Walkthough of the B/C and C#/D Box "Interactive" Tablature PDF Editions
B/C Box Tab
How to Read the B/C Box Tablature
C#/D Box Tab
How to Read the C#/D Box Tablature
Jeffries-style Anglo Concertina Cross-Row Tab
Favors playing D5 and E5 on the left-side G-row.
Favors playing C5 on the left-side G-row draw.
Favors playing B4 on the right-side C-row draw.
Favors 2nd button on right-side top-row for C#5 and D#5.
How to Read the Anglo Concertina Tablature
Wheatstone-style Anglo Concertina Cross-Row Tab
Favors playing D5 and E5 on the left-side G-row.
Favors playing C5 on the left-side G-row draw.
Favors playing B4 on the right-side C-row draw.
How to Read the Anglo Concertina Tablature
A Dozen Lovely Waltzes With Tablature for Box and Anglo Concertina
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Click the title of any tune to immediately play the tune using my
ABC Transcription Tools with my high-quality Accordion and Concertina samples.
How to Read the B/C and C#/D Box Tablature
How to Read the Anglo Concertina Tablature
B/C Box
Click to download "A Dozen Lovely Waltzes with B/C Box Tablature"
C#/D Box
Click to download "A Dozen Lovely Waltzes with C#/D Box Tablature"
Anglo Concertina (Jeffries)
Click to download "A Dozen Lovely Waltzes with Anglo Concertina (Jeffies) Tablature"
Anglo Concertina (Wheatstone)
Click to download "A Dozen Lovely Waltzes with Anglo Concertina (Wheatstone) Tablature"
A Collection of 28 Renaissance Lute Pieces
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Click to download "A Collection of 28 Renaissance Lute Pieces" arranged for guitar
Click to download "A Collection of 28 Renaissance Lute Pieces" arranged for harp
How to Use the Interactive Tunebooks
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Click the << arrows on the left side of the tune pages to jump to the Table of Contents.
Click the >> arrows on the right side of the tune pages to jump to the Index.
Click on any tune name in the Table of Contents or Index to jump to that tune in the tunebook.
Playing the tunes:
Click the title of any tune to immediately play the tune using my ABC Transcription Tools.
The player control bar has mouse hover tooltips on all the controls explaining what they do.
To change the play speed, use the speed control highlighted here in the playback controls:
Value is a percentage, set a value of 60 or 70 to slow a tune down for learning.
Editing your own version of the tunes:
If you click "Close" in the the player, you will be in the ABC Transcription Tools fullscreen tune view.
Click the zoom arrows on the top right to close the fullscreen tune view and open the tune editor.
Once in the ABC Transcription Tools tune editor, you can view, edit, save, or create a PDF of the tune.
For complete information on editing the tunes, please check out the:
ABC Transcription Tools User Guide
Don't forget to save the PDF:
Be sure to save the PDF file to your system after downloading if your browser doesn't automatically save it for you.
How to Read the B/C and C#/D Box Tablature
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B/C - Shows standard notation and tablature for a standard 21-button B/C tuned box.
The button numbers and pitches used for the tablature match those on this chart:
Notes on the C-row are indicated by numbers: 1, 2, 3, ...
Notes on the B-row are indicated by numbers in circles: ①, ②, ③, ...
Push is indicated with a "↓" arrow.
Draw is indicated with an "↑" arrow.
Click here to download a PDF of the B/C tablature chart
C#/D - Shows standard notation and tablature for a standard 21-button C#/D tuned box.
The button numbers and pitches used for the tablature match those on this chart:
Notes on the D-row are indicated by numbers: 1, 2, 3,...
Notes on the C#-row are indicated by numbers in circles: ①, ②, ③, ...
Push is indicated with a "↓" arrow.
Draw is indicated with an "↑" arrow.
Click here to download a PDF of the C#/D tablature chart
Assumptions about the B/C and C#/D Box tablature solutions:
The tablature solution assumes that the "magic" notes (E and B on a B/C, F# and C# on a C#/D) that are available on both rows, will be played on the C-row on a B/C box and on the D-row on a C#/D box.
Use of the B/C and C#/D Box tablatures on a 23-button instrument:
If you are playing a 23-button instrument, you will need to shift your start position one button higher when playing.
Consider your first button as "button zero".
How to Read the Anglo Concertina Tablature
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Tablature Button Names
Wheatstone Layout
Jeffries Layout
Click here to download a PDF of the Anglo Concertina tablature chart
Changing the Instruments Used for Playing Tunes from the Tunebooks
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If would like to have your preferred instrument sounds used for the tune playback instead of the default piano sound selected by the Interactive PDF tunebooks, you will need to make a few minor settings changes in the ABC Transcription Tools themselves.
Here are the steps to follow:
1) Play a tune from the tunebook.
2) Click "Close" on the playback dialog.
3) Close the full screen tune view by clicking the arrows on the upper right of the window.
You will now be in the ABC Transcription Tools editor.
4) Click the "Settings" button to open the ABC Transcription Tools Settings dialog.
5) Set the Melody and Bass/Chords MIDI instrument program numbers to your preferred instrument sounds.
If you're not sure what to enter, click the "General MIDI Instrument Program Numbers" link to see a chart of all possible instrument numbers.
6) Set the Bass and Chord volumes. Values are from 0-127. Generally values from 32-64 work best.
7) Important: Click the checkbox labeled "Override all MIDI programs and volumes in the ABC when playing tunes"
8) Close the ABC Transcription Tools Settings dialog.
9) Close the ABC Transcription Tools browser tab.
Now, going forward, all tunes you click in an Interactive PDF tunebook will use your preferred instrument sounds and volumes.
To turn off the instrument and volume overrides, repeat the process, and uncheck "Override all MIDI programs and volumes in the ABC when playing tunes" in the settings dialog
