For all your digital guitar playing cheat sheet needs, there's i-Tab

Admit it, you're not really working remotely from home on a Friday. We know, you're sitting at home with your six strings of seduction jamming out to Ryan Adams albums. Well, just in case you need to clear some of that monitor space for actual work -- or a memory jolt during that gig you booked at the local cabana -- i-Tab's got you covered with what it's calling "the world's first electronic songbook." The 5-inch touchscreen clips to your guitar's headstock and serves as a reference guide for your cover song needs. It's got a built-in speaker, headphone jack, stylus, USB port, TV out for pseudo-karaoke stylings, and 4GB storage. Thirty songs are available from the get go, with more tabs (and audio backing tracks) available via its online store. Just the thing you need to kick up the jams? Word on the street it's coming in April for $199.

[RealHTInfo Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:33PM]

Someone needs to come out with a $30 guitar mount for the ipod touch.

[J1024 Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:37PM]

@RealHTInfo Indeed

[jimgde Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:41PM]

@RealHTInfo Such a thing exists, I've seen it at Long & McQuade music stores in Canada. Can't remember the name of it though...

More importantly, are there any apps that provide the same service? I'm not aware of any.

[Extinction Posted Feb 26th 2010 9:26PM]

@RealHTInfo Yeah, talk about a device better served by an ipod app

[PerryAJ Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:37PM]

That is pretty damn cool.

[abedinthehouse Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:39PM]

So after your done rocking out and you smash your guitar into the ground, do you pause to take this off or you just throw away another $200?

[Cyrs Posted Feb 26th 2010 10:38PM]

@abedinthehouse

Well if you don't care about smashing your $200+ guitar into the ground, I don't think another $200 piece of tech is gonna make a difference. "A fool and his money are soon parted," are true words indeed.

[PATRICKmcnicholl Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:43PM]

Yes, because we nerds can play guitar

[Streetfights Posted Feb 26th 2010 7:28PM]

@PATRICKmcnicholl

I can...

[Firehazel Posted Feb 26th 2010 7:46PM]

@PATRICKmcnicholl
I play piano, and I publish music, and I sing baritone in chorus!

[horchata Posted Feb 26th 2010 8:32PM]

@PATRICKmcnicholl

Not all nerds are created equal.

[Cyrs Posted Feb 26th 2010 11:01PM]

@PATRICKmcnicholl

Hey now, just cause we're techies, it doesn't mean we're uncoordinated. I play the Piano, and the drums, I also plan to pickup a Epi G400 SG in summer for some guitar lessons. Just cause I know what a Beowulf Cluster is, doesn't mean I'm your stereotypical nerd.

BTW, I know your just messing with us, but I couldn't resist the urge.

[Tiptup300 Posted Feb 27th 2010 2:52AM]

@PATRICKmcnicholl

I can, I actually just put one of my composed songs on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJWrFqFLyUY

This app seems cool, but I'm good with just ultimate guitar. :P

[RincewindWiz Posted Feb 27th 2010 6:21AM]

@Tiptup300 Me too - here's one I've just finished working on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0&fmt=18

[Maccadude33 Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:54PM]

In theory it sounds good, but I think it would be much more beneficial to rig an iPod Touch to dock onto one of my guitars. I've been considering building a custom body with an actual slot for one. You could technically get built in effects and recording capabilities that way, not to mention how convenient it would be. Could work I suppose.

For $200 though, I'd rather invest in other equipment.

[P13t3rm Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:59PM]

A real guitarist wouldn't be wasting his money on 200 dollar guitar tab readers, learn to play the damn instrument.

[pukerocket Posted Feb 26th 2010 7:07PM]

@P13t3rm

Exactly. They'd have more cred if they just stuck to Guitar Hero

[Juice Posted Feb 26th 2010 7:17PM]

@P13t3rm

Actually having tab and lyrics at you're side is used as a memory jogger during a performance or for learning the basic musical structure of the song. You have to have a knowledge of guitar in order to use this. This is basically a high tech version of a Fake Book (books of Chords and lyrics).

[pohatu771 Posted Feb 26th 2010 8:18PM]

@P13t3rm They can still play, they just don't memorize everything. That's great for receiving obscure requests for your older or less popular material that you don't rehearse anymore.

[marcomera Posted Feb 26th 2010 8:19PM]

@P13t3rm
Being in an original band and a cover band I can assure you that memorizing three full sets of covers an constantly learning new ones is not always easy and I normally write myself notes on my setlist. I could see this as being quite helpful if it works well. It has nothing to do with learning the instrument as I am quite confident in my abilities.

[Galley Posted Feb 26th 2010 7:21PM]

Better yet, make it a $20 app for the iPad.

[horchata Posted Feb 26th 2010 8:37PM]

@Galley

I'd go for that. Then again, they'll follow it up with an iPad music stand and charge you a predictable $199 for it.

[sys3175 Posted Feb 26th 2010 7:33PM]

Unfortunately it looks like the battery will always be dead.. lol.. note to people making photo's of electronics, it is somewhat important in the fact screen shot to make sure the device has a full battery!

[manofchao5 Posted Feb 26th 2010 8:19PM]

@sys3175
nice :P

[StvDvs Posted Feb 27th 2010 12:25AM]

No thanks.

[johnstewarteng Posted Feb 27th 2010 12:40AM]

Check out TabToolkit for iPhone, http://tabtoolkit.com.

[mattblade Posted Feb 27th 2010 2:34AM]

Kick OUT the jams. OUT.

[solarbuddy Posted Feb 27th 2010 10:00AM]

This is exactly what MySongbook does for the iPhone. It's a scrolling fakebook with only what I need: chords (chordpro format--who needs tabs?) and lyrics. It's the iPhone holder that I really need . . .

[etcetra Posted Feb 27th 2010 10:47AM]

If you have to rely on a gadget like this to play a song, it probably means that you haven't learn the music well enough. It might be useful for practicing, but it's going to look really awkward playing in front of people with this thing on your guitar....

[Bratan Posted Mar 2nd 2010 5:36PM]

Hey how did you know about Fridays? Are you watching me thru my notebook camera?