Create Your Own Guitar Hero 3 Songs: A Comprehensive Charting Guide

Creating custom songs for Guitar Hero 3 and similar games opens up a whole new world of playable music. While tools like Freetar Hero and Anvil Studio are options, this guide presents an alternative, arguably more intuitive method for crafting your own note charts. This tutorial will walk you through using readily available software to bring your favorite tracks into the Guitar Hero universe.

I. Getting Started: Software and Templates

To begin your journey of creating custom Guitar Hero 3 songs, you’ll need a few key pieces of software and templates. These tools will assist you in transcribing music, synchronizing notes, and preparing your custom song for gameplay.

Tablature Software (TabIt, Guitar Pro, or PowerTab): These programs are designed for creating and editing music in tablature format. While primarily for guitarists learning songs, they are invaluable for visualizing and creating note charts. TabIt is recommended for its user-friendly interface, but Guitar Pro and PowerTab are also viable options, especially if you are already familiar with them.
Anvil Studio: Despite mentioning this guide as an alternative to Anvil Studio-centric methods, this software is essential for finalizing your MIDI files. Anvil Studio allows you to merge tracks, adjust tempos, and ensure compatibility with Guitar Hero’s format.
- Anvil Studio
MIDI Maestro: This tool is crucial for implementing tempo and time signature changes within your song charts, adding dynamic variation and accuracy to your custom songs.
- MIDI Maestro
Guitar Hero Explorer (GHEx): This utility allows you to import your created MIDI and song files into the Guitar Hero game structure for testing and refinement.
- Guitar Hero Explorer
Guitar Hero Templates: These templates are specifically designed to streamline the charting process within your chosen tablature software and Anvil Studio. They provide pre-configured tracks and settings optimized for Guitar Hero song creation.
- Guitar Hero Template for TabIt
- Guitar Hero Template for Guitar Pro
- Guitar Hero Template for PowerTab
- Guitar Hero 1 Template for Anvil Studio
- Guitar Hero 2 Template for Anvil Studio (Used as example in original tutorial)

While PowerTab and Anvil Studio offer freeware versions, TabIt and MIDI Maestro may require purchase for full functionality. However, the streamlined workflow and features they offer can significantly enhance your song creation experience.

Note: Even if you choose a tablature program other than TabIt, reviewing the TabIt section of this guide is recommended as it covers the fundamental principles of note charting applicable across all tablature programs.

II. Finding the Beat: Determining Song Tempo

Before you begin charting notes, accurately determining the tempo (beats per minute or BPM) of your chosen song is crucial for synchronization. Here are a few methods to find the tempo:

Metronome Method: If you have a metronome, play your song and adjust the metronome’s tempo until it aligns with the song’s beat. This method relies on your rhythmic perception.
TabIt’s Tap Tempo: TabIt offers a built-in tap tempo feature. Press CTRL+M, click “TAP,” and tap any key on your keyboard in time with the song’s beat as it plays. While TabIt’s estimation may not be perfectly precise initially, observe the displayed BPM and press “Okay.” Then, use TabIt’s metronome (click the metronome icon and press F5 to play) to fine-tune the tempo by ear, adjusting up or down as needed until it matches the song.
Existing Tablature Tempo: If you can find a tablature file for your song in TabIt, Guitar Pro, or PowerTab, the tempo may already be indicated within the file. Use this as a starting point and verify its accuracy.

For our example, “Only for the Weak” by In Flames, the tempo is 210 BPM. You can listen to a clip of the song here for practice.

III. Charting in Tablature Programs: TabIt, Guitar Pro, and PowerTab

The core of creating custom Guitar Hero 3 songs lies in accurately charting the notes within a tablature program. The process is similar across TabIt, Guitar Pro, and PowerTab. We will focus on TabIt initially, then highlight key aspects in Guitar Pro and PowerTab.

A. Charting with TabIt

Open the Guitar Hero Template: Launch TabIt and open the guitarhero.tbt template you downloaded.

Alt text: TabIt interface showing the Guitar Hero song template with tracks labeled for different difficulty levels and Guitar Hero button assignments.

The template provides tracks pre-labeled for different difficulty levels (Expert, Hard, Medium, Easy). For this tutorial, we’ll primarily focus on the “Expert” track (Track 4). The comments on each track indicate string assignments: the first five strings correspond to the Green, Red, Yellow, Blue, and Orange buttons in Guitar Hero, the sixth string is for Star Power, and the seventh for Player 1/2 sections (face-off mode).
Import or Input Guitar Tabs: Ideally, have the guitar tablature for your chosen song readily available. If a TabIt version exists online, you can copy and paste the guitar line directly into your guitarhero.tbt template. For example, to copy from a website tab, highlight the section you need, press CTRL+C, and then paste it into TabIt (CTRL+V), perhaps on the “Hard” difficulty track if you’re focusing on the Expert track.

Alt text: Screenshot demonstrating copying guitar tablature from a website and pasting it into the TabIt Guitar Hero template, showing the process of transferring musical notation.

Note: Tuning accuracy is crucial only for the “Expert” track, which represents the actual playable notes.
Recreate the Guitar Line on the Expert Track: Using the guitar tab as a guide, recreate the notes on the “Expert” track (Track 4). The horizontal lines at the top of the TabIt interface represent note values, serving as visual guides for note placement within each measure. Generally, chords falling on the four largest lines within a bar correspond to quarter notes in 4/4 time.

Let’s recreate the rhythm guitar part for “Only for the Weak.” The original tab for the beginning section looks like this:

Alt text: Example of guitar tablature notation for “Only for the Weak” by In Flames, displaying rhythm and lead guitar parts.

Recreating this rhythm part on the Expert track, using the button string assignments (Top string = Green, 5th string = Orange), might look like this:

Alt text: TabIt screenshot showing the rhythm guitar part for “Only for the Weak” recreated on the Expert track of the Guitar Hero template, demonstrating note placement.

Remember, the top string in TabIt corresponds to the GREEN button, and the 5th string to the ORANGE button.
Implement Note Sustain and Rests: By default, notes in TabIt (and similar programs) sustain until the next note. For Guitar Hero charts, you often need single “bullet” notes or specific sustain lengths. To create single notes, place an asterisk * immediately after the fret number. This acts like a rest, cutting the note short.

Alt text: TabIt display highlighting the use of asterisks () after fret numbers to create single, non-sustaining notes for Guitar Hero charting.*

Guitar Hero interprets sustains and rests differently than tablature programs, requiring you to halve the rest duration for sustains to feel accurate in-game.
Chart Lead Guitar (Optional Example): For songs with both rhythm and lead guitar parts, you would typically chart the lead guitar on a separate track, similar to the rhythm part. Here’s an example of charting the lead guitar part for “Only for the Weak”:

Alt text: TabIt view of the lead guitar part for “Only for the Weak” charted on the Guitar Hero template, showcasing note placement for lead melodies.

Combined, the rhythm and lead guitar charts might appear as:

Alt text: TabIt screenshot displaying both rhythm and lead guitar charts together within the Guitar Hero template, illustrating simultaneous charting of guitar parts.
Export MIDI File: Once your note chart is complete in TabIt (using just the rhythm track for this example), export it as a MIDI file. Go to File/Export MIDI.

Alt text: TabIt file menu dropdown with “Export MIDI” option highlighted, indicating the step to export the chart as a MIDI file.
Select Track and Save MIDI: In the export dialog, check the track containing your note chart (e.g., Expert track) and click “OK.” Choose a location to save your MIDI file.

Alt text: TabIt MIDI export dialog box showing track selection options, emphasizing the selection of the track containing the Guitar Hero chart for MIDI export.
Save TabIt File: It’s crucial to save your TabIt file (File/Save As...) as a backup, allowing you to easily make adjustments later if needed without overwriting the original template.

B. Charting with Guitar Pro 4.x

Charting in Guitar Pro 4.x follows a similar process to TabIt. Open the Guitar Pro template (gp4template.zip). The interface will differ visually, but the principles of note placement and track assignment remain the same.

Alt text: Guitar Pro 4.x software interface displaying the Guitar Hero template, showing the layout and tools for charting Guitar Hero songs.

After charting your song in Guitar Pro, export the MIDI file using the same method as in TabIt (File/Export MIDI). Remember to save your Guitar Pro file (Save As...) to preserve your work and avoid overwriting the template.

Alt text: Guitar Pro 4.x file menu dropdown with “Save As…” option highlighted, indicating the importance of saving the charted song file separately.

C. Charting with Power Tab

Power Tab also provides a platform for charting Guitar Hero songs. Open the Power Tab template (ptbtemplate.zip). While track separation might appear different initially, the template contains tracks for different difficulty levels.

Alt text: Power Tab software interface displaying the Guitar Hero template, showcasing the layout and tools for creating Guitar Hero song charts in Power Tab.

Expert
Hard
Medium
Easy

The bass track might be retuned in the template, but if you encounter pitch issues, octave adjustments may be necessary.

Alt text: Power Tab displaying charted notes within the Guitar Hero template, demonstrating note representation and placement in Power Tab for Guitar Hero song creation.

Export the MIDI file from Power Tab using the same export procedure as with TabIt and Guitar Pro.

IV. Editing in Anvil Studio: Merging and Finalizing

Anvil Studio is the next crucial step in preparing your custom Guitar Hero 3 songs. It’s used to merge your charted MIDI with a Guitar Hero template, adjust tempo, and prepare the final MIDI file for game integration.

Open Charted MIDI in Anvil Studio: Launch Anvil Studio and open the MIDI file you exported from TabIt, Guitar Pro, or PowerTab (File/Open Song...).
Merge Guitar Hero Template: Open the appropriate Guitar Hero Anvil Studio template (gh2template.mid for Guitar Hero 2 compatibility, for example) using File/Merge Song....

Alt text: Anvil Studio file menu dropdown with “Merge Song…” option highlighted, indicating the step to merge the charted MIDI with the Guitar Hero template.
Copy Notes to Guitar Track: Switch to the “Compose” view in Anvil Studio. Select the track labeled “TabIt MIDI – Track” (or similar, depending on your tablature program). You should see the notes you charted. Press CTRL+A to select all notes, then CTRL+C to copy them.
Paste Notes to Guitar Hero Track: Select the “PART GUITAR RHYTHM” track (or “PART GUITAR” for single player guitar parts). Press SHIFT+Insert to paste the copied notes into this track. For rhythm guitar parts, “PART GUITAR RHYTHM” is used for demonstration purposes in the original tutorial, but for standard single-player charts, use “PART GUITAR”.
Delete Tablature MIDI Track: The “TabIt MIDI – Track” is no longer needed. To delete it, press ALT, T, D sequentially, then confirm deletion by clicking “Yes” or pressing SPACEBAR.
Set Tempo: In the top toolbar of Anvil Studio, input the BPM you determined earlier (e.g., 210 BPM for “Only for the Weak”).

Alt text: Anvil Studio toolbar highlighting the tempo setting field, showing where to input the BPM value for the song.
Save Anvil Studio File: Save your modified Anvil Studio song (File/Save Song As...). This MIDI file is now closer to being ready for Guitar Hero.

V. Synchronization Check with Guitar Hero Explorer

To test synchronization and gameplay, import your Anvil Studio MIDI and the corresponding song audio into Guitar Hero Explorer (GHEx). Follow steps 6-9 in this tutorial for detailed instructions on importing into GHEx.

After importing, play your custom song in GHEx. If the notes are out of sync, note the offset. You can adjust the offset within GHEx, or, for more precise control, go back to your tablature program (TabIt, etc.). Add or remove a small amount of space before the first note in your chart to shift the timing. Re-export the MIDI, re-process in Anvil Studio, and re-import into GHEx to check synchronization again.

VI. Tempo and Time Signature Changes with MIDI Maestro

For songs with tempo variations or time signature changes, MIDI Maestro is essential.

Open Finalized MIDI in MIDI Maestro: Launch MIDI Maestro (click “No” if prompted to set it as default player). Open your Anvil Studio-processed MIDI file (File/Open...).

Alt text: MIDI Maestro software interface displaying the opened MIDI file, showing tracks and event bars for tempo and time signature manipulation.
View Staff Notation: Go to View/Staff. If notes aren’t visible on the staff, click the number 7 in the track list to display the “PART GUITAR” track.

Alt text: MIDI Maestro interface in Staff View, displaying musical notation of the MIDI file, allowing visual editing of tempo and time signature.
Insert Tempo Changes: To add a tempo change, go to Insert/Tempo. For example, to make the 2nd measure faster and revert to the original tempo in the 3rd measure, configure the tempo change as shown:

Alt text: MIDI Maestro Tempo Change dialog box showing settings for inserting a tempo change at measure 2 and reverting back at measure 3, illustrating tempo adjustments within the song.

To apply a tempo change from a specific measure to the end of the song, set both “Measure” and “To Measure” to the starting measure number.
Insert Time Signature Changes: Similarly, to change the time signature, go to Insert/Meter. Configure the measure range and the new time signature.

Alt text: MIDI Maestro Time Signature dialog box showing settings for inserting a time signature change at measure 2, demonstrating time signature adjustments within the song.

Note: Guitar Hero primarily supports x/4 time signatures. Other time signatures may be interpreted incorrectly by the game, potentially misaligning notes within measures, although the overall sync may not be affected. Time signatures enhance accuracy but are not strictly essential for playability.
Address Unwanted Tracks/Events: MIDI Maestro may introduce unwanted tracks and events. After using MIDI Maestro, re-open your MIDI in Anvil Studio. Delete any newly added tracks. To remove unwanted events, refer to Chapter XIV for accessing the Event List in Anvil Studio and deleting extraneous events.

Alt text: MIDI Maestro track list highlighting unwanted tracks potentially added by the software, indicating the need to remove these extra tracks in Anvil Studio.

Alt text: Anvil Studio Event List view with the “Delete Event” button highlighted, showing the process of removing unwanted MIDI events added by MIDI Maestro.

VII. Adding Star Power

Star Power enhances gameplay and scoring. Here’s how to insert it:

Mark Star Power Sections in Tablature Program: In your tablature program (TabIt, etc.), use the 6th string (Star Power string) to indicate sections where Star Power should be activated.

Alt text: TabIt interface showing Star Power notation on the 6th string within the Guitar Hero template, demonstrating how to mark Star Power sections in tablature.
Export and Import to Anvil Studio: Export the MIDI and import it into Anvil Studio, following the merging and track copying steps from Chapter IV.
Piano Roll View for Star Power: In Anvil Studio, select the “PART GUITAR RHYTHM” (or “PART GUITAR”) track and switch the view from “Compose” to “Piano Roll” using the dropdown menu below the track names.
Adjust Piano Roll View (if needed): If you see limited piano keys, click “add sounds” below the keys, set “Lowest Note” to C5, and “Number of Notes to Show” to 50 to expand the view.
Locate Star Power Bars: In the Piano Roll view, Star Power events are represented by blue bars at the top, typically appearing as short, isolated bars initially.

Alt text: Anvil Studio Piano Roll view highlighting the blue Star Power bars at the top of the interface, showing the initial representation of Star Power events.
Extend Star Power Duration: To create Star Power phrases, drag the right edge of a Star Power bar to extend its duration, encompassing the desired Star Power section. Extend it slightly beyond the last note of the Star Power phrase.

Alt text: Anvil Studio Piano Roll view demonstrating the process of extending the blue Star Power bars to cover a desired phrase, illustrating how to adjust Star Power duration.
Save MIDI: Save your modified MIDI file in Anvil Studio. Star Power is now integrated.

Note: Adding Star Power before difficulties or player positions might require re-adjusting Star Power durations if you re-import the MIDI into Anvil Studio later. Guitar Pro, with its MIDI import capabilities, may retain Star Power data during editing, potentially avoiding this re-adjustment.

VIII. Bass, Rhythm Guitar, and Co-op Charts

Creating charts for Bass, Rhythm Guitar, or Co-op modes is straightforward. Use the provided templates in your chosen tablature program. Chart these parts as you would the main guitar part. When importing into Anvil Studio, copy the notes to the corresponding “PART BASS” or “PART RHYTHM” tracks instead of “PART GUITAR RHYTHM” or “PART GUITAR”.

IX. Incorporating Different Difficulties

To include multiple difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert) in your Guitar Hero 3 song, create each difficulty chart separately within the template.

Alt text: Tablature program interface showing tracks labeled for different difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert), demonstrating separate charting for each difficulty.

When importing into Anvil Studio, you’ll have multiple “TabIt tracks” (or similar). Use Track/Merge... in Anvil Studio to combine the TabIt tracks. Then, copy notes from each merged track to the appropriate “PART” track (PART EASY, PART MEDIUM, PART HARD, PART EXPERT). Delete the merged “TabIt tracks” afterward.

Alt text: Anvil Studio track list showing multiple “TabIt tracks” representing different difficulty levels imported from the tablature program, indicating the need to merge and separate them into Guitar Hero difficulty tracks.

X. Finalizing Your Chart: The “End” Event

The final step ensures your song ends correctly in Guitar Hero 3.

Open in Anvil Studio (One Last Time): Open your completed MIDI in Anvil Studio.
Access Event List: Go to the “Event List” view. Select the “EVENTS” track.

Alt text: Anvil Studio interface in Event List view, highlighting the “EVENTS” track and displaying MIDI events, showing the location of the “end” comment event.

Note: Ensure your “EVENTS” track resembles the example image. Inconsistencies here might cause issues.
Modify “End” Comment: Double-click the “Comments: [end]” (or “Comments: end” in GH1 template) event. A window will appear.

Alt text: Anvil Studio Edit Event window showing the “Comments: [end]” event details, highlighting the numerical value to be adjusted for proper song ending.
Adjust Time Stamp: Modify the number in the second box of the window to ensure the timestamp on the left of “Comments” is at least 1 second after the song’s actual length.

Alt text: Anvil Studio Edit Event window showing the adjusted numerical value for the “Comments: [end]” event, ensuring the timestamp is set slightly after the song’s end for correct in-game behavior.

If the timestamp is too early, the song will end prematurely in-game. If it’s too late, there will be excessive waiting for the “You Rock” message. One second after the song ends is generally ideal.
Save, Import, and Enjoy: Save your final MIDI file. Import it into Guitar Hero Explorer, create your ISO, burn the game, and enjoy your custom Guitar Hero 3 song!

Alt text: In-game screenshot of Guitar Hero gameplay with a custom song, showcasing the successful integration of a custom chart.

Alt text: Another in-game screenshot of Guitar Hero with a custom song, further demonstrating successful custom song implementation and gameplay.

XI. Further Learning Resources

Idiot Proof Guide to playing custom made songs in GH2. (Instructions for playing custom songs on Guitar Hero 1 or 2 DVDs.)
Custom Song FAQ (Answers to common questions about custom songs.)
Guitar Hero MIDI and VGS File Details (In-depth information about Guitar Hero MIDI and VGS file formats.)
Beginner’s Guide to Creating Custom Mids (Anvil Studio focused guide to custom song creation.)
Guitar Pro 5 template – now with Tutorial! (Guitar Pro 5 charting tutorial, also helpful for version 4.x.)

XII. Conclusion

This guide provides a comprehensive approach to creating your own Guitar Hero 3 songs. By utilizing tablature programs, Anvil Studio, and MIDI Maestro, you can bring a vast library of music into your Guitar Hero experience. Remember to experiment, practice, and utilize the provided resources to refine your charting skills. Good luck, and enjoy creating your custom Guitar Hero 3 setlists!

whiskeyface’s Custom Songs | Idiot Proof Guide to MAKING Custom Guitar Hero Songs