Is alphaTab able to show Pinch Harmonics as a P.H. Text or only currently A.H. when available?

[AvaTheArchitect]

Hi Daniel,

I’m running into an issue with how alphaTab is handling harmonics—specifically Pinch (P.H.) and Artificial (A.H.) harmonics. I’ve tested this on both Vite and Next.js using v1.8.1.

The main issue is that while I see harmonic glyphs being engraved (SMuFL e4e3/e4e4), note.harmonicType is returning 0. It feels like these are being treated as "visual-only" elements rather than being mapped semantically in the model.

Additionally, the placement seems off. In some cases, when I tested adding my own overlay since they appeared to be missing the (P.H.) an "H." overlay is appearing on empty bars or bars with whole rests. In other files, the P.H. marker is being rendered far away from where the actual notes are (see attached image).

I noticed that while GP8 files seem to struggle with this, even older formats like GP3 are showing these as A.H. rather than specific P.H. pinch harmonics which of course a very different techniques. Is there a specific field we should be looking at for P.H./A.H. data, or is this a bug in how these are parsed into the model?

This first one is an example of the gp file in which the player shows the P.H. and a dash rail after. Which is not really needed as you would with a P.M continuation.

However, now borrowing this LouisLam Vite system in this image above it did not Render and show a P.H. or an A.H. here

And here is my last example this is a gp3 file of the same Ozzy No More Tears and instead of showing the P.H. it is showing these as an A.H. which is not correct...However this could be due to the original tab user who created it but not sure.

Does alphaTab have the ability to show the (P.H.) currently?

Thank you!

[Danielku15]

tl;dr: Provide me the respective file and I can do some tests on some guitar pro versions and applications to check whether we do something wrong in alphaTab, or if platforms like Songsterr have some custom assumptions.

Deeper background info

We map the text based on the harmonics type:

alphaTab/packages/alphatab/src/rendering/effects/HarmonicsEffectInfo.ts

Lines 81 to 92 in f8ef24f

	case HarmonicType.Natural:
	return 'N.H.';
	case HarmonicType.Artificial:
	return 'A.H.';
	case HarmonicType.Pinch:
	return 'P.H.';
	case HarmonicType.Tap:
	return 'T.H.';
	case HarmonicType.Semi:
	return 'S.H.';
	case HarmonicType.Feedback:
	return 'Fdbk.';

The first public available docs of Guitar Pro formats (shared by Arobas Music) was for GP4 and there harmonics are documented very special:

Harmonics:			Byte
	If the bit 4 of the second header byte is true, the information linked to
        the harmonics is stored here and is coded like this:
		- 0:  None
		- 1:  Natural
		- 15: Artificial+5
		- 17: Artificial+7
		- 22: Artificial+12
		- 3:  Tapped
		- 4:  Pitch
		- 5:  Semi

https://dguitar.sourceforge.net/GP4format.html

GP4 introduced per note harmonics as per-spec, and GP5 changed things to be more explicit.
https://github.com/CoderLine/alphaTab/blob/develop/packages/alphatab/src/importer/Gp3To5Importer.ts#L1437-L1489

GP3 (as of my knowledge) only had beat-level harmonics and there we have only Natural and Artificial in place. No further differentiation on type:

alphaTab/packages/alphatab/src/importer/Gp3To5Importer.ts

Lines 1024 to 1031 in f8ef24f

	if (this._versionNumber < 400) {
	if ((flags & 0x04) !== 0) {
	return HarmonicType.Natural;
	}
	if ((flags & 0x08) !== 0) {
	return HarmonicType.Artificial;
	}
	}

I might be able to do some deeper analysis if you provide me the file you test with.

[Danielku15]

Instant update, was able to dig out an old Guitar Pro 3 demo. GP3 had only "Natural" and "Articial Harmonics". the P.H. in Songsterr (I assume from the screenshot) is either a bug or a custom quirk they added:

[AvaTheArchitect]

While Guitar Pro 3 might only specify "Natural" and "Artificial Harmonics," these are definitely Pinch Harmonics (P.H.) on the actual recordings. Zakk Wylde frequently demonstrates his signature pinch technique on YouTube, using the tip of his thumb and pick to achieve those specific high-pitched squeals (especially on the low E string, fret 3). I believe Songsterr has corrected this rather than it being a bug or quirk. You can see Zakk and other teachers demonstrating this technique in the following videos: - https://youtu.be/eC53aquSWeM?si=WaSRk0ZY-Wo3WB_k - https://youtu.be/JI7AQYhX0Rg?si=jOm9bFwq8m0-rCed - https://youtu.be/mX_8p7NaibQ?si=8_HlGO3h6qvDiYeV Given that these are intended to be Pinch Harmonics, what does it mean for alphaTab if they are not currently showing up that way? Best regards

…

On Fri, Apr 24, 2026 at 10:06 AM Daniel Kuschny ***@***.***> wrote: Instant update, was able to dig out an old Guitar Pro 3 demo. GP3 had only "Natural" and "Articial Harmonics". the P.H. in Songsterr (I assume from the screenshot) is either a bug or a custom quirk they added: image.png (view on web) <https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f30e6010-1b13-4f71-87e5-684f32ebf7e0> — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#2667 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BNLESQGW2ENTHHZP6ZFTJGD4XONJXAVCNFSM6AAAAACYFM3C3SVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMNZQGQ2TSMQ> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[AvaTheArchitect]

Hi Daniel, I've looked into this further, and it appears that Guitar Pro 3 lacked a dedicated option for Pinch Harmonics (P.H.), which likely wasn't introduced until GP5 or GPX. In older versions, "Artificial Harmonic" (A.H.) was often used as a catch-all term for any harmonic not played on an open string. While software sometimes groups them together, they are distinct techniques: - Natural Harmonics (N.H.): Produced on open strings by lightly touching a node point. - Artificial Harmonics (A.H.): A "harp harmonic" where you fret a note with the left hand and touch a node point with the right. - Pinch Harmonics (P.H.): The aggressive "squeal" created by striking the string with the pick and grazing it with the thumb. The technical confusion likely stems from a compatibility gap between modern formats and the GP3 engine. Songsterr probably uses a newer format (GP5 or GPX) that treats P.H. as a unique attribute. Since GP3 only recognizes Natural and Artificial, it likely forces P.H. data into the A.H. category or ignores it. In older Guitar Pro versions, users would typically select "Artificial Harmonic" and adjust the playback sound to mimic a pinch harmonic. If alphaTab is strictly following the GP3 spec, it might not have a slot for P.H. data. It might be worth looking into how GP5 handles the Pinch Harmonic flag, as that is likely what modern files are using. Best regards

…

On Fri, Apr 24, 2026 at 10:06 AM Daniel Kuschny ***@***.***> wrote: Instant update, was able to dig out an old Guitar Pro 3 demo. GP3 had only "Natural" and "Articial Harmonics". the P.H. in Songsterr (I assume from the screenshot) is either a bug or a custom quirk they added: image.png (view on web) <https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f30e6010-1b13-4f71-87e5-684f32ebf7e0> — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#2667 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BNLESQGW2ENTHHZP6ZFTJGD4XONJXAVCNFSM6AAAAACYFM3C3SVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMNZQGQ2TSMQ> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[Danielku15]

I answered this already, you might wanna read my replies. Most details covered.

If you wanna change this behavior, you need to add this to your app (check for .GP3 and rewrite the model after load to your preferences). We currently adhere to what the model describes. Might he worth checking if GP5-8 also have some quirks to convert A.H. to other variants based on some rules, but if not, we do things correct in alphaTab.

[AvaTheArchitect]

Hi Daniel, I apologize for the oversight; I saw your first response before reading the second one with the additional details. I've confirmed on guitar-pro.com that GP7 and GP8 now include "P.H." as a distinct option in the editor's harmonic drop-down menu. I found a tutorial https://travelingguitarist.com/guide-to-pinch-tap-semi-natural-harmonics-in-guitar-pro/#:~:text=Using%20the%20Toolbar%20To%20Make,to%20create%20the%20natural%20harmonic demonstrating this workflow. While I'm not sure how these versions handle conversions from older GP3 or GP5 files, it is clear that modern formats now explicitly support Pinch harmonics. Regarding alphaTab, since HarmonicType.Pinch is already defined in HarmonicsEffectInfo, the issue seems to be with the importer mapping. In our probes of the file, the pinch harmonic beats are present in the model, but they appear as: - note.harmonicValue = 3.2 or 4 - note.harmonicType = 0 (None) Because the type is set to 0, the renderer never produces the "P.H." label. This occurs in track 0 at measures 27, 35, 63, 136, and 144 (13 unique beatIds). Please let me know if you want me to shoot you over a repo with the .gp file you requested. Once loaded, you should be able to reproduce this by inspecting those measures and checking why note.isHarmonic or note.harmonicType isn't being set despite the non-zero harmonicValue. Thanks again for your help—I’m happy to test a fix. Best regards, Brett

…

On Fri, Apr 24, 2026 at 1:26 PM Daniel Kuschny ***@***.***> wrote: I answered this already, you might wanna read my replies. Most details covered. If you wanna change this behavior, you need to add this to your app (check for .GP3 and rewrite the model after load to your preferences). We currently adhere to what the model describes. Might he worth checking if GP5-8 also have some quirks to convert A.H. to other variants based on some rules, but if not, we do things correct in alphaTab. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#2667 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BNLESQGVPL5EGJUKSBJK4T34XPEXFAVCNFSM6AAAAACYFM3C3SVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMNZQGY2DCNQ> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[Danielku15]

This is what GP8 does when Importing a GP3.

I think the missing feature in alphaTab is to do the correct mapping of the harmonic value. We detect the artificial harmonic correctly, but do not assign the harmonic value based on the note:

Added #2689

[AvaTheArchitect]

A.H/ P.H. / Harmonic Mapping Side New Discoveries:

While testing the same GP files, I found that alphaTab can render P.H. labels and dashed harmonic rails when the data maps through correctly.

It was during this time that the recent discussion of the Pinch Harmonics first appeared in the Vite system. It seems that for GP8 files that they may either be ignored or possibly a mapping issue as you alluded to earlier:

Evidence & Findings:

1. GP8 vs. GP7 Encoding: Even though the UI menu for "Artificial Harmonics" (as seen in my attached GP7 screenshot) is identical in both versions, the underlying XML data for a "Pinch" selection in GP8 is not being recognized by alphaTab.
2. The "Stripping" Effect: In the GP8 source file, the P.H. is present. Once rendered in alphaTab/Vite, the note remains, but the harmonic attribute and the "rail" (dashed line) disappear.
3. The Workaround Proof: I manually re-applied the Pinch Harmonic using Guitar Pro 7 and saved the file. This "GP7-formatted" data loaded perfectly into the Vite/alphaTab system without being stripped.

Another screenshot from Extreme — “Rise” where P.H. renders correctly in multiple places.

The interesting part is that when I upload a GP8 version, the P.H. markings disappear again. That makes me think alphaTab can display P.H., but certain GP8 harmonic data may not be mapping through correctly.

This screenshot shows where I found the Pinch Harmonic option inside Guitar Pro.

It is located under the Artificial Harmonic panel. From there, the harmonic type can be changed from Artificial to Pinch.

That was helpful because it confirmed that Guitar Pro treats Pinch Harmonic as a specific harmonic type inside the same harmonic editor, rather than as a separate free-text marking.

For this test, I left the Pinch Harmonic settings at the default values and pressed Enter to apply it.

I only did this as a quick proof-of-concept to see how Guitar Pro would encode and display the P.H. marking. The important part is that Guitar Pro immediately created the P.H. label and harmonic rail from the built-in harmonic settings, without needing to add it as Free Text.

I was expecting Guitar Pro to add a simple “P.H.” label similar to how A.H. appears, but it actually added the full dashed harmonic rail directly above the full bend on fret 7.

Important note: this Van Halen example does not actually require a pinch harmonic musically. I only used it as a quick demo/discovery test to see how Guitar Pro would encode and display the P.H. marking.

I saved this test version and loaded it into the Vite system as well. That is why Van Halen — “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love” appears twice in the Vite repo/test library.

The useful discovery is that this GPX/GP7-style file was not stripped on load. The P.H. label and dashed rail stayed visible in Vite/alphaTab. That is different from the GP8 files where the P.H. data appears to disappear or not map through correctly after loading.

P.H. / A.H. harmonic mapping side note

Here is the same Van Halen test file loaded in the Vite/alphaTab system.

A couple of things stand out:

• The P.H. marking does render, which is great.
• However, the vertical order changes compared to Guitar Pro. In Guitar Pro, the P.H. rail sits closer to the bend where it was added. In Vite/alphaTab, the P.H. appears at the very top.
• The chord names are also displaced compared to Guitar Pro, where they sit more cleanly.

This test seems to confirm two things:

1. alphaTab can render the P.H. marking/rail when the file data maps through correctly.
2. The remaining issue may involve vertical ordering/lane placement after import/rendering, especially when chord names, harmonic markings, bend markings, and other overlays are all present.

Additional GP7 evidence:

Guitar Pro 7 has a harmonic type selector with separate options:

• Artificial
• Pinch
• Tap
• Semi
• Feedback

In the Van Halen file, Guitar Pro 7 shows the harmonic as “Pinch,” with sounding note C# and right-hand fret 19. This appears to correspond to P.H. notation in the score.

So there may be two related but separate areas to look at:

1. Harmonic value / sounding-note mapping.
2. Harmonic type / display mapping, especially distinguishing Pinch Harmonic / P.H. from Artificial Harmonic / A.H.

However, in some GP8 files, the P.H. marking appears to disappear or not map through correctly after loading. The note remains, but the harmonic marking/rail does not appear.

This suggests the issue may not be display support in general, because alphaTab can render P.H. in some files. The issue may be GP8 harmonic type import/mapping or source-model encoding.

[Danielku15]

Please open a bug report with the files you test with and the exact steps to reproduce (project setup). Not sure what exactly is "alphaTab/Vite" and "Vite system" for you. I created a new file in Guitar Pro 8 (8.1.5 Build 31), added a pinch harmonic and it's read correctly in my test environments (playground using Vite 17 with Dev Server, Sample Projects I have floating around with alphaTab+Vite)

[AvaTheArchitect]

I'm on it! Just to clarify my wording: When I said “alphaTab/Vite,” I meant a separate minimal alphaTab test harness running in Vite. That LouisLam It's My Tabs Vite setup currently uses: ***@***.***/alphatab-vite": "~1.8.1" Our main Maestro.ai app is Next.js/Webpack and currently uses: ***@***.***/alphatab": "^1.8.1", ***@***.***/alphatab-webpack": "^1.8.1" So I’ve been using the Vite harness as a cleaner comparison point against the larger Maestro.ai Next/Webpack integration. That lets me separate: 1. alphaTab behavior in a minimal Vite setup, from 2. behavior caused by our Maestro.ai Next.js/Webpack app integration. I’ll make that clear in the bug report and include which environment each screenshot comes from.

…

On Mon, May 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM Daniel Kuschny ***@***.***> wrote: Please open a bug report with the files you test with and the exact steps to reproduce (project setup). Not sure what exactly is "alphaTab/Vite" and "Vite system" for you. I created a new file in Guitar Pro 8 (8.1.5 Build 31), added a pinch harmonic and it's read correctly in my test environments (playground using Vite 17 with Dev Server, Sample Projects I have floating around with alphaTab+Vite) image.png (view on web) <https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/57a0a061-3712-4bf9-8c41-8c053d270a83> — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#2667 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BNLESQGBA52G4WLLW6G4LA34ZDSFLAVCNFSM6AAAAACYFM3C3SVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTMOBQHA4DGNQ> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>