Hi Dr Scardo!
I’m a longtime Dorico user (the grand senior thing tells something about it…) but I never had a chance to try guitar notation before I read your post. Granted, I have Dorico Pro. But I did not use any Engraving mode thing, and as far as I know, there are no limitations about the nature of the instruments between Elements and Pro.
I’m afraid to tell you what you have written is not accurate (if not plain wrong).
I attach a little zipped file with both ukulele and banjo. You can unzip it and open it in your Dorico trial. By the way, I found this experience quite fun 
and I did not add guitar diagrams, but I’ve seen how easy it is…
It might be worth to try again harder, because Dorico does deliver (if this is really what you are looking for). And you’ll find a great community here willing to help you if need be, starting by myself
ukulele and banjo.dorico.zip (428 KB)
There really is no necessity for having indications over hammers, pull offs and slides. A slur for H and PO should suffice. And a straight line for slides. The less clutter the better!
If more were made of the existing option to open Dorico 3 Pro as Elements with a special keypress (and assuming this is available on the demo too) perhaps more people would download the Pro demo so they could try both.
Thanks for taking the time to reply and of course to experiment with the TAB for Uke etc.
Sadly, whilst I can open the file, and see the TAB you created, I cannot add a TAB instrument in a new file other than 6 string guitar. I should have made it clear in my post that I can see Banjo & Uke, but not with TAB. When I searched “help” in Dorico I got the instructions to load just this one instrument, menu: “File/New From Template/Solo/Guitar with Tablature” - no other TAB choices, and within the all instrument selections in “add Player” mode, under fretted, there is the Banjo, and Ukulele but not with TAB. Seems a poor decision on Steinberg’s part, and definitely not going to give Guitar Pro a run for their money! Unless there’s another way of adding the TAB once the instrument is loaded? If so it should have shown up in the help search.
It’s a shame as the only complaint I have with GP to be honest is the lyric handling. I am primarily writing scores for songs and small ensembles. I watched the video about Dorico’s handling and flexibility with lyrics with interest. It’s clumsy in Guitar Pro, an otherwise extremely fast and intuitive scoring program. Not using it for large orchestral works so I cannot say how it may fare in that department - but for smaller ensembles and guitar or other fretted instruments with vocals it’s pretty good (apart from the lyrics!) - I’ve used Sibelius in the past for larger scores and hated it. Managed to work with it but oh what a mess of commands spread all over the place. And I’ve scored with early versions of Cubase Score back in the 90s (my first degree nearly missed its deadline due to the vagaries of Cubase Score in those early days!) so I’m not unfamiliar with these programs. In the end it’s what gets the job done that gets bought. I can manage the lyric clumsiness in GP for now, as a trade off for super fast fretted tabbing, and the finished scores look pretty fine printed out. But I can see that Dorico could provide an even slicker finished printed product. If money were no object…!
Dear Dr Scardo,
Please do not jump on conclusions like that. The problem is you don’t know how to add TAB notation. Go to Layout options (cmd-shift-L)>Players>Fretted instrument and choose the option you want to see in the Layout chosen on the right panel of that dialog.
Dorico is a very complex and magnificent piece of software. It takes time to learn how to use it, but it’s worth it. I tell you that, and am a simple user, I’m not endorsed by Steinberg in any way…
If you’re really interested into Guitar notation, pick the Version History document and read carefully everything about guitar notation, it should not be too long, but everything is in there pp.16-30. http://download.steinberg.net/automated_updates/sda_downloads/b58aedfd-7860-4d3c-9fe8-f6a6dd0dd285/Dorico_3.0_Version_History.pdf
Once you’ve learned how to use the program, we’ll talk again about what Guitar Pro (or others) should think or provide or… well frankly, that’s not the point in this forum. We’re here to answer questions about Dorico 
It’s certainly possible to write directly in tabs. This is also described in the version history document linked by Marc.
Thanks Marc, have just done that and of course you are right! But then my frustration would be avoided if the program help menu showed this attribute - all it showed me was what I mentioned before. Odd that the manual doesn’t automatically install - it’s not an option in the Steinberg Download Assistant, and under the Help menu you just get the online basic stuff and the guided tour. I had to search for it online and have now downloaded, so I’ll spend some time with it see how it goes. I have to say it’s little (but very important!) things like the help menu not being a comprehensive manual (or a link to one) that slows learning, creates frustration and puts one off the product…just my thoughts!
Thanks again for your input!
Dr Scardo, the manual can’t keep up with the release schedule. For new functionality you need to refer to the Version History (which you did have the opportunity to download when you installed Dorico). It’s available online, too, here
Or in post #25, Leo
Well the good Doctor really can’t miss it, then…
(I note that you’ve linked to the 3.0.0 Version History. I’ve linked to the 3.0.1 Version History).
Not sure how it works on Windows, but on Mac, Help > Dorico Help should take you directly to the full manual. As Leo said, the manual does not yet cover all new features of version 3, but a whole lot of it is already in there, including a few subjects on tablature. If you prefer the pdf version of the manual, you can find it here, page 683.
Thanks Anders ! I did not even realize that the manual for Dorico 3 was out !
Thank you, Marc, for your post and willingness to help other users. I am a guitar player and have been up to now a user of Sibelius, because of its great and extended tablature functions. I am wondering if Dorico offers the same flexibility and comfort of use. ?
Thanks,
Pierre
Hi!
I used to use Sib too and I am glad I can stick with Dorico now… Of course, you will need to relearn workflows which can seem painful at the start — especially a new set of keyboard shortcuts. But do this effort, it has proven rewarding to many of us Doricians.
And you can ask the forum anytime, you will promptly get an useful answer.
Thanks, Marc but could you or anyone respond to my question regarding the guitar tablature functions in Dorico vs Sibelius?
Cheers, Pierre
I believe Dorico’s abilities with tablature are more advanced. This is what the team has said, and — as you probably know— it’s the same team that has been working on Sibelius up to 2012.
Could you provide us with a detailed project that you want to make in Dorico?
There are many videos on YouTube (made by Anthony Hughes or John Barron), some of which deal with advanced tablature notation.
Cheers for this/
Yes, I am aware that this is the founding team creating Sibelius who has worked and launched Dorico. Defenetely a good sign! I will check these videos and if needed will provide a sample of the kind of work I do with Sibelius’ tabs functions.
Thanks!
Pierre
Welcome Pierre
For me the greatest Change/improvement in Dorico is the link between Notation and Tab, when you edit one the other is edited immediately, no more orphans!!
As a guitar teacher I have been using Sib since 3.0 and Dorico since 1.0 the charts I’m writing for my students are various Rock, jazz, electric guitar solos, and also a lot of fingerstyle …
Not a lot of DADGAD or other open tunings though but I have some. When there is open tuning involved I use a Notation and Tab layout , enter the music in the tab staff . and when standard tuning I enter the music in notation and set, edit the Tab/string/fret afterwords.
I can send you some of my transcriptions privately if you want to.
Claude
www.guitare-nyon.ch
Is there any scope for changing the fret position guitar tablature to include letters? In this case I’m looking at using a C (or C1 and C2) to indicate frets with a capo. Thanks.
Welcome to the forum, Joseph. This isn’t a convention I’ve seen before. Would you be able to upload a picture or two of how it looks in practice? Does every fingering get preceded with a C? Is this only for half-capos where some of the strings are not affected by the capo?