Couch Guitar

Couch Guitar is a PyQt6-based application designed for home musicians who want to display song lyrics, guitar tabs, and chords in a teleprompter-style interface. This small, open-source app allows musicians to load text files with lyrics, adjust the font size, control scroll speed, and even record practice sessions with audio playback capabilities.

Features

• Auto-Scrolling Lyrics and Tabs: Display text files with lyrics and chords, and scroll them automatically to follow along while playing.
• Font and Speed Controls: Adjust font size and scrolling speed to suit your preference.
• Audio Recording and Playback: Record practice sessions and play back recorded audio for review.
• Cross-Platform: Works on Windows and Linux.

Installation

Windows

Install directly from PyPI:

pip install couchguitar

Linux

Linux requires PortAudio and FFmpeg for audio functionality. Install system dependencies first:

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install portaudio19-dev ffmpeg
pip install couchguitar

Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install portaudio-devel ffmpeg
pip install couchguitar

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S portaudio ffmpeg
pip install couchguitar

From Source

Clone the repository and install locally:

git clone https://github.com/scottpeterman/couchguitar.git
cd couchguitar
pip install .

Usage

To run the app, simply use the following command in your terminal:

couchguitar

Once launched, use the navigation bar on the left to:

• Load Songs: Load text files with lyrics and chords for display.
• Control Scroll: Play, pause, and adjust scrolling speed.
• Record Audio: Record audio sessions up to 15 minutes and save as .wav.

Example

Here's an example of Couch Guitar in use:

Troubleshooting

Linux Audio Issues

If you encounter audio problems on Linux, verify your setup:

python -c "import sounddevice as sd; print(sd.query_devices())"

This should list your available audio devices. If it fails:

• Ensure PulseAudio or PipeWire is running
• Check that your user is in the audio group: groups $USER
• Try selecting a specific device in your system's audio settings

Missing FFmpeg

Audio file loading requires FFmpeg. Verify installation:

ffmpeg -version

If not found, install it using your package manager (see Linux installation above) or download from ffmpeg.org.

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.