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Topic: Guitar notation (Read 3389 times) previous topic - next topic

Guitar notation

Is there a way to specify a chord pluck on guitar versus a strum? I'm working on something of an acoustic pop song with some plucked chords and thought I'd ask about proper notation...

-m

Re: Guitar notation

Reply #1 –
I checked the Gardner Read book on notation, without luck... I would suggest writing the finger abbreviations in front of their proper note heads in italics (p=pinky, m/r/i etc.) and possibly adding a footnote the first time the notation comes in to effect.

If you find any "official" answers, please post them here - I would be interested to see what others think regarding this techinque.

-j

Re: Guitar notation

Reply #2 –
Nonono! Pinky is not normally used in plucking. Too wimpy. It just kind of provides "ballast" :) The exception is the occasional five-string arpeggiated chord.

Some guitarists use the pinky to prop against the guitar body, but that's not usually considered good practise.

The standard designations for guitar fingers are p-i-m-a :

  • p - thumb (not pinky) after Latin "pullex" (IIRC)
  • i - index
  • m - middle
  • a - ring (annulus?)
To try to answer Maciek's question, it doesn't often come up in notation, mainly because guitarists usually only use either pick-style or finger-style. (Guitarists that started out using picks tend to be especially handicapped in this respect.) I'd simply put a short note to the guitarist such as "(Finger Style)", using the p-i-m-a notation as needed in any points of ambiguity. When returning to pick solos or strumming, just say "picked".

Whatever you write, most guitarists will just ignore it anyway and muddle through as best they can...

Re: Guitar notation

Reply #3 –
"Whatever you write, most guitarists will just ignore it anyway and muddle through as best they can..."

I guess *that*'s really the definitive answer here =)... Thanks, Fred.

-m

Re: Guitar notation

Reply #4 –
Fred Nachbaur wrote:
The standard designations for guitar fingers are p-i-m-a :
[followed by the probable latin origins]

I don't know this guitar notation, but I can say that it would be very easy to remember for french-speakink people.

  • p - pouce
  • i - index
  • m - majeur
  • a - annulaire

Re: Guitar notation

Reply #5 –
The p-i-m-a are probably originally from the Spanish, though the initials are the same as French or Latin. Whatever. When the little finger is used, the indication is either "c" or "x". Hardly anyone does use it.

In classical guitar notation, it's assumed that notes are all plucked, and arrows or wavy lines or the word "rasguedo" are used to indicate strummed chords. A lot of finger-pickers have done some classical guitar, and are familiar with these conventions. If you're writing for a pop guitarist who can read "grapes", as I heard one Celtic musician call written-out chords, I agree that Fred's suggestion is the most useful approach.

Re: Guitar notation

Reply #6 –
i am eger to know the simplest notation og the guitar . i am not familiar to guitar tabs thats why i want to know.will you please help me out?
thank you.....
email me at bennyzmathew@msn.com