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Topic: Classical guitar specific notation (Read 4375 times) previous topic - next topic

Classical guitar specific notation

I am evaluating the program to write classical guitar music. I would need some special characters to display the string numbers, left hand finger numbers, right hand finger numbers, fret positions, finger sliding, tremolos etc. Is there another way than using the text function?

I need full control on multiple voices on the same staff because I sometimes have to write up to three different voices (melody, accompaniment and bass). Will it be possible?

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #1 –
A nuts-and-bolts answer is...
Special characters can be "imported" by using the Text feature and specifying a font which contains the characters you need. Unfortunately, the text function is the only means at the moment.

The current experimental feature of multiple voices, as far as I see it, will only pair staffs. What do you do with three, anyway? Certainly you can have multiple notes on one staff, so maybe needing three is not necessary.

Unfortunately, I can't think of any guitar notation programs out there short of going to Cubasis or something expensive like that, but I'd be interested to know if there is a shareware one around. ie maybe you should have a bit more of a look to see if there is some software that more easily matches your needs.

Andrew

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #2 –
The staff layering feature will allow you to layer three (or more) staves, but the result would be difficult for any player/performer to interpret.

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #3 –
I think that the problem with NoteWorthy is that it adjusts
the positions of the old notes when new one is entered
which when combined with constraint that only two notes
of different durations can be combined in chords effectively
precludes having multiple voicing that is common in guitar
music.
One solution would be to add a "ruler" option and allow
notes to be positioned with respect to that ruler and not
each other. That would allow complete independence of
voices.
Somebody offered recently a solution to enter guitar score
on 6 different staffs (one string per staf) but that is
a rather cumbersome task.

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #4 –
By far the easiest way I've found is to use a piano-roll-type editor. Note lengths can easily be dragged to whatever is desired. This also makes it easy to drag the entire note for arpeggiated chords, another typically guitaristic device.

Such an editor is pretty high on my wish-list for NWC.

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #5 –
goal of the music notation software creators is to make money. They would have you believe that guitar notation can be achieved with this or that ridiculous and exspensive program, like 'cakewalk guitar studio', but the best you can get out of these programs is the same old mutiple part staffing. I wish some of these millionaire music software creators would concentrate on a guitar notation program that actually is what it's named. To bad that money is the motivating force behind these software giants. It has always been my belief that money is the enemy of art.
At this rate of development, I may conceive a program myself... I just might... I think I'll have to...

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #6 –
........................ (if I only had the money)!

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #7 –
There's a free (I believe) program called "Power Tab" by Fred Larsen. I don't play guitar, but the program looks like the sort of thing that might interest guitarists. It can be found through searching.

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #8 –
To puzzled:  If you do create that program, make sure that you don't spell things to bad in the help file.

Re: Classical guitar specific notation

Reply #9 –
I write a lot of classical guitar parts in NWC and find it perfectly adequate. I don't think I've ever had to use more than two staves, though I can imagine situations where you might.

Check out some of Fred Nachbauer's scores in the Scriptorium to see what you can do if you take a little trouble. Fred is also concerned with what the scores SOUND like (which usually necessitates using hidden staves) , whereas I'm just looking for something that will look OK when printed - an easier goal. I find that using two sizes of Boxmarks2, some of the extended symbols available with the alt keys, and a font like the Symbol one that comes with Windows gives me the extras I need.