1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
3 Translation of GIT committish: FILL-IN-HEAD-COMMITTISH
5 When revising a translation, copy the HEAD committish of the
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11 @node Fretted string instruments
12 @section Fretted string instruments
14 @lilypondfile[quote]{fretted-headword.ly}
16 This section discusses several aspects of music notation that are unique
17 to fretted string instruments.
20 @cindex guitar tablature
23 * Common notation for fretted strings::
28 @node Common notation for fretted strings
29 @subsection Common notation for fretted strings
31 This section discusses common notation that is unique
32 to fretted string instruments.
35 * References for fretted strings::
36 * String number indications::
37 * Default tablatures::
40 * Right-hand fingerings::
43 @node References for fretted strings
44 @subsubsection References for fretted strings
46 Music for fretted string instruments is normally notated on
47 a single staff, either in traditional music notation or in
48 tablature. Sometimes the two types are combined, and it is
49 especially common in popular music to use chord diagrams above
50 a staff of traditional notation. The guitar and the banjo are
51 transposing instruments, sounding an octave lower than written.
52 Scores for these instruments should use the @code{"treble_8"} clef.
53 Some other elements pertinent to fretted string instruments
54 are covered elsewhere:
57 @item Fingerings are indicated with @ref{Fingering instructions}.
59 @item Instructions for @notation{Laissez vibrer} ties
60 as well as ties on arpeggios and tremolos is described in
63 @item Instructions on handling multiple voices is described
64 in @ref{Collision resolution}.
71 @ref{Instrument names},
72 @ref{Writing music in parallel},
73 @ref{Fingering instructions},
76 @ref{List of articulations},
79 @node String number indications
80 @subsubsection String number indications
82 @cindex String numbers
84 The string on which a note should be played may be indicated by
85 appending @code{\@var{number}} to a note inside a chord construct
88 @warning{String numbers @strong{must} be defined inside a chord
89 construct even if there is only a single note.}
91 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=0]
97 When fingerings and string indications are used together, their
98 placement is controlled by the order in which the two items appear
101 @lilypond[verbatim,quote,relative=1]
109 @lilypondfile[verbatim,lilyquote,texidoc,doctitle]
110 {controlling-the-placement-of-chord-fingerings.ly}
112 @lilypondfile[verbatim,lilyquote,texidoc,doctitle]
113 {allowing-fingerings-to-be-printed-inside-the-staff.ly}
118 @ref{Fingering instructions}.
121 @rlsr{Fretted strings}.
124 @rinternals{StringNumber},
125 @rinternals{Fingering}.
128 @node Default tablatures
129 @subsubsection Default tablatures
130 @cindex Tablatures, basic
131 @cindex Tablatures, default
133 Tablature notation is used for notating music for plucked string
134 instruments. Pitches are not denoted with note heads, but by
135 numbers indicating on which string and fret a note must be played.
136 LilyPond offers limited support for tablature.
138 The string number associated with a note is given as a backslash
139 followed by a number. By default, string 1 is the highest,
140 and the tuning defaults to the standard guitar tuning (with 6 strings).
141 The notes are printed as tablature, by using @code{TabStaff} and
142 @code{TabVoice} contexts
144 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
151 @funindex minimumFret
155 When no string is specified for a note, the note is assigned to
156 the lowest string that can generate the note with a fret number
157 greater than or equal to @code{minimumFret} is selected. The
158 default value for @code{minimumFret} is 0.
161 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
163 \new Staff \relative c {
168 \new TabStaff \relative c {
170 \set TabStaff.minimumFret = #5
178 The direction of stems is controlled the same way in tablature as
179 in traditional notation. Beams can be made horizontal:
181 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
187 \override Beam #'damping = #100000
194 Polyphony is created the same way in a @code{TabStaff} as in a
197 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
198 upper = \relative c' {
202 r4. r8 e, fis g16 b g e e' b c b a g fis e
205 lower = \relative c {
208 r16 e d c b a g4 fis8 e fis g a b c
213 \new StaffGroup = "tab with traditional" <<
214 \new Staff = "guitar traditional" <<
216 \context Voice = "upper" \upper
217 \context Voice = "lower" \lower
219 \new TabStaff = "guitar tab" <<
220 \context TabVoice = "upper" \upper
221 \context TabVoice = "lower" \lower
234 @rlsr{Fretted strings}.
237 @rinternals{TabNoteHead},
238 @rinternals{TabStaff},
239 @rinternals{TabVoice},
244 Chords are not handled in a special way, and hence the automatic
245 string selector may easily select the same string for two notes in
248 In order to handle @code{\partcombine}, a @code{TabStaff} must use
249 specially-created voices:
251 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
252 melodia = \partcombine { e4 g g g }{ e4 e e e }
255 \new TabVoice = "one" s1
256 \new TabVoice = "two" s1
257 \new TabVoice = "shared" s1
258 \new TabVoice = "solo" s1
265 @node Custom tablatures
266 @subsubsection Custom tablatures
267 @cindex Tablatures, custom
269 You can change the tuning of the strings. A string tuning is
270 given as a Scheme list with one integer number for each string,
271 the number being the pitch (measured in semitones relative to
272 middle C) of an open string. The numbers specified for
273 @code{stringTunings} are the numbers of semitones to subtract or
274 add, starting the specified pitch by default middle C, in string
275 order. LilyPond automatically calculates the number of strings by
276 looking at @code{stringTunings}.
278 In the next example, @code{stringTunings} is set for the pitches
281 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
283 \set TabStaff.stringTunings = #'(-5 -10 -15 -20)
285 a,4 c' a e' e c' a e'
290 LilyPond comes with predefined string tunings for banjo, mandolin,
291 guitar and bass guitar. Lilypond automatically sets the correct
292 transposition for predefined tunings. The following example is
293 for bass guitar, which sounds an octave lower than written.
295 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,verbatim]
304 \set TabStaff.stringTunings = #bass-tuning
312 The default string tuning is @code{guitar-tuning} (the standard
313 EADGBE tuning). Some other predefined tunings are
314 @code{guitar-open-g-tuning}, @code{mandolin-tuning} and
315 @code{banjo-open-g-tuning}.
320 @rlsr{Fretted strings}.
322 The file @file{scm/@/output@/-lib@/.scm} contains the predefined string
325 Internals Reference: @rinternals{Tab_note_heads_engraver}.
329 No guitar special effects have been implemented.
334 @subsubsection Fret diagrams
335 @cindex fret diagrams
336 @cindex chord diagrams
338 Fret diagrams can be added to music as a markup to the desired
339 note. The markup contains information about the desired fret
340 diagram. There are three different fret-diagram markup
341 interfaces: standard, terse, and verbose. The three interfaces
342 produce equivalent markups, but have varying amounts of
343 information in the markup string. Details about the markup
344 interfaces are found at @ref{Text markup commands}.
346 The following example shows the three fret-diagram markup
347 interfaces, along with examples of common tweaks. For example,
348 the size of the verbose fret diagram is reduced to 0.75, and the
349 finger indications are specified to appear below the diagram. The
350 terse diagram includes tweaks to specify placement of finger code
353 @lilypond[verbatim,ragged-right,quote]
356 d^\markup \fret-diagram #"6-x;5-x;4-o;3-2;2-3;1-2;"
358 fis^\markup \override #'(size . 0.75) {
359 \override #'(finger-code . below-string) {
360 \fret-diagram-verbose #'((place-fret 6 2 1) (barre 6 1 2)
369 c^\markup \override #'(dot-radius . 0.35) {
370 \override #'(finger-code . in-dot) {
371 \override #'(dot-color . white) {
372 \fret-diagram-terse #"x;3-1-(;5-2;5-3;5-4;3-1-);"
380 You can set a number of graphical properties according to your preference.
381 Details about the property interface to fret diagrams are found at
382 @rinternals{fret-diagram-interface}.
388 @rlsr{Fretted strings}.
390 @node Right-hand fingerings
391 @subsubsection Right-hand fingerings
393 Right-hand fingerings @var{p-i-m-a} must be entered within a
394 chord construct @code{<>} for them to be printed in the score,
395 even when applied to a single note.
397 @warning{There @strong{must} be a hyphen after the note and a space
398 before the closing @code{>}.}
400 @lilypond[quote,verbatim,relative=0]
402 <c-\rightHandFinger #1 >4
403 <e-\rightHandFinger #2 >
404 <g-\rightHandFinger #3 >
405 <c-\rightHandFinger #4 >
406 <c,-\rightHandFinger #1 e-\rightHandFinger #2 g-\rightHandFinger #3 c-\rightHandFinger #4 >1
409 For convenience, you can abbreviate @code{\rightHandFinger} to something
410 short, for example @code{RH},
413 #(define RH rightHandFinger)
416 @cindex fingerings, right hand, for guitar
417 @cindex right hand fingerings for guitar
421 You may exercise greater control over the placement of right-hand
422 fingerings by setting @code{strokeFingerOrientations},
424 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
425 #(define RH rightHandFinger)
428 \set strokeFingerOrientations = #'(up down)
429 <c-\RH #1 e-\RH #2 g-\RH #3 c-\RH #4 > 4
430 \set strokeFingerOrientations = #'(up right down)
431 <c-\RH #1 e-\RH #2 g-\RH #3 c-\RH #4 > 4
432 \set strokeFingerOrientations = #'(left)
433 <c-\RH #1 e-\RH #2 g-\RH #3 c-\RH #4 > 2
437 This example combines left-hand fingering, string indication, and
440 @lilypond[quote,verbatim]
441 #(define RH rightHandFinger)
454 @rlsr{Fretted strings}.
457 @rinternals{StrokeFinger}.
463 Most of the notational issues associated with guitar music are
464 covered sufficiently in the general fretted strings section, but there
465 are a few more worth covering here. Occasionally users want to
466 create songbook-type documents having only lyrics with chord
467 indications above them. Since Lilypond is a music typesetter,
468 it is not recommended for documents that have no music notation
469 in them. A better alternative is a word processor, text editor,
470 or, for experienced users, a typesetter like GuitarTeX.
473 * Indicating position and barring::
474 * Indicating harmonics and dampened notes::
477 @node Indicating position and barring
478 @subsubsection Indicating position and barring
480 This example demonstrates how to include guitar position and
483 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim,relative=0]
487 \override TextSpanner #'bound-details #'left #'text = #"XII "
489 b16 e g e b g\stopTextSpan
493 @node Indicating harmonics and dampened notes
494 @subsubsection Indicating harmonics and dampened notes
496 Special note heads can be used to indicate dampened notes or
497 harmonics. Harmonics are normally further explained with a
500 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
503 \override Staff.NoteHead #'style = #'cross
505 \override Staff.NoteHead #'style = #'harmonic-mixed
506 d^\markup { \italic { \fontsize #-2 { "harm. 12" }}} <g b>1
513 @rlsr{Fretted strings}.
516 @ref{Special note heads},
517 @ref{Note head styles}.
526 @node Banjo tablatures
527 @subsubsection Banjo tablatures
528 @cindex Banjo tablatures
530 LilyPond has basic support for the five-string banjo. When making tablatures
531 for five-string banjo, use the banjo tablature format function to get
532 correct fret numbers for the fifth string:
534 @c due to crazy intervals of banjo music, absolute pitch is recommended
536 @lilypond[quote,ragged-right,fragment,verbatim]
538 \set TabStaff.tablatureFormat = #fret-number-tablature-format-banjo
539 \set TabStaff.stringTunings = #banjo-open-g-tuning
542 g8 d' g'\5 a b g e d' |
543 g4 d''8\5 b' a'\2 g'\5 e'\2 d' |
549 A number of common tunings for banjo are predefined in LilyPond:
550 @code{banjo-c-tuning} (gCGBD), @code{banjo-modal-tuning} (gDGCD),
551 @code{banjo-open-d-tuning} (aDF#AD) and @code{banjo-open-dm-tuning}
554 These tunings may be converted to four string banjo tunings using the
555 @code{four-string-banjo} function:
558 \set TabStaff.stringTunings = #(four-string-banjo banjo-c-tuning)
564 @rlsr{Fretted strings}.
566 The file @file{scm/@/output@/-lib@/.scm} contains predefined banjo tunings.