Hello!
I’ve been doing some guitar transcriptions, with good success. However, I’m trying now to notate harmonics in tab. The standard notation looks good (and sounds good during playback). But I’m trying to get a harmonic indication in the tab.
Here’s what I have now:
Some web sites use a text notation for the tab:
I can do this, but it’s rather tedious!
But I’d like to achieve what John Stropes uses in his transcriptions (Stropes has been creating high-quality guitar transcriptions for many years) :
(upload://uAYkezKHmsmVMMXt0DBZcWTnipE.jpeg)
Also see: https://www.stropes.com/visual-index-of-notation-symbols-and-competencies/
Is there any way I can achieve the hexagon around the fret number in the tab? I just need the “12” (so far!) to change. Maybe in Engrave mode? A custom playing technique?
Thanks for any insight!
Tom Kearney
Hmmm… it looks like using a square bracketed notehead (just in the tab) will be an easy-enough solution.
I’d still love to see those hexagons, though… (grin!)
Tom
Thanks for the feedback. I’ve made a note of your request to use a hexagonal enclosure around the tab number to indicate harmonics.
Out of curiosity, what do those little cursive arrows indicate? I know longer arrows are strum directions, but I’ve never seen a strum direction on a single note and the site you reference above makes no mention of them (that I could find).
Thanks
I suppose it’s the direction of the “pick” (here, fingers — I also suppose this kind of notation is for educational purposes). But I might be plain wrong!
Yes, I’m using the Arpeggiation arrows (mis-using!) for single note thumbpick or finger direction. I changed the option for “Arpeggio Up” to include the arrow head. For a 12-string guitar (with octave strings), the pick direction can produce a very different sound. I’m trying to transcribe some Leo Kottke songs - Leo frequently uses the up and down strokes on individual strings to achieve nuance in his songs. (Transcribing Kottke exactly is quite a challenge - to put it mildly!). The direction also helps make any picking patterns more obvious as I’m learning a song. I tried using the normal “up-bow” and “down-bow” symbols (which is (kind of) what Stropes uses), but I like the obviousness (at least, to a guitarist!) of the arrows. I also use the Arpeggiation arrows in the normal way for multiple-string slow strums. It’s great to use playback in Dorico to check the transcription against the recording. (Now, if we can get Glissando to play back smoothly… grin!).
Tom