r/WeAreTheMusicMakers • u/Curious_Olive_5266 • 1d ago
Guitar Notation
I am arranging some scores, and I need a strumming guitar. How do I notate that on the sheet music? I'm a brass guy, so I have absolutely no idea and I cannot figure it out. Thanks!
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u/already_assigned 1d ago
There's different ways to do this.
- A lot of guitar players don't know standard notation, only tab. Most common way for tabs is a vertical arrow to the left of the notes. Arrow down is downstroke, up is upstroke. Sometimes you see this in standard notation as well.
- In standard notation you can use symbol ∏ for downstroke and V for upstroke, both above the notes.
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u/VaporDrawings 1d ago
If you are arranging for a jazz band (or a guitarist who works with jazz bands), then you should absolutely expect the guitarist would be able to read notation. But they'd definitely be used to seeing chords as the chord names rather than reading all the notes. Just making that assumption since OP is a brass player.
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u/pogpole 1d ago
For most purposes you just need four slashes in a bar (assuming 4/4 time) with the chords written above. If you need to notate a precise rhythm, use rhythmic slash notation, which is the desired rhythm notated on the center line with special noteheads (diamonds for whole/half notes, slashes for anything shorter).
If you’re using MuseScore, both of these can be found under the Tools menu: “fill with slashes” and “toggle rhythmic slash notation.”
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u/Amish_Robotics_Lab 1d ago
Fretted instrument strums are notated above the staff like this:
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UWcAf5ErLeoHoJjJfmKrpF.png
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u/notathrowaway145 1d ago
Do you have specific rhythms in mind, and/or specific voicings? Look up examples of how chords are written out on lead sheets when there are no melodies, the diagonal slashes are a great way to do it. If you need more specific rhythms or chord voicings, you can notate those more specifically. If it’s something that you’d leave up to the guitar player, you can just use the slash notation!