Writing for multicord guitar

• Feb 3, 2020 - 14:08

Hi.

I have an 8-string classical guitar.

I play and write music (with Musescore).

I would like to have the possibility to define the musical line with the double treble and bass clef as you do with the piano. I would also like to have a single tablature connected to the staff. It's possible?

Excerpt from my current file instrument

                    19
                    22
                    35
                    38
                    40
                    45
                    50
                    55
                    59
                    64

              2
              G
              1
              2
              2
              F
              35-83
              35-83

...
...
...

              8-string Guitar (Tablature)
              8-string-guitar
              8-string Guitar (Tablature)
              pluck.guitar.nylon-string
              tablature
              world

Comments

• Feb 3, 2020 - 17:18

Yes. Or like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<museScore> 
      <InstrumentGroup id="plucked-strings">
            <name>Strings - Plucked</name>
            <Instrument id="8-string-guitar">
                  <longName>8-string Guitar</longName>
                  <shortName>Guit.</shortName>
                  <description>8-string Guitar</description>
                  <musicXMLid>pluck.guitar.nylon-string</musicXMLid>
                  <StringData>
                        <frets>19</frets>
                        <string>35</string>
                        <string>38</string>
                        <string>40</string>
                        <string>45</string>
                        <string>50</string>
                        <string>55</string>
                        <string>59</string>
                        <string>64</string>
                  </StringData>
                  <staves>2</staves>
                  <clef>G</clef>
                  <bracket>1</bracket>
                  <bracketSpan>2</bracketSpan>
                  <barlineSpan>2</barlineSpan>
                  <clef staff="2">F</clef>
                  <aPitchRange>35-83</aPitchRange>
                  <pPitchRange>35-83</pPitchRange>
                  <singleNoteDynamics>0</singleNoteDynamics>
                  <Channel>
                        <program value="16"/>
                  </Channel>
                  <Channel name="legato">
                        <program value="20"/>
                    </Channel>
                  <Channel name="glissato">
                        <program value="23"/>
                    </Channel>
                  <Channel name="armonico">
                        <program value="11"/>
                  </Channel>
                  <Channel name="muto">
                        <program value="35"/>
                  </Channel>
                  <Channel name="polpastrello">
                        <program value="17"/>
                  </Channel>
                  <Channel name="appoggiato">
                        <program value="22"/>
                  </Channel>
                  <Channel name="lungo">
                        <program value="25"/>
                  </Channel>
                  <Channel name="hold">
                        <program value="27"/>
                  </Channel>
                  <genre>world</genre>
            </Instrument>
            <Instrument id="8-string-guitar-tablature">
                  <trackName>8-string Guitar (Tablature)</trackName>
                  <init>8-string-guitar</init>
                  <description>8-string Guitar (Tablature)</description>
                  <musicXMLid>pluck.guitar.nylon-string</musicXMLid>
                  <stafftype staffTypePreset="tab8StrCommon">tablature</stafftype>
                  <!-- <clef>TAB</clef> -->
                  <genre>world</genre>
            </Instrument>
      </InstrumentGroup>
 </museScore>

BTW if you stick to using the English words 'mute', 'harmonics', etc. (reusing those from MuseScore's builtin instrument.xml), you'd get them translated for free depending on your language settings

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• Feb 3, 2020 - 15:15

But the feature/option is called 'add linked staff' not 'add linked part', so I don't think it is possible, not currently at least. And may be impossible. as those 2 staves could have 8 voices total (4 voices per staff) whereas a (single) tablature staff can only have 4 voices. This is probably an acceptable restriction, but would impose a major roadblock in trying to implement such a feature

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• Feb 4, 2020 - 12:17

Just out of interest: how wide is the neck at the nut of an 8-string classical guitar? It must require some big spans at times.

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• Feb 4, 2020 - 12:29

Mine is 700mm (instead of 520mm - the current standard - for the 6 strings, classical I mean. Folk/electric guitars is other thing)
But the last two strings are almost exclusively played open, so there is no particular extension - if that was the meaning of your question. Or even the total gap between the first six strings is slightly - very slightly - reduced by 20mm, according to a quick dimensioning! And this, of course, may depend on the instruments and luthiers, and on the choice of the player.

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