Is this guitar notation I'm trying to reproduce even correct?

• Feb 12, 2022 - 03:06

I'm trying to recreate a guitar score that I only have in image format. I'm having trouble with the harmonics notation. As I understand it, the way MuseScore notates them is only cosmetic: neither the diamond had nor the little circle has no effect on the position of the notes on the staff.

On the original below, it seems the author has notes from different octaves (frets 0 and <12>) occupying the same "height" on the staff with the only distinction being their heads. It seems they found a way to make MuseScore (which they used to create this score) understand the diamond head actually means a different pitch.

original.png

Looking at the last and third to last notes in the image, if I understand their notation correctly (I'm a bit inexperienced with staves with anything beyond the rhythmic part, but comparing with the tab compliments that), they mean to raise the note one octave by using the diamond head and another octave with "har. 12".

This is a bit weird to me but I tried to reproduce it nevertheless and achieved the score below, which did not match:

Copy.png

Right now I'm inclined to believe that their notation is simply incorrect and was done by editing the musicXML (and producing an invalid file) or manually editing the number displayed in the tab in some manner.

Am I'm missing something?

This is the score I'm writing BTW:
New.mscx

Comments

• Feb 12, 2022 - 12:58

I think the notation in your image has the wrong transposition in the staff, i.e. it is an octave too low. Your version is correct, though you don't really need the little circle above as the harmonics are already indicated by the diamond note heads and angled brackets in the tab. IMO the circle just adds clutter - see here for different methods of notating harmonics: https://douglasniedt.com/Tech_Tip_How_To_Read_Harmonic_Notation.html !!

As the 12th fret halves the string length, it produces the same pitch as a normal stopped note, only changing the tone quality, so you don't need to worry about the playback. I don't know how to deal with other natural harmonics, though...

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