Extended range guitar notation (treble clef + bass clef + tabulature)

[TWF]

Extended range in the lower register also means more and more ledger lines when using the treble clef, as it is standard for guitar. The low B of my BEBEADGBE-tuned gutiar means 8 ledger lines which could get a little confusing. As we are deep in the bass range there, it might be helpful to use the bass clef for the lower notes.

I think, it would be great to use "grand staff" notation with treble clef and bass clef (as for piano), combined with tabulature. Unfortunately I was not able to get to that notation in Guitar Pro 7. "Grand staff" in GP7 always leads to two tabulatures (one for treble, one for bass), although it is one instrument.

However, I created a mockup showing this possible system for extended range guitar.

What do you think? What kind of notation do you use for your music?

 

[iamaom]

I've had this thought as well. Even on a 6 string I find attempting to jump from open string drop d all the way to the 17th fret on the b string insanity, no idea how anyone could actually read that with fluency (it's obvious I'm not a piano player, eh?). There was a period of time when I started learning where I actually used a combination of bass, tenor, and treble clef depending on what section of the fretboard I was working on so all my hand written sheet music would change clef every couple measures. At this point I have just given up on guitar in music notation entirely
with the exception of note lengths) and visualize it as fretboard shapes. I can read most bass in music notation no problem though. Guitar is just such an awkward instrument, but I guess its strangeness has a certain mystique that attracts the likes of us.

You're notation is a good but a little off with the note pipes spanning the entire clef.

 

[Winspear]

Hey, that's really cool to see someone else doing this!
I use Sibelius, have been for a long time as I play a 9 string and it supports 9 string tablature (so does Musescore if interested, not sure about the condensed grand staff potential there though).

Here's the range of my 9 string which is instead tuned with an added treble:


I added a low B at the end in red for illustration.
I like how the open strings of my guitar fit perfectly within 1 ledger line either side.
Especially considering that high fret 12 is an Ab, not an E, most melodies are very readable on treble staff with few ledger lines.
Solos can benefit from 8va or 15va marking.

Incase anyone isn't aware, this (and original poster) is still octave-transposing notation as is standard with the guitar.

Here's an image of some of my music, though this is just for 7 string with low A.
When writing I basically write everything on just one staff, then drag the other staff in to line up and hide all the rests on it. Sometimes the voices are split across staffs but more often than not, they are just separate voices on one staff.

 

[Winspear]

Even though the piece I posted above is clearly a bass+melody piece, I like how the condensed grand staff in general reduces the distinction between bass and treble and allows lines and chords to move back and forth across them continuously

 

[TWF]

Hey, that's really cool to see someone else doing this!
I use Sibelius, have been for a long time as I play a 9 string and it supports 9 string tablature (so does Musescore if interested, not sure about the condensed grand staff potential there though).

Here's the range of my 9 string which is instead tuned with an added treble:
View attachment 54714

I added a low B at the end in red for illustration.
I like how the open strings of my guitar fit perfectly within 1 ledger line either side.
Especially considering that high fret 12 is an Ab, not an E, most melodies are very readable on treble staff with few ledger lines.
Solos can benefit from 8va or 15va marking.

Incase anyone isn't aware, this (and original poster) is still octave-transposing notation as is standard with the guitar.

Here's an image of some of my music, though this is just for 7 string with low A.
When writing I basically write everything on just one staff, then drag the other staff in to line up and hide all the rests on it. Sometimes the voices are split across staffs but more often than not, they are just separate voices on one staff.
View attachment 54715

Wow, this is exactly what I was looking for! That's just perfect.
I think I will have to purchase Sibelius then. Pity that Guitar Pro 7 does not provide the function for a notation like that that totally makes sense for extended range guitars.

 

[Veldar]

In notation you can use a sign that means play it an octave lower, I would just use that for ease of reading

 

[InfinityCollision]

Very much a fan of grand staff for ERG composition. I drop the octave transposition, but that's entirely a matter of convenience and depends in part on your chosen tuning.

 

[Backsnack]

Wow, this is exactly what I was looking for! That's just perfect.
I think I will have to purchase Sibelius then. Pity that Guitar Pro 7 does not provide the function for a notation like that that totally makes sense for extended range guitars.

Too bad the full version of Sibelius looks a bit spendy imo.

 

[bostjan]

YES!

Frankly, my first thought picking up guitar was that there were already too many ledger lines with a standard six string tuning. Going to 7 and then 8 and beyond, it just gets more and more ridiculous. I had used 8vb notation for lower riffs, then 16vb, and then who cares anymore? Did you know guitar notation was already 8vb anyway? If you ever pick up a mandolin, it becomes rather obvious. Anyway, this notation, to me, at least, makes a thousand times more sense.