# Composing for guitar. I need help and tips please



## micheliszt

Hello. Recently I written a guitar prelude. I wish to know if this is possible to play for a guitar player. Some captures. Because I've not downloaded The ghostscript for sibelius to save as pdf. 
My main concern it's the Harmonic chords part. If this possible? Thanks.













Can some guitar player explain me about these topics: Tasto, Sul tasto, Ponti, Metalico, Slurs, Hammer on and Pull off, Harmonics. Thanks in advance


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## micheliszt

You can hear an audio file here

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https://soundcloud.com/micheliszt-camacho%2Fpreludio-para-guitarra-en-dm


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## TwoFourPianist

Hi

I'm by no means a guitarrist, but I just wanted to say that I like this piece a lot  Also I want to stick around because I'm uncertain of the terminology, too.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

I'm guessing this was done on a synth. Listening to the piece the main part sounds not too difficult and the chords sound playable but the second "hand" harmony part sounds very "keyboardish" i.e. could possibly be too difficult to accomplish in completeness on a guitar...


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## tdc

I don't believe those harmonics chords at the end of the piece could be played as notated (unless perhaps one was using a guitar with more than 6 strings in an altered tuning). Chords that have harmonics in them can only have one (or max two and this is usually very difficult to do) harmonics in them, unless they are _natural_ harmonics meaning if they are notes that are open strings on the guitar, in which case up to 6 notes at a time can be easily played as harmonics simultaneously. The second harmonics chord you have notated for example uses the notes F-A-C-E - only one of these notes is an open string on guitar in standard tuning (E).

Edit - I should add as well that using the natural harmonics as a chord on guitar is only easy if all (or one or more notes in sequence) the notes are used. For example having a chord notated where some of the notes are harmonics and some are regular notes, would again in most cases be very difficult or impossible to play.


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## AutumnBreeze

How did u make the audio file? The sound is amazing!


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## micheliszt

*Played by sibelius*



EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> I'm guessing this was done on a synth. Listening to the piece the main part sounds not too difficult and the chords sound playable but the second "hand" harmony part sounds very "keyboardish" i.e. could possibly be too difficult to accomplish in completeness on a guitar...


Yes. It's played on sibelius. About chords i think you are right.


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## micheliszt

tdc said:


> I don't believe those harmonics chords at the end of the piece could be played as notated (unless perhaps one was using a guitar with more than 6 strings in an altered tuning). Chords that have harmonics in them can only have one (or max two and this is usually very difficult to do) harmonics in them, unless they are _natural_ harmonics meaning if they are notes that are open strings on the guitar, in which case up to 6 notes at a time can be easily played as harmonics simultaneously. The second harmonics chord you have notated for example uses the notes F-A-C-E - only one of these notes is an open string on guitar in standard tuning (E).
> 
> Edit - I should add as well that using the natural harmonics as a chord on guitar is only easy if all (or one or more notes in sequence) the notes are used. For example having a chord notated where some of the notes are harmonics and some are regular notes, would again in most cases be very difficult or impossible to play.


Yes. I have problems understanding harmonics on guitar. And now, I know it's impossible to play the chords with harmonics, so I've decided remove it. A guitar player friend, told me some chords, 1 or 2 it's very hard by the extension.


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## micheliszt

AutumnBreeze said:


> How did u make the audio file? The sound is amazing!


Hehe with Sibelius and Miroslav Phillarmonik Vst.


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## kamalayka

I play guitar.

I don't have the time to play through all of it, but the page with arpeggios looks playable.

On the second page, though, you have some unisons which aren't possible. And that final chord is impossible (in standard tuning, anyway.)

I'm sorry I can't give a more detailed analysis, but I can give a recommendation: if you want to compose for the guitar, buy a really cheap one and spend maybe a few weeks familiarizing yourself with the overall layout of the notes and the way certain things are fingered.

As for the terminology:

A hammer-on is when you play a note in a normal fashion, and then, while it's ringing, you "hammer" down onto a higher note with a free finger.

A pull-off is the reverse of this -- you play a note with a finger (other than your index), and as it's ringing, you "pull off" to a lower note already pre-fingered.

Think of a hammer-on or a pull-off as a note that's played without having to pluck the string. (A trill on a guitar is simply a rapid succession of hammer-ons and pull-offs.)

A slur is a series of notes played with hammer-ons and/or pull-offs. There may also be slides included, which is nothing more than "sliding" a finger between two notes.

The purpose of hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides is to offer a smoother-sounding alternative to the harshness of a plucked note. Also, if you have a rapid succession of notes, it's easier to simply hammer-on and pull-off than having to pluck each individual one!

As for the other terms, I'm not quite sure. A lot of guitar terms are a matter of personal taste, such as where to pluck the string. (Plucking closer to tue neck gives a calmer tone, whereas plucking near the bridge end gives a harsher sound.)


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## Nimaj

micheliszt said:


> Can some guitar player explain me about these topics: Tasto, Sul tasto, Ponti, Metalico, Slurs, Hammer on and Pull off, Harmonics. Thanks in advance


Tasto/Sul Tasto is a technique in which the right hand is held almost above the bottom of the neck. This creates a very soft, almost singing sound.

On the other side of the spectrum is Ponti (Ponticello). This requires us to hold the hand near the bridge, which creates a harsher more metallic sound (ergo the synonymous term _metalico_).

As for hammer ons and pull offs, refer to kamalayka's great explanation.

I played through this piece a couple of times and I really like many parts of it, great work! Just on the notation, I would like to point out that some of the sections are hard to read in an expedient way. For example the unisons starting on measure 16 are kind of messy and any guitarist would know that the two bass notes should ring while the arpeggio is being played. This is a fairly common occurrence in classical guitar repertoire and it would really simplify the piece for humans (I understand that these are necessary for synths of course). Other than a few little issues like that, good job!

Oh, and just one thing regarding the harmonics passage I guess you scrapped, perhaps playing those chords Tasto could give an effect you might like?


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## micheliszt

Nimaj said:


> Tasto/Sul Tasto is a technique in which the right hand is held almost above the bottom of the neck. This creates a very soft, almost singing sound.
> 
> On the other side of the spectrum is Ponti (Ponticello). This requires us to hold the hand near the bridge, which creates a harsher more metallic sound (ergo the synonymous term _metalico_).
> 
> As for hammer ons and pull offs, refer to kamalayka's great explanation.
> 
> I played through this piece a couple of times and I really like many parts of it, great work! Just on the notation, I would like to point out that some of the sections are hard to read in an expedient way. For example the unisons starting on measure 16 are kind of messy and any guitarist would know that the two bass notes should ring while the arpeggio is being played. This is a fairly common occurrence in classical guitar repertoire and it would really simplify the piece for humans (I understand that these are necessary for synths of course). Other than a few little issues like that, good job!
> 
> Oh, and just one thing regarding the harmonics passage I guess you scrapped, perhaps playing those chords Tasto could give an effect you might like?


Please if you can play the piece again and video record your self and send me the video. In this way i can check the sound, dynamics and other parameters. Thanks in advance.


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