TI Ww I ARRAINGE PVR COVEY OVIIAR © VEWRVE BARINED HOW TO ARRANGE FOR SOLO GUITAR For Arrangers and Guitarists By GEORGE BARNES 2.00 in U.S.A. UUFOREWORD Since the advent of the modern amplified guitar es @ solo instrument in orchestras and recording groups, its popularity ‘nas increased to the point that there now exists ¢ serious need for information about the instrument which can be used as a guide for crrangers in all fields. This book will help the arranger to better understand the nature cad characteristics of the guitar so thet he con utilize the instrument properly This information con also be used to good advantage by the guitarist who wishes to improve his ensemble playing through a more complete understanding of the guitar as an intregal part of his instrumental group. It will also enable him to spot inconsistencies and correct them immediately. This book has therefore been designed both as o study of the instrument from the stondpoint of its uses and possibilities, and as a quick reference manual tor the arranger os he confronts problems in writing for the guitar in his daily work.TABLE OF CONTENTS Section PART ONE secyrtcccresrimactsscrensstrs RANGE AND TUNING - SINGLE LINE WRITING - : COLOR COMBINATIONS AND VOICING .... Piano-Guitar . Woodwinds - Guite: Trombones -Guito Brass-Guitor Guitar Section « DOUBLE STOPS CHORD VOICINGS PART TWO. PHYSICAL SET-U> FOR RECORDING - USE OF DUAL PICK-UPS ON GUITAR - SPECIAL TUNINGS . WRITING BACKGROUNDS FOR GUITAR SOME SPECIAL EFFECTS ...... © Copyright 1965 by Peer Iniemotionel Corporation, 1619 Broadway, New York, N-Y..10019 Intemot onal Copyright Secured Printed in U.S.A Rights Reserved Including the Right of Public Performance for Proti- “WARNING! Any person who eo port ofthe werd or music of thi musical composition shall be Hable te on aca nd polite under the United Sates Conyight Lo land Music NV, Arsterdem outhare Mavic (Wien) Gout ViersePART ONE « Range and Tuning # Single Line Writing * Color Combinations and Voicings « Double Stops # Chord VoicingPART ONE RANGE AND TUNING Although the amplified guitor as used today is considered to be an instrument of the most modern voriety and @ product of the “electronic age", its tuning is quite ancient. It is in fact, older then thot of the violin's, ond was originally used in tuning the ancient Lute. It is comprised of « series of fourths broken by o third: ~ on And is always written one octave higher than it sounds: — At first glance this may appear to be a clumsy and cumherseme arrangement when compored with other stringed instrument tunings. However, it actually hes many surprising advantages, as will be shown loter. The same applies to the use of frets. Regarded by the uninitiated as a stiff uncompromising method of preducing a note, they actuelly provide opportunities for producing inflections and vibrato sounds uneveilable on ony other instrument. The cctual range of the instrument is: ~ —— to And is written: — All following examples in this book will be weitterDue to this deceptive method of notation, it is well to keep in mind when locking at music written ‘or the guitar that it is ectually an instrument with o range in the ‘Cello- Viola area. Also, the brilliant attack ond color of the amplified guitar cause it to sound deceptively high with the result that many arrangers will write quickly moving passages too near the high “C’”’. This area is quite useful but ina more limited way. The "meat" of the instrument as far as exposed solo passages are concemed is: — (4s written) be to about Beoring this in mind, the orranger with experience in writing for strings will find it helpful to think of the solo guitor as @ very brilliant Viola.SINGLE LINE WRITING Most of the writing done for the guitar today is single line os it affords the greatest degree of flexibility and control. One example of this is the much desired flowing legato lire, such as: Moderato ava = The guitar connot actually produce o “true” legato, but any good player can smoothly attack all notes in the above phrase producing @ pleasing "'semi-legato” sound. Sometimes, when wind instiu- ments are concerted with the guitar, legato tonguing will enhance the effect. However, in phrases of this kind, an even more legato sound may be ochioved when desirable, by breaking the phrase into small legate groups: — Moderately slow ava 3 3 ee — — = ¥ 3 3 3 + ee eS SS This is possible because the first note only of each group is attacked. The following notes of each group sound and sustain because they are fngered on the same string. However, the separation between legate groups will be more noticeable than in the first exomple. When scoring passages of this kind, do not use intervals of more than @ miner third within groups. Intervals from one half tone to an octave in @ running line are quite playable at most tempi. As- cendirg intervals are the most desirable, kut descending intervals ay be used if repeated groups cre avoided: ~ Bright sva1 This phrase, when played ot the tempo indicated, will have a smooth legato effect through bars one and two, but will sound more detached during the descending intervals in bars three and four, This is a charecteristic of the instrument which is due to the fact thot the player must lift his plectrum up and backwards over @ string to accomplish the interval. The dexterity with which he does this depends on the length of the interval, the tempo, and his own skill. trument also lends itself to the effective production of broken chord patterns, Moderately bright Note that ascending passages encompassing the entire chord are followed by descending two -note groups or diatonic runs. Phrases of this kind always “flow” well and are desirable whenever possible. While diatonic runs of every kind are available and playable, avoid runs of too grect length. Phrases like this elways play well: — Bright eva, ‘The some applies to chromatic runs: —Note that the examples stated thus fa: have been placed in several different keys without regord to intervals or other considerations. This has been done to demonstrate the happy fact that the guitar has the tremendous advantage over other instruments of being equally playable in all keys os far as single line phrases are concemed. Stated below is ¢ phrase embodying several desirable elements in single line writing: — Moderato eva 3 The eighth note triplet pickups to bar one are always effective ond smooth - however, aveid lengthy chromatic runs because of the inherent scalar ond chordal nature of the instrument. The broken - chord possibilities are demonstrated in bars one and two. Note that ascending chordal runs ate used as they ere more playable due to picking prcblems. Skips from a fifth (bor one) to a tenth (bor two) cre permissible when followed by ascending figures. Diotonic figures followed (or preceded) by octave jumps (bors three ond four) are « desirable method of mixing chromatic and diatonic runs followed by «@ shot chordal descension.COLOR COMBINATIONS AND VOICINGS There are many instruments and combinations of instruments that sound well with the guitar in ensemble soli playing. The tonal colors possible are almost limitless, but great core should ke taken in choosing the color to be used, as each works well only if employed correctly. Examples and suggested usages follow: — PIANO- GUITAR One of the first soli-ensemble sounds to become widely used was made popular by the George Sheoring group ond has become known as the ‘'Shearing Sound’: — guitar “rolls off” treble on amplifier to achieve maximum legato blend Guitar . piano uses five -way block chords for entire Piano melodic line (gui:ar doubles bottom nctes) effective range is from (Guiter notes) Used often on ballads, o typical examale is: ~ Slowly I - Guitar PianoHowever, this sound hes been so over-used that imaginative crrangers todoy seldom resort to i Below is a more useble version of the same ides altered for short, bright passoges — guitar brightens tone and plays one octave higher: — Bright mee 3 Guitar = Piano Another “‘bright-high” sound that works well and is effective for continously moving passages is ‘accomplished by voicing the piano above and below the guitar melody, forming a three-way harmoniz pattern: — Moderately bright Guitar PianoWOODWINDS - GUITAR The instrument having the timbre most similar to the guitar in middle and high registers is the Clarinet. With either closed or open voicings, the guitar with three Clarinets and a Bass Clorinet form a very pleasant and fiexible choir: — Moderato a — a Guitar Ast Clarinet and Clarinet 3rd Clarinet Dass Ciarinet Unison octaves mixed with open and closed voicings alse work very smoothly when used in this smonner: — Moderato ava. Guitar ist Clarinet 2nd Clarinet ard Clarinet Bass Clarinet‘TROMBONES - GUITAR When ‘'bones" are closed in middle range, guitar works well os bottom voice — especially useful for thythmic “fill -in'” figures such as: — Moderato Guitar Ast ‘Trombone 2nd : ‘Trombone ea opp te o—+ + = : ‘trombone [2 = 4th =—— ‘Trombone Doubling with the first Trombone duriig melodic passages of this kind produces @ strong ensemble sound: — Moderato Is: ‘Trombone 2nd ‘Trombone Bed ‘Trombone 4th ‘Trombone Notice that the phrase does not confain long - sustained tones — remember that guitar notes disappear in the same manner as picno no-es after being attacked. This should be borne in mind when ever wind instruments are used with the guitar.BRASS -GUITAR While single guiter notes do not rotmally blend well with twmpets, o ond guitar is effective for punctuations and exciting “‘fall - offs": — ‘composite sound’” cf brass ava. : . Guitar Ast Trumpet 2nd Trumpet] e Sed Trumpet] Trombone Sometimes, the most effective method of using guitor with brass is the “‘answer'’ figure: — ava. + Ast Trumpet 2nd Trumpet ‘rd Trumpet Trombone Consult “Chord Ve ings" section for other possible ways to voice guitar for use with brassGUITAR SECTION Applying the principles of single line writing to sections of three, four, five or more guitars opens up an entire new field for the use of the instrument: — "soft Shosempo eva Sie ! 7 ‘et Guitar 2nd Gul 3rd Gutta 1st Guitar 2nd Gui Srd Quite 4th Guitar| On the following page is an example of how a guiter sect on can be used as an integral part of alat Trumpet 2nd Trumpet, rd Trumpet st “rombone 2nd Trombone ast Alto Pad Alto ‘rd Tenor 404 Tenor Sth Bark set Guitar 2cd Guitar ard Gutter 4c Gutta 5th Gutter Rhythm Sectio In the first full bar, guitar section plays full-voiced figure over unison soxes, which is imitated ty brass in second bar. Guitars toke over sax unison line in pick-ups to bar three, allowing full- voiced eee eee eee eee ee eee eee aeDOUBLE STOPS Perhops the least understood phase of guitar writing is the use of double stops. They are available 0s follows: - gva in THIRDS from: in FOURTHS from: in MINOR FIFTHS from: in FIFTHS from: in AUGMENTED FIFTHS from: in SIXTHS from in SECONDS from: in MINOR THIRDS from: ond, players with © good “reach” can ley MINOR SECONDS from:Gre of the most popular usages in current writing is in phrases ike this: — Moderato Short chromatic runs up of down work smoothly es long as the notes in the double stops remain parallel — more time is needed for diotenic runs. Avoid skips of too great an interval, such as: Moderato This phrase will sound better if written: — Moderato Continuous double stops in a long phrase will become choppy or unpiayable ot too bright tempi, (except for repeated note pattems) but phrases using a mixture of single line notes and double stops have o beautiful quality: — wre > Moderately slow Slides, where notes remain parallel! are useful and effective even at brighter tempi: — Moderately bright va In the above example, only the first eighth note in each group is attacked. However, ir longer Se a ee eee ee ee ee ree a ee eaeSiguy in Stated below is ¢ phrase embodying several desirable elements in double stop writing: ~ Moderato va ‘The slides in the pickups to bar one are followed by a single "‘pivot"” note, ond slide into @ dia- tonic run down into « chromatic run down (bar two}. Mixed single notes with octave jumps (bar three) lead nto contrary motion figure in bar foura CHORD VOICING This section, while not constituting a complete chord writing method, will attempt to set forth various “helpful hints" on voicing chords where needed. Firstly, closed chords such os: ~ ‘are not generally available to the average player. However, if the second voice from the top is lowered one octave, the chord is playable, thus: — This opplies to all chords similarly vaiced with top notes in the range of: — However, due to the many inconsistencies of the instrument, always indicate the name of the chord by symbol cbove the notated chords: ~ This will enable the player to more speedily adjust his voicing when necessary. In normal use, try to confine voiced chords to “‘punctuations” with space between chords to allow for changes in fingering: — Bright h 4 Pe She ss = # Do not write passages such as: — i is ré t ‘at more than a moderate te:This applies even more strictly to chords separated by wide skips in intervals, such as:— Of course repeated chords containing the some notes are an exception to the above general rule, and may be used to great advantage as syncopated rhythmic patterns: ~ Moderately bright Always try to avoid preceding or following @ single line possage with © chord in uninterrupted sequence, such as: — excert in slow or moderate tempi. Even ct these tempi the practice is undesirable when legeto phras ng is incicated due to a “‘choppy”” effect coused by the shift in fingering necessary to produce the chore However, an alternate method of introducing interjected chords during a flowing single line passege may te indicated (and left to the discretion of the player) in this way: ~ Fdim Bbe In fact, this method of notating chords is always a quick method of scoring wherever the voic’ng of the chord may be determined by the player. A furher example of this shortcut is: ~ Bright cé Cdim # 2 £—F S| ¥jonal four note chords with voicing and range are listed below: — MAJOR SIXTH SEVENTH SIXTH AND NINTH MAJOR SEVENTH NINTH SEVENTH WITH FLATTED NINTHSEVENTH WITH FLATTED FIFTH MINOR MINOR SIXTH MINOR SEVENTH WINOR WITH MAJOR SEVENTH @ ' Se bor MINOR WITH MAJOR NINTH g ; AUGMENTED DIMINISHED = Using the above list as a gene-al guide, most other inversions of the chords given are available rt as eee eaPART TWO « Physical Set-Ups for Recording « Use of Dual Pick-Ups on Guitar « Special Tunings « Writing Backgrounds for Guitar ‘» Some Special EffectsPART TWO PHYSICAL SET-UPS FOR RECORDING This information is included here in order to answer many requests for such information received by the author. It is based on current recording techniques which ore constantly undergoing change and 0 should be used es a basic guide only. GENERAL RULES Amplifier should be set -up facing player at ear level wherever possible: — (Keep volume of amp at a reasonable level blending with other instruments in group.) This will enable player to hear the amplifier in correct relationship to the other instruments, thus assisting in balance problems. Also, whenever he uses his guitar for chythm without amplifier, the mike is readily available 10 him,on Whenever guitar is used as port of the rhythm section as vell as soloist, arrange set-ups so that “‘in'” the chythm section but the guitor mike has its “dead” side focing the drums: ~ BASS DRUMS PIANO of GUITAR AMP. In this way the guitarist may sit close to the rest of the rhythm section with the minimum danger the drum's sound (the most difficult to isolate) leaking into his mike. Several variations of this set - vp are in use today but all are tased cn the principle of keeping the guitarist within the rhythm section while retaining as much control as possible over the omplifier mike. 3 Jin using the guitar as o solo instrument to be blended with @ section of brass, woodwinds or strings, set-up amp facing section w th ployer between with his back to amplifier. This will enable players to hear each other, while allowing engineer sufficient separation ir. pickups to accomplish the desired balance: — SECTION ooo0on0g0 fe) SECTION MIKE C_] GUITAR Oo GUITAR MIKE M AMP.4 | Whereas recording amplified guitars as a section is still in the experimental stage, the best results so far have been achieved with this set-up: ~ sAAas <0 =) wr? a GUITAR Sal “es x Qe # & 7 So wr Players sit with their backs to the amplifiers thus being able to hear the section as a whole as well as their own amplifier.USE OF DUAL PICK-UPS ON GUITAR ‘The modern amplified guitar today is usually made with two basic pickup units built in the instrument: — The use of the pickups has so for been left to the descretion of the player, but arrangers ray find «a description of their functions useful in planning special sounds while scoring The “‘normal”’ pickup is the one most used in producing a “‘round”’ or “‘quality’” sound. This will be used by most players unless otherwise indicated. The tore is adjustable however, and varying degrees of “fatness” may be acheived by adding “highs” or “lows” to this basic sound. The “high’’ pickup has o sound which is besically thin and piercing. This sound is characteristic of Country and Rock end Rell music, and is used constantly in these mediums, particularly for solos. it cen be useful for effects in modern scoring however and may be suggested wherever sharp penetrating punctuations are indicated.SPECIAL TUNINGS There are numberless special tunings which have been used by guitarists for unusual effects. The few suggestions given here are meant to help arrangers solve problems which come up frequently in scoring for the guitar. One of the most frequent problems is the need to extend the lower range of the instrument a few tones to accommodate a bass figure — perhaps in unison with a Baritone Sox with a low E® recurring throughout the passage such as: ~ a) This situation may be handled simply by indicating that the guitar should tune down one half tone on all strings. The part may then be written: ~ ze We It should be added however that this adjustment in t g affects the intonation of the instrument in higher registers and should be used only when the part is limited toa single note bass line of this type. Bearing this in mind, the tuning moy then be safely extended down to a low Db (on the low E string) where limited range bass figures are employed, always writing the part transposed down the same number of intervals indicated. This provides up to a tone and one half extended range on the lower end of the instrument where needed. Often, particularly in Felk, Country and Rock and Roll music, there is a need for the ‘‘open string’ sound of the guitar. It will be of help to arrangers to know thot the keys having the most open strings ‘on simple harmonic patterns are: E A D G ad C€ However, due to problems in orchestration coupled with vozel ronges, these keys ere offen un- available, Therefore, wherever solo passages are not too rangy, ten additional “open string"” keys are available by tuning the entire guitar up or down one half tone Tuning down one half tone produces “‘open string’ keys:— eb ab pb Gh ond B Tuning up one holf tone produces “open string” keys: — Fo opb eb Ab and = b Alwoys “emember to transpose the part up or down as indicated In this way this passage: — Eb Ab Bb7 Eb is written: ~ tune one half tone higher “Open string sound" DWRITING BACKGROUNDS FOR GUITAR Due to certain special chorccteristics of the instrument, the writing of backgrounds for solo melodic ‘ot improvised passages should be approached with special core. For exomple, most sustained chord backgrounds (widely used with other solo instruments) such as Sox or Bross choirs, do not normally work well as they tend to ‘wash out’ the sustained part of the quitor notes. This is especially true in ballads, such os:— Moderato Guitar P ‘The sustained guitar notes will be heard better if the passage is written Moderato Guitar P A By using figures "‘in the open’” consisting of unison mixed with chords in the Sexes, the guitor solo notes can be heard to ring more clearly. In the case of improvised passages, ovoid busy backgrounds or “riffs”? containing too many attacks: Bright ouitar © (mprovised Solo) crass Straight MutesThis passage would sound better if written: Bright (improvised Solo) Straight Mutes mg (Prime Unison) The Brass punctuations are placed sparsely enough to give freedom of movement to the guitar, while te Sax unison line is low enough to keep out of the way, and yet add body to the background.SOME SPECIAL EFFECTS 1) One of the most populor special effects in use today is the simulated Violin “‘pizz'’ sound made by dampening the strings with the flesh of the picking hand while playing. It is porticularly ef‘ective it “‘running lines” such as:— Dampened yg While the middle range is most useful, the effect may also be used sparingly for bass figures. Avoid extremely high notes, as very little tone is produced with the note in upper ranges. [2] The vibrola effect has been avai able for years but hos only recently become popular. It consists cf a part of the amplifier circuit which when “‘cut-in’” produces a rapidly fluctuating sound sinilar to the Vibraphone, The speed and intensity of the fluctuations may also be controlled as desired. In some ‘omplifiers, @ foot switch is also provided so thot the player may turn the vibrola on and off without interrupting his picking, The sound is particularly effective for ‘‘misterioso”” chords, such os: ~ Vibrola: ee eal Avoid tapidly moving single | the vibrole on ~ the attacks of some notes will be lest when falling into the "'down'’ part of the fluctuation cycle, Whereas middle range chord passages ore the most effective, single line phioses may be used provided there is “'space’” between the notes ond the part is well exposed. [3] The cross string effect, while limited to players familior with this -echnique is most useful ot certain times. By indicating the part to be played “across two strings", and placing the stems of the notes up for one siring, ond down for the other, @ sound similar to open and closed Brass mutes is produced: ~ Play across two strings Is similar to: — Troms-Derbies ® © ® o 6 ~ but is only effective with repected notes of the same pitch. The complete workable range is: — ava