Seven String Guitar?

• Mar 3, 2017 - 19:51

So I've tried to write for a seven string guitar, and when I added another string, the guitar tab didn't add another line. Normally, in tablature notation, if there are more than six strings, there are more than six lines (makes sense, the number of strings = number of lines). I have two ideas for this:

1). Make it so that the tablature lines can have any number of lines, and it's specified by the user by adding or subtracting strings.

2). Just add new versions of the tab staffs for 7 string guitars. Also, if possible, for 8, 9, and even 10 string guitars (yes, they exist, and yes, they are VERY common. I've actually seen them irl before)

Also, these guitars aren't just used for metal, too, so anyone can compose with them. Listen to Rob Scallon, who has turned a 10 string into a beautiful ballad-like instrument.


Comments

Do: right-click on the Tab -> Staff Properties -> 7 lines -> Ok
staff.jpg

EDIT:
"(makes sense, the number of strings = number of lines)."

Well, too obvious, a false good idea. It is really not necessarily "logical" to add one line per string added. In baroque lute music, for example, although the instrument has 13 strings, or rather, courses (13 rows of strings ), the number of lines is always 6 (with a special notation for the extra basses). With the hypothesis of 13 strings/13 lines, it would become difficult/confusing to locate at reading the good string/line :)
See also (for standard notation here): https://musescore.org/fr/node/150491#comment-614351

Even though the TAB is a linked staff, you still need to right click it and then go into Staff Properties and adjust the number of strings. I tried it with 12 strings (since that's the most I've heard of) and it allowed for that many at least.

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

No, not in general. This would be always the case for Baryton, mostly true for Theorbo but
both Renaissance and Barqoue Lutes have fretted strings below the sixth string.
Generally, there's just no simple mapping between the number of tablature lines and the number of strings (see also french 16th century lute music where the instrument hast at least six strings but the tablature only has five lines).

In reply to by rmattes

Just because it was done that way 300 years ago doesn't mean we have to do it that way forever going forward.

FWIW, I have a 7-string classical guitar, two 8-string classcal guitars, and a 7-string Russian classical guitar that I play and write for regularly.

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