Getting the rhythm info right in a two voice TAB score
Voice 1: Melody, stems up
Voice 2: Accompaniment, stems down
In this bar the accompaniment in voice 2 cuts off the melody note in voice 1 at a lower volume. Which way should I show the voice 1 rhythm: with rests or without rests? I understand that the leaving out the rests will leave the beat count short in voice 1 but there are no further notes for voice 1 in this bar.
Rests:
No Rests:
Comments
In order for us to assist better, it would help if you attached the actual score, not just a picture.
Visibility of rests should never affect playback at all. My guess is the durations differ. But in any case, it's also not clear how you expect a guitar to continue to hold one note after another voice plays on the same string.
In reply to In order for us to assist… by Marc Sabatella
It doesn't hold. It stops in voice 1 but is then played as part of the accompaniment in voice 2 which, (at least here), is at a lower volume.
So I just wondered whether I need to show the rests in voice 1 to make it clear that voice 1 stops after the dotted crotchet or whether there's no need since there are no more notes in voice 1 for this bar. i.e. can the rests be left as "implied"?
As you rightly say, the actual playback is unaffected.
Score:
score.mscz
In reply to It doesn't hold. It stops in… by yonah_ag
Oh, I see. Well, to me this is a gray area, probably different people will feel differently about it. Personally I would notate the melody note shorter, or if that doesn't make sense, would simply change the accompaniment (assuming that is an option) to not create this problem. As to whether to show rests, to me its almost always a mistake not to show them, but I realize many rock guitarists reading tablature just aren't used to see them. Seeing them sometimes but not other times would likely be confusing though.
In reply to Oh, I see. Well, to me this… by Marc Sabatella
Thanks. I think that notating shorter is a good option in this case since the note will ring it's full length when played on an actual guitar – and I don't want to mess up the accompaniment.
I'll make sure to show all the rests!
In reply to Thanks. I think that… by yonah_ag
Hmm, to me that depends on how closely you listen. Unless this is very fast, I am pretty sure I’d hear the melody note get cut off by the accompaniment note in the same string. Even though it immediately gets sounded again, I’d hear the original sound stop and start again. If I needed that note In the accompaniment I’d find a way to use different strings on guitat. But as a pianist I don’t have that luxury, which is why I don’t normally write that way to begin with.
In reply to Hmm, to me that depends on… by Marc Sabatella
Yes, you should and would hear it cut off at that point. However, if I notate it as crotchet then it will ring as a dotted crotchet, (unless the player mutes the string), because voice 2 doesn't cut it off until the "and" of beat 2. That's why notating the melody note shorter in this situation will work well.
Using different strings is often a good fix but I think that it would leave me out of position in this case. I am tabbing from a YouTube video so initially I'll just follow the guitarist's original fingering.
In reply to Hmm, to me that depends on… by Marc Sabatella
Actually, I can keep the dotted crotchet as it stops in time for voice 2 to start. I just can't extend it further so need to include the rests to complete voice 1.