GT USER GUIDE
You can get more from GT by understanding our easy-to-follow musical terms and signs...
READMUSIC Each transcription is broken down into two parts...
&
1 E 2 B 3 G 4 D 5 A 6 E
œ
2nd string 3rd fret
3
œ
2nd string 1st fret
1
œ
3rd string 2nd fret
2
Openœ
4th string
0
MUSICAL STAVE The five horizontal lines for music notation show note pitches and rhythms and are divided by bar lines.
TAB Under the musical stave, Tab is an aid to show you where to put your fingers on the fretboard. The six horizontal lines represent the six strings on a guitar – the numbers on the strings are fret numbers.
GUITARTECHNIQUES: HOWTHEYAPPEARINWRITTENMUSIC...
PICKING Upanddownpicking
&
œ œ
E B G D A E
7
≥≤
5
n The first note is to be down-picked and the last note is to be up-picked.
Tremolopicking
&
E B G D A E
œ@ @ œ@ @
œ@ @
5 4 7 8
œ b@ @
n Each of the four notes are to be alternate picked (down& up-picked) very rapidly and continuously.
Palmmuting
&
E B G D A E
œœœœ n# œ œ œ œœœœ n œ œ PM PM
8
7
6
7
8
7
6
7 0 0 0 0 0
n Palm mute by resting the edge of picking-hand’s palm on the strings near the bridge.
Pick rake
&
¿¿¿
rake w
E B G D A E
X X X
5
n Drag the pick across the strings shown with a single sweep. Often used to augment a rake’s last note.
Appeggiatechord
&
E B G D A E
˙˙˙˙¿˙ # gggggggggggggggg
0
0
2
2
X2
˙˙˙˙˙˙ ## # gggggggggggggggg
4
5
4
4 4
5
n Play the notes of the chord by strumming across the relevant strings in the direction of the arrow head.
FRETTINGHAND Hammer-on&Pull-off
&
œ œ œ œ
E B G D A E
5 7 7 5
n Pick 1st note and hammer on with fretting hand for 2nd note. Then pick 3rd note and pull off for 4th note.
NoteTrills
&
E B G D A E
tr tr
˙()
~~~~~ ~~~~~
œ œ ˙ b
( )
5 7 5
8
n Rapidly alternate between the two notes indicated in brackets with hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Slides(Glissando)
&
œ œ œ œ œ
E B G D A E
5 5 7 5
7
n Pick 1st note and slide to the 2nd note. The last two notes show a slide with the last note being re-picked.
E B G D A E
LeftHandTapping
&
œ ≠ ≠
œ œ≠
6
œ œ œ≠
≠
7 7 5 0 5 0
≠
n Sound the notes marked with a square by hammering on/tapping with the frettinghand fingers.
Fret-HandMuting
&
œœœœ n#
¿¿¿¿
¿¿¿¿
¿¿¿¿ œœœœ
¿¿¿¿
¿¿¿¿
E B G D A E
8
7
6
7
X X X X
X X X X
X X X X
8
7
6
7
X X X X
X X X X
n X markings represent notes muted by the fretting hand when struck by the picking hand.
BENDINGANDVIBRATO Bend up/down
Re-pickbend
Prebend
Quarter-tonebend
CAPO
CapoNotation n Fret the start note (here, the 5th fret) and bend up to the pitch of the bracketed note, before releasing.
n Bend up to the pitch shown in the brackets, then re-pick the note while holding the bent note at the new pitch.
n Bend up from the 5th fret to the pitch of the 7th fret note, then pick it and release to 5th fret note.
n Pick the note and then bend up a quarter tone (a very small amount). Sometimes referred to as blues curl.
n A capo creates a new nut, so the above example has the guitar’s ‘literal’5th fret now as the 3rd fret.
HARMONICS Natural harmonics
E B G D A E
&
‚
NH
·
‚
‚
·
·
12 7 12 7 12 7
‚‚‚ #
···
‚
n Pick the note while lightly touching the string directly over the fret indicated. A harmonic results.
Artificialharmonics
E B G D A E
&
‚
‚
‚
·
4
AH16 AH17 AH19
·
7 5
·
n Fret the note as shown, then lightly place the index finger over ‘x’fret (AH ‘x’) and pick (with a pick, p or a).
Pinchedharmonics
E B G D A E
&
—
PH
±
7
—
—
±
5
±
7
n Fret the note as shown, but dig into the string with the side of the thumb as you sound it with the pick.
Tappedharmonics
E B G D A E
&
‚
‚
‚
TH17 TH19 TH17
·
5 7
·
·
4
‚
n Fret the note as shown, but sound it with a quick righthand tap at the fret shown (TH17) for a harmonic.
R/HTAPPING Right-handtapping n Tap (hammer-on) with a finger of the picking hand onto the fret marked with a circle. Usually with ‘i’or ‘m’.
4
January 2023
