Eight Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 If you're doing a transcription in notation with detuned guitars, is it the norm to indicate the note that is actually played or the note that *would* be played if the guitar was in standard tuning? E.g. guitar tuned down 1 step. First note is a D. Would you put a D on the score or an E? It seems that if you're including tab underneath, then the notation is written as it would sound in standard tuning? i.e. tab says 0, notation shows E but we know the note is D. Or is there no real convention? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringbassist Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 If the note played is a D then it should be notated as such, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eight Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 [quote name='6stringbassist' post='396214' date='Jan 31 2009, 04:04 PM']If the note played is a D then it should be notated as such, I think.[/quote] I don't have much bass sheet music really - what I do have has tab underneath and generally seems to put the note that the fretboard tab would have played in standard tuning. That's what got me wondering. Doesn't seem right to me somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 If you are notating something expressly written where all strings are detuned then the piece should be written as if strings were in standard tuning. E.g. if you detune the strings to Eb/Ab/Db/Gb and the first note is open Eb it makes more sense to write the music in E as it what you will feel and see. Writing at pitch means you have to relearn the whole fretboard just for that piece (e.g. C is now B, F is now E). If you are transposing a tune from one key to another it obviously makes sense to write at pitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 [quote name='XB26354' post='396465' date='Jan 31 2009, 09:32 PM']If you are notating something expressly written where all strings are detuned then the piece should be written as if strings were in standard tuning. E.g. if you detune the strings to Eb/Ab/Db/Gb and the first note is open Eb it makes more sense to write the music in E as it what you will feel and see. Writing at pitch means you have to relearn the whole fretboard just for that piece (e.g. C is now B, F is now E). If you are transposing a tune from one key to another it obviously makes sense to write at pitch.[/quote] What he said, although there is a certain amount of flexibility depending on the nature of the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eight Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 Ah ok. Thanks for all the input guys - its much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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