How well do you know your classical guitar notation?<\/h2>\n
![\"DC](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/DC-al-Coda-Julia-Florida-800x148.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
This example from “Julia Florida” by Agustin Barrios is a good example of just how many guitar notation symbols exist in our music. As teachers at CGC Academy, we see a lot of questions regarding the various marks that appear all over our music. So here is a guide to some of the most common notation symbols.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Let’s start with the small numbers next to the notes. In the third measure (m.53) you see a 1 next to the G, 3 next to E, etc. These are left-hand finger numbers. They tell you which finger to play in the left hand. You can go here to read much more about guitar finger numbers and names<\/a>. But to refresh your memory, here they are again:<\/p>\n Now look at the second measure (m.52) of the above score example. You see that circled 4 above the staff? What’s that? This is a string number. It tells you which string to play a note on. In this case you’re being asked to play a harmonic on the 4th string. (We’ll touch on harmonics below.) Go here if you need a refresher on your guitar string names and numbers.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> In the last measure of our Barrios example above, you see a line after the left-hand 3 between the B and the C. This can mean one of two different things.<\/p>\n But how do you know which to play? Usually a gliss.\/port. appears as a solid line between the two notes, while a guide finger will only be a dash next to the second note. However, this is not always the case! The most important way to distinguish these two is the style of the music you’re playing. Romantic music like T\u00e1rrega or Barrios will rely heavily on gliss.’s as part of the music’s style. But this kind of sound would be very unstylistic for Renaissance or Baroque music.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
\n
Finger numbers<\/h3>\n
\n
String numbers<\/h3>\n
Lines between notes<\/h3>\n
\n
Barre<\/h3>\n
![\"barre](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barre-sign-cgc-mudarra-fantasia.jpg\")
At Classical Guitar Corner, we have settled on using capital Roman numerals for the fret number, so III, and a small subscript number for the number of strings next to that. That looks like this:<\/li>\n![\"Fernando](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sor-harmonics-op-29.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Score](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tarrega-alborada-harmonics-400x163.jpg\")
Franisco T\u00e1rrega used a similar notation, but wrote in “ar<\/em>.” to indicate “armonico<\/em>” next to the number.<\/p>\n![\"Coda](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Coda-Julia-Florida-800x170.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Artificial](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Llobet-testament-artifiical-harmonics.jpg\")
Miguel Llobet decided simply to write above the notes that the melody (canto<\/em>) should be played with artificial harmonics.<\/p>\n![\"Score](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Negri-Lo-Spagnoletto-repeat-signs-800x120.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"1st](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1st-and-2nd-endings-Aguado-Menuet-800x121.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Fine](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fine-Carolan-march-800x152.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"DC](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dc-al-fine-Carolan-march-800x110.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Segno](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/villa-lobos-choros-1-segno-400x155.jpg\")
Another common term you will see is “D.S.” or “Da Segno.” This indicates that you should return to the segno<\/em> or sign, which like the Fine will be placed earlier in the piece. D.S. just means to return to the sign and continue to play to the end (unless there are other navigations afterwards). The sign looks like a squiggly S with a line through it and dots on either side, like this:<\/p>\n![\"To](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/To-Coda-Julia-Florida-800x139.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Scale](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/scale-with-hairpin-dynamics-800x87.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Accent](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Tarrega-Prelude-1-accents-800x132.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"C](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/scale-with-staccato-marks-800x81.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Tenuto](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/assad-aquarelle-mvt-3-tenuto.jpg\")
Another way tenuto can appear in notation, however, is as a solid line above a note or notes. And while sometimes this has the same meaning as above, it can also mean to play the note for its full duration. In other contexts it can be used to tell you what the melody notes are. For instance, in Sergio Assad’s Aquarelle<\/em>, mvt.3, tenuto marks identify melody notes and also tell the guitarist to play these notes for their full duration (in contrast to staccato notes in surrounding context).<\/p>\n![\"Score](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dowland-fortune-dashed-slur-800x103.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Tie](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tie-mark-Aguado-Menuet-800x116.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/phrase-vs-slur-marks-bach-prelude-1007-800x109.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Laissez](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sustain-ties-goss-150x150.jpg\")
Another way curved lines appear in music notation is extending from one note but not connecting to another, like this:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/laissez-vibrer-goss-400x146.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Fermata](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fermata-Tarrega-Estudio-800x136.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Score](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tisserand-couleurs-latines-breath-mark.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Rolled](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/rolled-chord-de-visee-prelude-800x118.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Grace](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sor-appoggiatura-grace-notes-800x109.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Grace](\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sor-acciaccatura-grace-notes-800x103.jpg\")
<\/p>\n