Classical Guitar Research Articles

Waltzifiability hypothesis

We present a composition for solo classical guitar. This work comprises four pieces in 3/4 that share the same harmony, but the composition restrictions differ for each. The results are four distinct "waltz" movements. The main contribution of this work is showing composition not as rooted in inspiration, emotions, or innate talent but as a process of learning, critics, and performance. Also is an example of the paradox of choice, i.e., one may be more creative with less freedom of choice. Of course, in this learning environment, the artistic work becomes the musical discourse based on the interaction between the student/composer, the teacher, and the performer.

Analysis of Structure and Techniques of Pancula Ndeme By Justinus Hokey on Classic Guitar Composition

This study aims to describe the structure and techniques of playing Pancula Ndeme by Justinus Hokey on classical guitar composition. This study uses a qualitative approach. The data analyzed is the sheet music of Pancula Ndeme. The results of this study indicate that the structure of this composition consists of several parts, namely Introduction – A – B – C – A – B – Coda. There are four motifs in section A (m1, m2, m3, m4), two sentences (sentences a and a'), and two themes in each sentence. Section B consists of three motifs (n1, n2, n3), two phrases (phrase b and b'), and two themes in each sentence. Section C consists of 2 motifs (o1 and o2). The guitar playing techniques contained in this composition are the right-hand technique and the left-hand technique. The right-hand techniques found in this composition include; apoyando, tirando, and strumming techniques. The left-hand techniques contained in this composition include; slur, barre, and harmonic.

An Annotated Bibliography on Articles Prepared for Classical Guitar Teaching (2012-2022)

Bu çalışma, uluslararası ve prestijli indekslerce taranan dergilerde yayımlanan gitar öğretiminin farklı boyutlarını ele alan makaleleri derleyen bir bibliyografik araştırmadır. Çalgının literatürü günümüzde sayıca zengin bir konuma ulaşmıştır. Bu ciddi artışın, literatürün özellikle uluslararası makalelerine araştırmacıların hızlı erişimini kolaylaştıracak bibliyografya çalışmalarına olan ihtiyacı arttırdığı söylenebilir. Gitar çalgısının öğretiminin farklı boyutlarını irdeleyen uluslararası makalelerin örneklem olarak sınırlandırıldığı bu bibliyografyada SCI, SSCI, SCI-E, AHCI, SCOPUS, ERIC ve TR DİZİN gibi uluslararası indekslerce taranan dergilerde son 10 yılda (2012-2022) yayımlanan 60 adet makale künyesi yer almaktadır. Araştırmada, betimsel tarama modelinin kullanılmış ve veriler doküman analizi yöntemi ile toplanmıştır. Makalelere, Web of Science, ELSEVİER, EBSCO ve ULAKBİM yayıncılarının veri tabanları aracılığıyla erişilmiş, erişilen makale özet ve tam metinleri ‘gitar öğretimi’nin çeşitli boyutlarının araştırmada irdelenmesi ölçütüne örnekleme dahil edilmiştir. Veriler içerik analizine tabi tutulmuştur. Ulaşılan her makalenin kaynakçasında yer alan eserler incelenerek kapsayıcılığının arttırılması amaçlanmıştır. İlgili yayımcılar ve indekslerde yer alan makalelere ilişkin veriler, alt başlıklar halinde okuyucuya sunulmuştur. Araştırma, gitar öğretimine dönük üretilmiş uluslararası makale çalışmalarının son 10 yılda sayıcı büyük bir artış gösterdiğini, bu makalelerde işlenen konularda eğilimin daha çok gitar öğretim metotlarının incelenmesi ve gitar öğretiminde sağ ve sol el teknikleri yönünde olduğu görülmüştür.

Design for performability: a proposal for democratic redesign of the classical guitar

Mastery of a musical instrument, including an ability to reach virtuosity in expression and performance, is commonly achieved through a lifelong commitment to practise. The specific instrument played has a crucial role in this journey. This paper reports on design research that aimed to determine the potential for redesigning the classical guitar, whether iteratively or radically, from the perspective of key stakeholder groups: luthiers, composers, and performers. A total of 25 interviews were conducted and analysed to identify shared and unique concerns amongst the stakeholder groups. The findings are used to conceive and develop a new design-related musical term ‘performability’, which builds upon the established term ‘playability’ but has much stronger interactional and experiential dimensions. Furthermore, the paper provides insights into ways in which an industrial designer can contribute to classical guitar design as a fourth stakeholder. Industrial design expertise is proposed to provide a mediating and catalysing role for democratic (i.e. multi-stakeholder, multi-perspective) instrument design or redesign. The paper concludes with a proposal for a ‘design for performability’ framework suited to co-design sessions aiming to achieve a highly performable classical guitar.

Port-Hamiltonian fluid–structure interaction modelling and structure-preserving model order reduction of a classical guitar

ABSTRACT A fluid–structure interaction model in a port-Hamiltonian representation is derived for a classical guitar. After discretization, we combine the laws of continuum mechanics for solids and fluids within a unified port-Hamiltonian (pH) modelling approach by adapting the equations through an appropriate coordinate transformation on the second-order level. The high-dimensionality of the resulting system is reduced by model order reduction. The article focuses on pH-systems in different state transformations, a variety of basis generation techniques as well as structure-preserving model order reduction approaches that are independent from the projection basis. As main contribution, a thorough comparison of these method combinations is conducted. In contrast to typical frequency-based simulations in acoustics, transient time simulations of the system are presented. The approach is embedded into a straightforward workflow of sophisticated commercial software modelling and flexible in-house software for multi-physics coupling and model order reduction.

An Investigation of Eastern Cultural Influences in the Classical Guitar Solo Repertoire.

Can Eastern cultures become a more integral part of the classical guitar’s cultural identity through repertoire influenced by these cultures? In this research exposition, I explore the ways in which cultural elements from Eastern cultures may inspire repertoire for the solo classical guitar. Through this repertoire, I shall examine how such cultural influences may promote Eastern cultures to performers and audiences of the classical guitar. In doing so, the cultural horizons of the classical guitar world may be broadened to represent a greater variety of cultures that also mirrors the growing global community of the classical guitar. In Part I, I look at some of the pre-existing works that have been influenced by Eastern cultures including works by Toru Takemitsu; arrangements of popular and folkloric music from Eastern cultures; and original compositions that have influences from Eastern cultures. Part II deals with the ethics of cultural inspiration and looks at questions like: “How can we represent cultures authentically through music?”, “Is cultural appropriation ok?”. Finally, Part III presents an overview of the new repertoire specifically written for this research. This comprises of two arrangements of songs attributed to the Bengali polymath, Rabindranath Tagore, as well as a commissioned work with an Eastern cultural influence composed by Italian composer and classical guitarist, Marco Ramelli. The findings of this research reveal the difficulty of assigning an objective answer to the issues surrounding cultural inspiration. I implore readers to approach this research with an open mind and hope that, at the very least, I can encourage the musical community to consider different types of questions concerning the use of cultural elements in art.

Marco Capogna, a pioneering neuroscientist and true European

Marco Capogna, a pioneering neuroscientist and true European

A Review Of London College of Music (LCM) Classical Guitar Grade Books In Terms Of Content

Bu çalışmanın amacı, LCM klasik gitar kitaplarının içerik bakımından incelenmesidir. Araştırma, nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden tarama modeline dayalı betimsel bir desene sahiptir. Araştırmada University of West London’a bağlı LCM yayınları tarafından, LCM klasik gitar seviye sınavlarının içeriğine uygun olarak, sınavlara yönelik çalışma amaçlı basılan 8 kitap edinilmiş ve kitapların teknik çalışma, eserler, tartışma, deşifre ve işitme testi bölümleri belgesel tarama yöntemiyle incelenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda teknik çalışma bölümünde tek ve çift sesli diziler, arpejler ve akorların bulunduğu, 8 çalışma parçasının 2 besteci tarafından bestelendiği, çalışma parçalarında legato, staccato, harmonik ve bare tekniklerinin en çok kullanılan çalım teknikleri olduğu, eserlerin büyük çoğunluğunun çağdaş döneme ait olduğu, ilk 5 seviyede çok sesli eserlerin yanı sıra tek sesli eserlere de yer verildiği, ileri seviyelerde tartışma bölümlerinde eserlerin armonik ve form yapılarına yönelik sorulara yer verildiği, işitme testi bölümlerinde melodik ve ritmik işitme, aralık bilgisi gibi konuların yanı sıra, kadans, modülasyon, ton bilgisi, form bilgisi gibi konulara da yer verildiği gibi sonuçlara ulaşılmıştır.

Material variability compensation in a finite element model of a classical guitar by appropriate geometry modifications

The sound of some old master instruments like the Stradivari violins or the Torres guitars is still unrivaled for many musicians. The common practice among instrument makers is to copy these instruments by building instruments with the same geometry as the original. However, audible differences between these copies and the original instruments are unavoidable, mainly due to the natural variability of the wood characteristics. A suitable measure to objectively characterize an instrument's sound is evaluating its modal parameters. Our project aims to develop a methodology to design copies of the old master instruments that match these modal parameters of the original instruments instead of copying their geometry. After showing that such an approach is appropriate for an individual guitar soundboard in a recent publication, we now present a parameter study to find suitable geometric modifications on an entire guitar to compensate for the natural material variation. Therefore, this study is based on a detailed finite-element model that shall predict the effect of suitable geometry alterations on the instrument's modal parameters and suited optimization techniques. Geometric modifications like the shape of the braces, the thickness of the fretboard, and the thickness of the plates are taken into account.

The Evolution of the Left-Hand Range in the Guitar Technique

This paper examines and acknowledges the evolution of the left-hand range and the demands in the classical guitar technique since the 19th Century. In that regard, after presenting the problems which surround the main subject of investigation, special attention will be given to the section dedicated to the guitar in the Grand traité instrumentation et orchestration modernes by Hector Berlioz (1844), the development of the guitar music after 1850, as well as the 20th Century and the contemporary music heritage of this instrument. The next stage of the evolution of the use of the left-hand range in guitar technique will be discussed and options presented.

Gitarystyka w dorobku naukowym Instytutu Sztuki Polskiej Akademii Nauk

The present study is concerned with the analysis of all publications that appeared in the musicological journal “Muzyka”, published from April 1950 to the present day by the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences (formerly State Institute of Art). The aim of the work was to find mentions of the classical guitar and discuss the contexts in which they appeared.

Tematyka gitarowa na łamach „Poradnika Muzycznego” (1947–1989 ) i „Przeglądu Muzycznego” (1990–1991)

The aim of this article is to present the contents of two music journals, “Poradnik Muzyczny” [“Music Guide”] and “Przegląd Muzyczny” [“Music Review”], published by the Ludowy Instytut Muzyczny [People’s Institute of Music] in Łódź, with a focus on subjects related to classical guitar and guitar music in Poland. For many years, these periodicals, issued on a monthly or bimonthly basis, depending on the period of publication, were the primary platform for exchanging ideas about the guitar in Poland. These journals published historical and methodological articles on the guitar, reports on guitar events, reviews of publications for the instrument, and original compositions and arrangements for guitar solo as well as for ensembles with the guitar.

Specific Sound Production Techniques in Academic Guitar Music

"The article is focused on the problematic research area in the borderline between performance, musical and composer’s interests in academic guitar music. Modern growth trends have been identified in the sound production experimental reserves being not typical for the classical guitar performance stroke in concert practice until the early 20th century. A specific method typology of sound production has been proposed: using the technical performance parameters, phonic and visual sound effects, the origin, and primary, authentic realms of life. The connections with similar processes in other instrumental areas have been traced. The light has been thrown on technical and aesthetic facets. The specific methods in sound production stroke, the tone quality and acoustic characteristics varying in range, the expanded visual noise sound effects, and graphic images in the score have been examined. The artistic music samples of the whole generation of experimental composers, namely the French ones: Maurice Ohana, Roland Dyens, Francis Kleynjans and the Chilean ones: Juan Antonio Sánchez, Gustavo Becerra Schmidt analyzed through specific methods of guitar sound extraction have resulted in marked imaginative connections and associations with the content core of musical works. Keywords: guitar music, specific methods of sound extraction, modern guitar concert practice "

Perjuangan Mahasiswi Gitar Klasik pada Jenjang Pendidikan Sarjana Musik di Indonesia

The population of guitar students in the Bachelor of Music Study Program, Faculty of Performing Arts, Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta, is dominated by male students. Purpose: This study aims to uncover women's efforts in gaining learning achievement in the context of guitar studies at the Indonesian higher education level. Research Method: This study uses qualitative research methods with interview instruments. However, in the analysis of some preliminary data using a quantitative approach. Result and discussion: Results and Interviews with four female alums and four active students provided information about their effort in pursuing Bachelor's studies with a classical guitar major. The analysis includes motivation, learning process, gender, and expectations. Implication: This study concluded that all subjects were not affected by the dominance of men in the guitar student population at ISI Yogyakarta. For them, gender does not affect the quality of learning outcomes; instead, perseverance and enthusiasm for learning play an important role.

Domestic Guitar School: Historical Heritage of Performance Traditions and Development Prospects

The purpose of the article is to analyse the problems of historical heredity of performing traditions of the domestic guitar school and to provide a generalised view of the prospects for the development of guitar art in the domestic cultural and educational space in the context of the guitar evolution. Research methods. Historical-theoretical and executive analyses were used to solve the tasks of the research. Scientific novelty. This paper is a highlight of the specifics of performing traditions and national schools, as well as the results of the analysis of prospects for the development of the domestic guitar school in modern conditions. There is an attempt to shed light on the current “postmodern” artistic situation in Ukraine. Conclusions. The article covers the history of the guitar origin as a professional musical instrument and the history of performance on the classical guitar in Ukraine in the context of the influence of Western European performing culture. The development of guitar schools is analysed in tertiary artistic establishments of Ukraine, a guitar art is considered within the framework of actual postmodern discourse and in the context of development of world guitar art.
 Key words: Ukrainian guitar school, guitar art, guitar, performing tradition, performing school, historiogenesis of guitar art.

Using Mechanical Metamaterials in Guitar Top Plates: A Numerical Study

It has recently been shown that the mechanical properties of thin, rectangular wooden plates can be tuned by carving them with specific patterns of perforations, effectively realising a 2D wooden mechanical metamaterial. Such a material is of great interest for the construction of musical instruments, as it could allow a new degree of creative control for makers. Furthermore, issues with the shrinking supplies of tone-woods could be alleviated as wood samples that don not meet the desired requirements could simply be altered, instead of being discarded. In this work, we study the effect of the use of these metamaterials in the soundboards of classical guitars. By way of simulations, we evaluate their impact on the modal behaviour and on the sound pressure level of the instrument, as well as on its ability to sustain the load exerted by the strings. Our results show that the metamaterials can tune the instrument’s response without compromising its structural integrity. We thus conclude that the use of wooden mechanical metamaterials in the soundboards of classical guitars is feasible and, in many ways, beneficial, not the least since it opens the door to using non-traditional woods with bespoke density and stiffness.

New Additions to the Guitar Family: Lego and Automatic Microtonal Guitars

One of the modern classical guitar’s biggest strengths is also one of its biggest weaknesses. The instrument depends on an equal temperament fretboard system that has lent itself to brilliant repertoire and ease of production, yet this same fretboard system does not lend itself to perfectly tuned notes and tuning systems not found in Eurocentric classical music. Many guitarists and luthiers have sought a fretboard system that marries the benefits of equal temperament with the rich possibilities of just intonation and other tuning systems. This paper presents two new fretboard designs and discuss their role in the history of guitar fretboard construction. Our first design is a fully functional fretboard made from the popular toy ‘Legos’ and solves many of the problems that previous designs had, including ease of use and production, affordability, and versatility. Our second design is a one-string prototype for an automatic (automated) fretboard that would allow performers to switch tuning systems instantly at the press of a button.

Analisis dan Ekspresi Gerak: Mencari Hubungan Pada “Sonata Romantica Bagain I. Allegro Moderato” Manuel Ponce

This research departs from the difficulty of players in connecting how musical works can inform movements to players, he said on classical guitarist instruments. So it requires a strategy to answer the challenges in the music performance area. So this study requires several processes to connect this, one of which is the positive analysis that will be discussed in this research. The discussion material is limited to romantic to modern music as a golden era of classical guitar, one of which is the work of Manuel Maria Ponce's "Sonata Romantica I. Allegro Moderato". The content of this study is in the form of a study of elements of music elements including; harmonic studies, forms, rhythms and motifs, as well as looking at the results of other players in interpreting the work. While the results of this study show that there are many fluctuations in the two regions of the graph representing dynamic and tempo, it is from these fluctuations that musicians get the potential to use gesture expressions.

Distinguishing geometrically identical instruments: Possibilistic identification of material parameters in a parametrically model order reduced finite element model of a classical guitar

The identification of material parameters of classical guitars is particularly interesting as the orthotropic material parameters of wood vary largely and lead to hearable differences even in seemingly identical instruments. Identification methods intended to achieve this task commonly try to fit, e.g., finite element models to experimental data by minimizing a given objective function, and typically return precise parameter values. However, such one-point estimators do not contain much information with respect to the uncertainty that may remain regarding the true values – irrespective of whether such a ground truth can be assumed at all. Model updating techniques that also intend to quantify these uncertainties typically require the practitioner to specify a statistical model of the experiment, which is not easily formulated. Moreover, virtually all uncertainty quantification techniques require a high number of model evaluations, which is diametrically opposed to the long evaluation times of high-fidelity finite element models. In this contribution, an alternative technique for uncertainty quantification based on possibility theory is proposed and applied to a classical guitar. Only requiring the practitioner to specify an objective function, which may be identical to the one used to find point estimates, it is readily accessible and straightforward to apply. Great emphasis is put on the construction of a high-fidelity guitar model and the construction of suitable surrogate models via parametric model order reduction based on Krylov subspace methods, which drastically reduces the number of degrees of freedom in the surrogate model of the finite element model while maintaining the parameter dependency. In this manner, model order reduction allows for significant speedups of the model evaluations and, more importantly here, facilitates the uncertainty quantification in the first place. It is demonstrated how this scheme is able to find regions of plausible parameter values of the guitar and how one may distinguish quasi-identical instruments with great confidence, e.g., due to the disjointness of such regions, compared to the moderate confidence implied by more or less disagreeing point estimates. Although motivated by the material parameter identification of guitars, the presented method yields great potential for applicability to inverse problems tackled with finite element models in general.

Analisis Teknik Permainan Gitar Klasik Karya Frederich Chopin: Nocturne In E-Flat Major Op.9 No.2

This study aims to determine how the song nocturne in e-flat major op 9 no 2 by Fredrich Chopin is technically expressed through the classical guitar playing by Francisco Tarrega. This research is descriptive analysis, which in this case describes, outlines and describes the technique of playing nocturne in e-flat major op 9 no 2 which is played for classical guitar instruments. The object of this research is the classical guitar playing technique in nocturne in e-flat major op 9 no 2 by Frederich Chopin. The research instrument is the researcher himself is assisted by several equipment to process the data. The type of data used is primary data and secondary data. The steps to analyze the data were done by using interview, observation and documentation techniques. The data are organized and interpreted as finding material to answer research problems. The results showed that the techniques used in the classical guitar song nocturne in e-flat major op 9 no 2, namely arpeggio, legato, slur, glissando, barre, harmonic, appoggiatura, and trill. Tarrega replaced techniques that can also be played on guitar such as upper mordent, group peto, and staccato with slur techniques, and glissando, then condensed the rhythmic tone with a 1/32 note. The substitution of this technique is due to organological reasons, where the piano has a soft pedal and a damper pedal that can maintain the tone, while this is not possible on a guitar. The difference in the use of playing techniques or more precisely the adjustment of the playing technique of this work using classical guitar gives different nuances to its expression, namely sharp, deep, sad, mellow, firm, fast, free, bright, broad nuances on the piano. While the guitar creates a soft, gentle, broad, crowded, fast feel.