How To Write For Guitar So That Your Guitarist Loves You (Part 2)

Scoring for guitar has its specifics given by the anatomy of the instrument and the way it is played. In Part 1 of this series, we have discussed that the guitar sounds one octave lower than written. Today, we will discuss the layout of the fingerboard and the limitations it imposes on scoring for guitar.

The Layout

We assume a six-string guitar with standard tuning in all of the following.

The open strings of the guitar are tuned in perfect 4ths, except between the second and third strings, which are a major 3rd apart. The pitches of the open strings are E, A, D, G, B, and E. The highest string in pitch is actually the lowest physically in relation to the floor and vice versa.

Open strings in standard tuning (sounding an octave lower than written). Zeros stand for open strings, and numbers in circles denote the strings.

Each fret on the fingerboard represents a half-step (semitone). The higher the fret (i.e., closer to the guitar body), the higher the pitch. Since most of the strings are tuned in 4ths, i.e., an interval consisting of five semitones, we can play the pitches of the open strings as fretted notes in the fifth fret on the subsequent lower strings. The exceptions are the G string — here we have to fret the fourth fret to obtain the B — and the low E string, which, being the lowest string, cannot be played in any other way than as an open string.

Every note above the written A3 can be played in more than one way. The number of possibilities to fret a particular note is higher for higher pitches since there are more strings available below the string on which that pitch is produced initially. Examples:

Roman numerals stand for fret positions.

In the twelfth fret of every string, the pitch sounds one octave higher than the open string (because there are twelve semitones in an octave).

In this article by the Guitar Player Magazine, you will find a nice fingerboard diagram and a much more in-depth explanation of how to find different notes on the guitar fingerboard.

Left Hand

Pitches on the fingerboard are fretted by four fingers of the left hand (fingering symbols in parentheses) — index (1), middle (2), ring (3), and pinky (4). Generally, the largest stretch that most guitarists can comfortably play is the span of five frets between fingers 1 & 4. Larger spans may occasionally be possible, but I would only recommend using them if you know that your guitarist has big hands. In the following pictures, you can see that these stretches are possible, but the flexibility of the other fingers is thereby very limited.

Fingers 1 & 4 with a span of five frets, fretting the interval of a minor 2nd (E and F). Alternatively, the E could be played as an open string, and the F fretted in the sixth fret on the B string

Fingers 1 & 4 with a span of six frets, fretting the interval of a perfect 4th between Eb and Ab. The low Eb could be played in the first fret of the D string instead.

The higher the fret, the smaller the distances between frets. It is thus easier to play large stretches in higher positions (above the seventh fret) than in lower ones. By all means, avoid long passages of large stretches in low positions.

Stretches between fingers 2 & 3 are very limited due to the hand's anatomy. Fingers 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 are a bit more flexible, especially in higher positions. Fingers 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 should generally be able to cover the span of four frets (the latter safely only in higher positions) — again, though, for short passages only.

Fingers 1 & 3 are flexible enough to stretch over four frets, even in low positions.

Fingers 2 & 3 are much less flexible. In low positions, only neighboring frets can generally be fretted comfortably.

In high positions, fingers 2 & 3 are somewhat more flexible. Still, not very comfortable. Avoid, if possible.

Fingers 2 & 4 can comfortably stretch over four frets in high positions.

Limitations

The most obvious limitation is that we can only play six notes at once (six strings). Contrary to popular belief, though, the above is possible not only as a strum or arpeggio but also as a non-arpeggiated chord, even though only four fingers of the right hand pluck the strings (assuming finger-style playing technique as opposed to playing with a pick). The execution requires the right-hand thumb to very quickly strike three strings in succession so that they sound non-arpeggiated.

More importantly, pay attention when scoring harmonic intervals of major and minor seconds because of the potential difficulties with finger stretches. Unless open strings are involved, these may be demanding to play. In addition, their playability depends significantly on what other fingers are fretting at the moment of the finger stretch. And vice versa — when a major or minor second is to be fretted (especially the latter), fretting possibilities of the other fingers may be limited. A few more examples:

Minor 2nd (G# and A) in a low position.

Minor 2nd (A# and B) in a high position. The stretch is slightly smaller, and the other fingers are somewhat more flexible.

Major 2nd (F# and G#) in a low position. Not that hard to play, but the other fingers may be harder to use with a smaller hand.

Major 2nd (Db and Eb) in a high position. This should be fairly easy even for smaller hands.

All of the above has huge implications for chord voicings which we will talk about in more detail in the following parts of this series.

I hope you have found this article useful and that it will help you create better guitar music. Please, let me know how you like this series or what you would like me to cover by sending me a message on Facebook or Instagram.

Other articles of the series:

Part 1 — Sounding One Octave Lower

Part 3 — Chord Voicings