Anyone can share some Sequencing Tips&Tricks 4 guitar so

mingguan

New member
Hi,

Anyone can share some Sequencing Tips for guitar sounds?
expecially on how the fret noise used.
Quite no idea on it.
 
First, you'll need to know about how the guitar works. Some quick ones:

1. Guitar has 6 strings. Plucked with 5 fingers on the right hand - which also means care must be taken into sequencing since we use all 10 fingers to play the keyboard. To "force" myself not to overuse notes when playing, I use only 5 fingers as well when sequencing - 2 on the left hand and 3 on the right hand. Playing a difficult sequence involving all 10 fingers will be technically impossible on a guitar and therefore sound unrealistic.

2. Like all string instruments, guitar has positions. You'll need to roughly know them. I try to play/sequence the notes within a certain range, usually limited to 2 or 2.5 octaves. Of course, you need to know that there are open strings.

3. Remember the range of the guitar - don't go lower than E1 (in normal circumstances - not talking about alternate tunings).

4. Strumming can never be simulated well on a keyboard, unless with VERY good strumming samples. So unless you have great strumming samples (that includes up and down strokes, different speeds, short and long samples, choking etc), don't even try it or it will just sound fake.

5. Don't use sustain pedal. Hold the notes with your fingers. This will prevent unnatural ringing of notes when they are supposed to be played on the same string. You'll need to practice to know when to hold a note and when not to hold.

6. Use fret noises sparingly. Overuse just destroys it. Fret noises are produced when the fingers change position. So I'll add that in when position are changed, usually when I release my fingers from a sustained position. Roland makes it easier on their XV series by including fret noises as a release sample (and I believe only on heavier velocities) - it's easier to play but then still unnatural although it can fool an untrained ear.

I'm sure Iansoh and others will have other suggestions. This are just some quick ones that I can pull out.
 
Cheez, Thanks for your explaination.

To my understanding, the fret noise only exist when the guitar player change finger position on the same string (ie. change finger position on 3rd string will create 3rd string's fret noise, change finger position on 5th string will then create 5th string's fret noise...etc). However, change finger position from one string to another string will not create any fret noise.
Is it correct?
 
Yes, you're right. Actually, I wouldn't worry too much into details, otherwise you'll go into fret noises sliding upwards and downwards etc. In sequencing, adding such noises are meant to increase realism. No one really tries to figure out the exact fingering of the notes on the fret-board when we sequence on a keyboard - it will take too much time and effort. When playing sustained plucking, usually a guitar is playing in one position on the fret board; when a position is changed, that's when it's most likely a finger will release and slide to another position - so I'll add fret noises when I remove the sustain on the notes just before a new phrase. Do I make sense here?

But as I say, use it sparingly. People into noises are usually into realism - that is not the music. The key is still good arrangements and composition. Noises are the "icing on the cake" - too much icing spoils the cake. Imagine a recording of a real acoustic guitar with fret noises everywhere - that would be really irritating for the listener! And we really want to hear the playing, not the noises.

Same thing why we also occasionally add in orchestral noises in some large hall mix - ambient noises of the hall (people coughing, players turning pages, chairs squeaking etc). Actually, I have all these noises in my hard-drive if you're interested (all license free). I also have breath noises for wind players and vocals (inhale and exhale). There are also key noises - noises of woodwind players being close-miced so that the noise of their fingers pressing the keys are also heard - I may have them somewhere, not too sure.

To have less headache for sequencing realistic guitars, there are good VSTis like Real Guitar (http://www.musiclab.com/products/rg2_info.htm).
 
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