Guitar Reference

Tips & Tricks
1

Just a simple reference for guitar programming, I haven’t memorized it so I have this for translating guitar to keyboard (vice versa) or programmed notes to guitar (vise versa). Good reference for 6 string guitars.

1 track, first 6 subtracks are empty for note input according to string, last 6 subtracks are reference points. Fret numbers are all the way to right.

000 | E-2 .. A-2 .. D-3 .. G-3 .. B-3 .. E-4 00 ---- |  
001 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
002 | F-2 .. A#2 .. D#3 .. G#3 .. C-400.. F-4 01 ---- |  
003 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
004 | F#2 .. B-2 .. E-3 .. A-3 .. C#4 .. F#4 02 ---- |  
005 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
006 | G-2 .. C-3 .. F-3 .. A#3 .. D-4 .. G-4 .. ---- |  
007 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
008 | G#2 .. C#3 .. F#3 .. B-3 .. D#4 .. G#4 04 ---- |  
009 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
010 | A-2 .. D-3 .. G-3 .. C-400.. E-4 .. A-4 .. ---- |  
011 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
012 | A#2 .. D#3 .. G#3 .. C#4 .. F-4 .. A#4 06 ---- |  
013 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
014 | B-2 .. E-3 .. A-3 .. D-4 .. F#4 .. B-4 .. ---- |  
015 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
016 | C-3 .. F-3 .. A#3 .. D#4 .. G-4 .. C-5 08 ---- |  
017 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
018 | C#3 .. F#3 .. B-3 .. E-4 .. G#4 .. C#5 .. ---- |  
019 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
020 | D-3 .. G-3 .. C-400.. F-4 .. A-4 .. D-5 10 ---- |  
021 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
022 | D#3 .. G#3 .. C#4 .. F#4 .. A#4 .. D#5 11 ---- |  
023 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
024 | E-3 .. A-3 .. D-4 .. G-4 .. B-4 .. E-5 .. ---- |  
025 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
026 | F-3 .. A#3 .. D#4 .. G#4 .. C-5 .. F-5 13 ---- |  
027 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
028 | F#3 .. B-3 .. E-4 .. A-4 .. C#5 .. F#5 14 ---- |  
029 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
030 | G-3 .. C-4 .. F-4 .. A#4 .. D-5 .. G-5 .. ---- |  
031 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
032 | G#3 .. C#400.. F#4 .. B-4 .. D#5 .. G#5 16 ---- |  
033 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
034 | A-3 .. D-4 .. G-4 .. C-5 .. E-5 .. A-5 .. ---- |  
035 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
036 | A#3 .. D#4 .. G#4 .. C#5 .. F-5 .. A#5 18 ---- |  
037 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
038 | B-3 .. E-4 .. A-4 .. D-5 .. F#5 .. B-5 .. ---- |  
039 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
040 | C-400.. F-4 .. A#4 .. D#5 .. G-5 .. C-6 20 ---- |  
041 | --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. --- .. ---- |  
042 | C#4 .. F#4 .. B-4 .. E-5 .. G#5 .. C#6 .. ---- |
2

hey! will try this out, thanks! translating guitar parts into sequencers has always been a hassle for me.

since one can’t type in the note in renoise (just play it with the piano layout on the keyb) which makes it kind of awkward.

i know what note it is since i know the neck of the guitar quite well but then i have to find that note on the computer keyboard as well… would be awesome if i just could type “F#4” for example.

i don’t think i will ever be able to “think” music with a piano layout… it’s just such an awkward layout.

edit: will the new scripting possibilities make a lil plugin aimed at guitarists possible?

3

thanks for this, copy-pasted right into my Renoise Cheat Sheet!

4

Cool, glad I could help. Here’s some more variations on keyboard + bass + guitar translations. These are Text Editor versions, I haven’t tried to input them in Renoise somewhere.

I suggested something similar as well in the Brainstorming: Piano Roll Ideas & Suggestions section, would be nice to translate with ease.

The frequency is read from top to bottom in order to preserve space.
C4 = 261.63

2
6
1

6
3

Bass and guitar are numbered according to fretboard and a + means the 10th or 20th fret, I just cut the 1 and 2 in order to preserve space.

[Sub Bass]Bass ]Medium ]High Medium ]  
[SB16Hz-60Hz]B60Hz-250Hz ]M250Hz-2khz ]Hm ]  
[20Hz-60Hz] 60Hz-300Hz ] 300Hz-2khz ] 2kHZ - 6kHz ]  
[AaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB]  
[2233333444455566677889911111111111122222223333344445556667788991111111111112222222333334]  
[7902468136815815937272701123345678902346791246914692582593838380112334567890234679135791]  
[-----------------------30630865445670361731999250633472989300274074198666679148396322258]  
[51876782629902742474349----------------------------------------6844860810493799730620916]  
[36040905491073091800998054858586006009616162903018233224996037-------------------------]  
[583881349930056662779930471936110050843863339000685735569910375775590020750530080040310]  
[AaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB cDdEFfGgAaB]  
[_ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _4 _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _-]  
[1[G 2 45 7 9+ 2 4 67 9] ]  
[2[D 23 5 7 9+ 2 45 7 9] ]  
[3[A 23 5 78 + 2 45 7 9+] ]  
[4[E1 3 5 78 + 23 5 7 9+] ]  
[_ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _4 _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _-]  
[1[E1 3 5 78 + 23 5 7 9 +] ]  
[2[B1 3 56 8 + 23 5 78 +] ]  
[3[G 2 45 7 9+ 2 4 67 9] ]  
[_ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _4 _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _-]  
[4[D 23 5 7 9+ 2 45 7 9] ]  
[5[A 23 5 78 + 2 45 7 9+] ]  
[6[E1 3 5 78 + 23 5 7 9+] ]  
[_ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _4 _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _-]  
 zsxdcvgbhnjm,l.;/  
 q2w3er5t6y7ui9o0p[=]  
  
 o12.4.6.8.+1.34.6.8.+.]  
E __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _- ]  
B _4 _ __ _ _ _- _ __ _]  
G _ _ _4 _ __ _ _ _- _]  
D _ __ _ _ _4 _ __ _ _]  
A _ _- _ __ _ _ _4 _ __]  
E __ _ _ _- _ __ _ _ _4]  
 o12.4.6.8.+1.34.6.8.+.]
5

you know, i always kind of liked modplug tracker’s default note layout for this reason. it was chromatic (a=c,s=c#,d=d,f=d#, etc…) which made using the keyboard much like playing a three string guitar tuned in octaves. that still feels a little strange for a couple minutes but is easier for a guitar-centric mind to work with than the typical piano inspired layout. it also allows you to have 3 octaves crammed into the same amount of keyboard space.

but i have no idea if it is possible to achieve this alternate scheme in renoise. does anyone know? it would be great if it is.

6

00.1: you could save an XRNS file and share it, or simply copy the pattern data and paste it here

7

0[2_5].xrns

Pattern Sequence 1
Guitar reference is on track “G”, near the master track.

Pattern Sequence 0
The first three tracks was a reference for polymeters (not polyrhythms), though I think I may just use a formula instead and delete these tracks.

Pattern Sequence 0
The following tracks are chords + their inversions, though it doesn’t include a chord progression chart which is important in navigating the use of these chords. The chords were ripped from The Complete Keyboard Poster. There’s probably a formula to remember them all, but I haven’t tried to find it or re-read it from some book.

Track “I”
1 Major
2 minor
3 Diminished
4 Augmented
5 Suspended 2nd
6 Suspended 4th
7 Flat 5th
8 6th
9 minor 6th

Track “II”
1 7th
2 minor 7th
3 Diminished 7th
4 Major 7th
5 minor, Major 7th
6 7/6

Track “III”
1 9th
2 minor 9th
3 Flath 9th
4 minor, Flat 7th
5 Augmented 9th
6 9/6
7 minor 9/6

Track “IV”
1 11th
2 minor 11th
3 Augmented 11th
4 minor, Augmented 11th

Track “V”
1 13th
2 minor 13th
3 13th, Augmented 11th
4 minor 13th, Augmented 11th