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PC-GUITAR
Copyright 1991, M. Lee Murrah,
10 Cottage Grove Woods, S.E.
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
319-365-6530
Ver. 0.01
8-3-91
I. Introduction
A. General
PC-GUITAR is a PC program to help the user learn basic
chords and notes on the guitar.
PC-GUITAR is written in Turbo Pascal 5.5.
B. Equipment Requirements
PC-GUITAR will run on an IBM-PC or compatible having 256K of
random access memory (it may run on less, but not guarantees)
and a color graphics adapter (CGA). A Microsoft-compatible
mouse is also supported.
II. Music Theory
A. Notes
1. General
Music is comprised of notes, which are tones each
having a specified pitch, or frequency. In a stringed
instrument such as a guitar, a string vibrates back and forth
(or up and down) when plucked. The rate at which which the string
vibrates depends upon the length and tension of the string. The
number of complete back-and-forth movements of a string along its
entire length in one second is called its fundamental frequency.
Strings also vibrate at higher frequencies in portions of a
string. These are called "harmonics", and they give an instrument
its distinct sound. However, harmonics are not important to the
basic concepts to be discussed in this document.
When a guitar string is "tuned", the tuning pegs are
turned and the string thus tightened until the string has
the proper pitch corresponding to a note in the Western music
scale. The frets are positioned on the guitar fingerboard, or
neck, at positions which will also produce notes in the Western
music scale when the string is plucked as the string is pressed
against the fret.
2. Writing Music
Notes are written on a series of horizontal lines,
together called a staff. There are two basic staffs, the
treble and the bass. Guitar music is written using only the
treble staff as follows:
-A-
G
---F---
E
---D---
C
---B---
A
---G---
F
---E---
D
-C-
B
-A-
G
-F-
E
B. Musical Scales
1. Scales in General
Scales are collections of related notes ordered by pitch
which sound good together. The sound pitches that are
defined as "notes" and the number and placement of notes in a
scale is cultural. Oriental music sounds "off-key" to
westerners because it uses a different music scale. To
oriental cultures their scale sounds "good" while ours sounds
"off-key" to them. African-derived blues music has out of
key "blue notes" which do not sound out of key to African
ears because the blue notes are part of African music scales.
2. The Chromatic Scale
The Western musical scale is comprised of 12 pitches, or
notes, which span a frequency range of 2:1 (an octave). The
note with the highest pitch in an octave has a frequency
which is twice the frequency of the note with the lowest
pitch in the octave. The notes are located within the scale
such that each note has a frequency of 1.0594630944 times the
frequency of the next lower pitched note in the scale.
The twelve notes are organized into 7 "natural" notes
and 5 "sharp" notes. Sharp notes have a slightly higher
frequency, or pitch, than natural notes. On a piano the
natural notes are played on the white keys, and sharp notes
are played on the black keys. Notes are assigned letters A
through G, and sharps are indicated by adding the "#" symbol
to the letter designation as follows:
C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B
Note that two of the natural notes, E and B, do not have
sharp notes associated with them.
Any sharp note can also be designated as a "flat" by
adding the "b" symbol to the letter designation. For
example, C# can is the same note as Db. Flat notes have a
slightly lower pitch than natural notes. The scale above
with flats is a follows:
C,Db,D,Eb,E,F,Gb,G,Ab,A,Bb,B
Notes at the same relative position in each octave are
given the same letter name, and any note in an octave always
has twice the frequency as the same note in the adjacent
lower pitched octave and 1/2 the frequency of the same note
in the adjacent higher pitched octave. Thus the names of the
notes in the scale repeat as you move up or down in pitch,
and the scale shown above could be rearranged as follows:
D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B,C,C#
This "D" scale is named for its first note, and any
other scale can be named and written in like manner. There
are thus 12 major possible scales in the chromatic basic
scale, each named for a note in the scale, depending upon
the starting note.
In the chromatic scale, "middle C", which is in the
center of a piano keyboard, is tuned to a frequency of 130.8
cycles per second. In other words, middle C which is located
at the third fret on the 5th string from the bottom of the
guitar fingerboard vibrates up and down 130.8 times per
second.
3. The Major Scale
For psycnology and acculturation reasons some notes in
the chromatic scale sound better together than others. These
notes are grouped and played together in "major scales". Each
major scale starts with the note letter after which it is
named and contains 7 notes selected from the
1st,3rd,5th,6th,8th,10th, and 12th notes in the chromatic
scale. Thus, the "C major" scale is derived as follows"
C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B
- - - - - - -
1 3 5 6 8 10 12
and contains the following notes: C,D,E,F,G,A, and B. Note
that the "C major" scale contains no sharp (or flat) notes.
It is the only scale without sharps or flats.
4. Musical Keys
As with the basic chromatic scale there are 12 major
keys depending upon the starting note in the scale. The
scale shown in the previous section is the "C" major scale.
The "C" major scale is also known as the "key of C major".
The key of "D major" is derived similarly as follows:
D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B,C,C#
- - - - - - -
1 3 5 6 8 10 12
and contains the following notes: D,E,F#,G,A,B,C#.
Note that due to the irregular occurrence of sharps in the
scale, each key has a different number of sharps (or flats
depending upon how how you look at it). "D major" contains
two sharps.
5. The Pentatonic Scale
The pentatonic scale is a special subset of the major
scale which contains all the notes in the major scale except
the 4th and 7th notes. The misssing notes correspond to the
6th and 10 notes in the chromatic scale, and thus the
pentatonic scale includes notes 1,3,5,8 and 10 from the
chromatic scale. To reduce confusion all subsequent rankings
will be made in reference to the chromatic scale. The
pentatonic scale in C is constructed as follows:
C,D,E,F,G,A,B
- - - - -
1 3 5 8 10
The pentatonic scale is a simplified scale often used in folk
and blues music. Any two notes in the pentatonic scale
played in succession sound melodic. This is not necessarily
the case in the full major scale.
6. The Bluegrass Scale
This scale is often called the "blues" scale, but it is
commonly used in both country and and bluegrass music.
Another type of scale is now commonly called the blues scale,
and thus I call this scale the bluegrass scale since I use
the term "blues" scale for the other scale as described
below. The bluegrass scale uses the 5 notes in the pentatonic
scale plus a "blue note" comprising the flattened 5th note
(same as sharpened 3rd note) in the major scale. The blue
note is often called a "passing" note since it usually is
used only in passing from one note in the scale to another
and never as an ending note. The bluegrass scale in the key
of G, which is a very common key in bluegrass music, is as
follows:
G,G#,A,A#,B,C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#
- - - - - -
1 3 5b 5 8 10
Sometimes the flattened 8th note (in the key of G, C#) is
also used as a blue note.
7. The Blues Scale
The blues scale is a pentatonic scale consisting of the
1st, 4th, and 5th notes of the major scale plus the flattened
3rd and 7th notes of the major scale. This translates into
notes 1,4,6,8 and 11 from the major scale as follows:
E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B,C,C#,D,D#
- - - - -
1 4 6 8 11
D. Chords
1. General
Some notes in a key sound good when played at the same
time (this is called "harmony"). When 3 or more such notes
are played simultaneously, they are called a "chord". Chords
are given letter names in the same manner as notes. A chord
is named after the dominant, or "root", note in chord. Thus,
a "C" chord contains the note "C" plus at least two other
notes which harmonize with it.
2. Types of Chords
There are two types of chords, open and barre, which are
based upon how they are formed.
a. Open Chords
Open chords are the most common types of chords and are
formed using the full length of the strings. Thus, open
chords are usually fingered near the end of the guitar
fingerboard and unfingered stings are played "open".
b. Barre Chords
Barre chords are formed by moving open chord shapes up
the fingerboard. In order to preserve the relationship
between the fingered notes and the formerly open string
notes, a finger, or barre, is placed across the neck in the
same relative position as the end of the guitar strings in
open chords.
For each fret the barred chord is moved up the neck, the
chord sounds a chord which is one letter higher in pitch.
For example, if the E chord shape is played with a barre one
fret up the fingerboard, the F chord is formed. In fact, if
you closely observe the open F chord, you will find that it
is actually a truncated barre chord using the E chord shape.
3. Chord Keys
Like notes chords are grouped into keys based upon the
dominant note in the dominant chord. The key of "C" thus
contains the C,D,E,F,G,A,and B chords, and the key of "D"
contains the D,E,F#,G,A,B,and C# chords.
Depending upon the notes used to make up a chord, it
may be called minor (e.g., "Dm"), flat (e.g., "Bb"), seventh
(e.g., "G7" and "C#7"), etc.
4. Chord Numbers
Chords in a key are given a Roman numeral depending
upon its position in the key. The chords in the key of "C"
are numbered as follows:
C D E F G A B
- -- --- -- - -- ---
I II III IV V VI VII
Similarly, in the key of D, they are numbered as follows:
D E F# G A B C#
- -- --- - - -- ---
I II III IV V VI VII
As the two preceding examples indicate, Roman numeral
are usually used to represent the chord position number.
Usually the II,III, and VI chords are played as minor
chords, and the V chord is played as a seventh chord. Thus,
the key of "C" would have the following chords:
C Dm Em F G7 Am B
and the key of D would have the following:
D Em F#m G A7 Bm C#
5. Chord Progressions
When chords are used in a song, certain chords tend to
follow others in a fixed "proression". A very common
progression is the I-IV-V progression. In the key of "C"
this progression would use the C,F, and G7. chords. In the
key of "D", it would use the D,G, and A7 chords. Another
common progression is the ragtime progrression which follows
the I-VI-II-V chord sequence. In the key of "C" this
progression would use the C, Am, Em, and G7 chords.
E. Music
1. Bars (Measures)
Music is created when notes and/or chords are played
together in sequence. In written music notes and chords are
collected into groups called "bars", or in more formal
language called "measures". A bar or measure is the
collection of notes or chords between vertical lines
(technically this is a bar, but the space between two bars is
also informally called a bar) crossing the horizontal lines.
2. Beat and Tempo
Notes and chords are played relative to regular time
scale called a "beat". The frequency with which the beat
repeats is called the "tempo".
3. Note Duration
When notes and chords are played some are sounded
longer than others. Notes are divided into whole notes, half
notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and so on. As the names
indicate, the duration of a half note is one-half of a whole
note, for example. Much guitar music uses quarter notes.
4. Time Signature
The beats and duration of the notes grouped together in
a bar is called the time signature. Three very common time
signatures are "4/4 time" (common time), a bar of which
contains 4 beats, and "3/4 time" (waltz time), a bar of which
contains 3 beats, and "2/4 time" (march time), a bar of which
contains 2 beats. The second number means that each quarter
note is given 1 beat. Thus, a half note would be given 2
beats, and a whole note 4 beats. Much guitar music uses 4/4
time.
5. Emphasis
Some notes and chords in a measure are given more
emphasis than others. In 4/4 time the first and third notes
or chords are given a heavy emphasis and the second and
fourth notes are given a light emphasis. In 3/4 time the
first note or chord is given heavy emphasis, and the second
and third notes are given light emphasis.
III. Basic Guitar Information
A. Parts of a Guitar
A guitar consists of three basic parts: the body which
amplifies the sound (acoustic only -- electrics usually have
a solid body and use a pickup with amplifier) and over which
strings are plucked or strummed, the fingerboard ("neck")
where the fingers are used to select notes, and the tuning
head where tuning pegs are used to tension the strings to
change the tone of the strings.
Guitars come in both 6 string and 12 string varieties.
However, a 12 string guitar has 6 pairs of strings, each pair
of which is tuned to the same note. This document assumes a
6 string guitar, but the principles are the same.
The fingerboard has 6 strings and either 12 or 14 frets
on the fingerboard itself. The guitar body also has several
frets that are made accessible with cutaways on some guitars.
B. Notes on a Guitar
The notes through the first five frets on a guitar
"fingerboard" are shown in the diagram below. Notes can, of
course, be played at other frets on the guitar, but for the
sake of simplicity only the "primary" playing area is shown
in the diagram. The diagram is oriented with the guitar
body to the right, tuning pegs to the left, and the fatter
strings at the bottom, as if the player were holding the
guitar in the normal playing position and looking down at the
fingerboard. The frets are numbered 1-5, and the "nut", which
is essentially the fret at the end of the string, is labelled
as "fret 0". At the left the strings are numbered from
bottom to top as will be used in PC-GUITAR.
(Bottom of Neck)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
+E+-F-+-F#+-G-+-G#+-A-+-A#+-B-+-C-+-C#+-D-+-D#+-E-+--- (1)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+B+-C-+-C#+-D-+-D#+-E-+-F-+-F#+-G-+-G#+-A-+-A#+-B-+--- (2)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+G+-G#+-A-+-A#+-B-+-C-+-C#+-D-+-D#+-E-+-F-+-F#+-G-+--- (3)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+D+=D#+=E=+=F=+=F#+=G=+=G#+=A=+=A#+=B=+=C=+=C#+=D=+=== (4)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+A+=A#+=B=+=C=+=C#+=D=+=D#+=E=+=F=+=F#+=G=+=G#+=A=+=== (5)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+E+=F=+=F#+=G=+=G#+=A=+=A#+=B=+=C=+=C#+=D=+=D#+=E=+=== (6)
^ ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
| || | | | | | | |
| || +---+---+---+---+--(etc.)--> Pick and | |
| || | Strum Display -+ |
| |+- Nut Frets |
| | Guitar Body --+
| + Open Notes
|
|
|
+-- Tuning Pegs
Guitar Fingerboard
If a string is played without fretting ("open"), then
the open notes shown at the left end of the strings are
produced.
The notes on a guitar form an orderly pattern in
accordance with the 12 note chromatic scale discussed above.
Each note in the chromatic scale is associated with a fret on
the fingerboard. The twelfth fret plays a note which is one
octave higher than the open string.
The notes on each string continue their orderly pattern
beyond the 5th fret, but the guitar is normally tuned such
that the same notes are positioned vertically on the 6
strings for easy reach without excessive hand motion. As a
result of this tuning method, the note at the 5th fret (4th
fret on string 3) is the same as the note sounded by the next
higher pitched (lower-numbered) open string. This is the
basis for the relative tuning method which will be discussed
later in this document. With only a few exceptions all the
notes shown above can be played at other locations on the
fingerboard.
C. Picking and Strumming
1. "Pick" and "Strum"
"Pick" means to pluck a single string, while "strum"
means to quickly brush across several strings. A note is
picked, but a chord is strummed.
2. Basic Strum
The basic strum consists of a downward stroke across
the active strings for a chord. Those marked with an "X" are
not strummed.
A common variation on the basic strum is to immediately
brush back across the strings in an upward stroke. Both
downward and upward strokes are done within a single beat.
3. Pick-Strum Combination
The pick-strum style, which is common to country and
bluegrass styles, involves picking a bass note on the first
beat and strumming the treble (bottom three) strings on the
second beat. This creates a characteristic "boom-chuck"
sound.
A common variation on the pick-strum style is to draw
the pick back upwardly across one or more of the treble
strings after the downstroke. This creates a characteristic
"boom-chuck-a" sound commonly heard in the bluegrass style.
Another variation is to play an alternating bass note
on every other bass beat.
D. Special Playing Techniques
A guitarist can achieve special effects by using any one
of several special techniques:
1. Hammer-ons
Shortly after playing a note the guitarist presses a
higher note on the vibrating string. If this is done quickly
enough the string continues to vibrate at a higher pitch.
2. Pull-offs
The pull-off is the opposite of the hammer-on. After
playing a note the guitarist pull his finger off the fret and
quickly frets a lower note.
3. String Bending
The guitarist frets and plays a note and then pushes the
string laterally across the fret. This increases the tension
in the string and causes the pitch of the note to be changed.
The string can also be reverse bent by pressing it laterally
before plucking the string and then releasing it. String
bending is fundamental to blues and rock guitar and is
responsible for the screaming notes in those musical styles.
4. Slides
After playing a note the guitarist quickly slides his
finger to another fret. Alternately, the guitarist can use a
metal or glass slide to achieve the whining sound of a steel
or Hawaiian guitar.
IV. PC-GUITAR Basic Features
A. Display Screen Layout
The PC-GUITAR display screen is divided into several
display areas from top to bottom as follows:
1. The Message (Top) Line
The topmost line of the screen displays the PC-GUITAR
program version on the left, the current program function in
the middle of the line and exit/control key information on
the right.
2. Fingerboard
The fingerboard area consists of a simulation of the
first twelve frets of a guitar fingerboard with the higher
pitched (thinner) strings on top and the lower (thicker)
strings on the bottom.
3. Menu Area
The area below the fingerboard is used for menus and
information display.
4. Status (Bottom) Line
The bottommost line of the screen displays the current
status of several program parameters. In quiz functions, the
right portion of the status line displays scoring
information.
B. The Guitar Fingerboard
1. Layout
As shown in the following illustration, PC-GUITAR
displays the six strings and the first 12 frets on a standard
guitar. The strings are numbered 1 through 6 from the bottom
of the fingerboard to the top. The frets are numbered 1
through 12 from the end of the guitar neck toward the guitar
body. The "nut" is given the fret number 0 since playing an
open string can be viewed as fretting the 0th fret.
(Bottom of Neck)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
+-+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- (1)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- (2)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- (3)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+=== (4)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+=== (5)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+=== (6)
^ ^ ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
| | || | | | | | | |
| | || +---+---+---+---+--(etc.)--> Pick and | |
| | || | Strum Display -+ |
| | |+- Nut Frets |
| | | Guitar Body --+
| | + String Status Display
| |
| +-- Finger Numbers
|
+-- Tuning Pegs
PC-GUITAR Fingerboard
2. String Size
Strings 4-6 are represented with double lines to
indicate that they are the larger diameter bass strings. The
smaller diameter treble strings 1-3 are represented by single
lines.
3. Fingerboard Displays
i. Fretting Symbols
The locations at which a string should be pressed with the
finger is indicated by a fretting symbol to the left of the
correct fret. The fretting symbol is normally a solid
rectangle, but the actual notes corresponding to the the fret
positions can be displayed by pressing ALT-F or selecting
SYMBOL from the menu when available. In some functions a "o"
is used to represent a secondary note in a scale.
ii. Strum and Pick Symbol
When strings are to be strummed or picked, this is
indicated by displaying triangular symbols in the strum
display area on the affected strings. For the alternating
pick-strum style, the order in which the bass strings should
be picked is indicated by the numberals "1" and "2" just to
the right of the pick symbols on the appropriate strings in
the strum display area.
iii. String Status
The status of strings which are not fretted is shown in
the string status area at the left end of the fingerboard. If
the string is not to be played, an "X" is displayed in that
area on the string affected. Similarly, strings which are to
be played "open", i.e., unfretted, are indicate with an "O"
in the string status area.
C. The Status Line
The bottommost line of the screen displays the current
status of several program parameters from left to right as
follows:
1. Normal Display
a. Current Musical Key ("KEY")
The key may be set to any one of the twelve keys: C,
Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, and B.
b. Current Scale ("SCALE")
The scale type may be set to either of the
following:
i. Chromatic - all the notes in the Western music
scale.
ii. Major - 7 notes from the chromatic scale. This
scale is also called the "diantonic".
iii. Pentatonic - The major scale without the 4th
and 7th notes. This is a very melodic scale which serves as
the basis for most folk music of European and African origins.
iv. Bluegrass - Pentatonic scale with an extra blue
note. This scale is also called the blues scale, but it is
often used in bluegrass and country music, and that the term
"bluegrass" is used to distinguish it from a more common
"blues" scale.
v. Blues - An altered pentatonic scale often used
in blues.
The scale type is set with the ALT-S key combination.
c. Active Chords ("ACTIVE CHORDS")
There are literally hundreds of chords, but you will use
only a few of them. PC-GUITAR displays the following sets of
chords:
i. A basic set of chords
ii. Barre chords based upon the A, C, E and G
chord shapes.
iii. Chord sets in the keys of A, B, C, D, E, F and
iv. All the chords in the PC-GUITAR database.
The currently active set can be changed using the ALT-A key
combination.
d. Finger Symbol ("SYMBOL")
This indicates whether the rectanglar or the actual note
is used as the finger symbol on the fingerboard. This is
toggled using the ALT-F key combination.
2. Quiz Display
In quiz functions the right half of the status line is
converted to a scoring display showing the number of right
answers ("Right"), number of wrong answers ("Wrong"), number
of correct answers in a row ("Row"), and the percentage
correct answers ("Pct").
D. Music Display Symbols
When used with a note the following symbols have the
indicated meanings:
# - sharp e.g. "F#"
b - flat e.g. "Bb"
m - minor e.g. "Am"
E. Chords Supported by PC-GUITAR
There are literally hundreds of guitar chords, but the
average guitarist uses only a few dozen. PC-GUITAR supports
all the chords in the seven major keys, barre chords based
upon the A,D,E, and G shapes, plus several other commonly
used chords.
IV. Basic Operation
A. Running PC-GUITAR
1. Installation
The CONFIG.SYS file must be edited to authorize 20 open
files. This can be done by using an editor or word processor
(text mode) to add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS file:
FILES=20
2. Program Startup
To run PC-GUITAR, enter the following at the DOS
command prompt:
PCGUITAR
followed by a RETURN or ENTER. When the title screen appears,
press any key when indicated to proceed to the main menu.
B. Program Control
1. Menu Selections
PC-GUITAR is organized around a series of menus. To
begin any function shown on a menu, simply press the key
indicated on the menu.
PC-GUITAR uses a point-and-shoot menu system. A
highlight bar may be moved from one selection to another with
a mouse or the arrow keys. The highlighted item can be
selected with either the ENTER key or the left mouse button.
Items can also be selected by pressing the key corresponding
to the menu item selector in most functions.
Menus are usually divided into two types of selctions.
The main selections are in capital and lower case letters,
and program control functions are indicated by all capital
letters. The program control functions include KEY (musical
key selection), SYMBOL (fingering symbol used on fingerboard),
SET (select chord set), HELP and QUIT.
2. Mouse Support
PC-GUITAR supports a Microsoft-compatible, two-button
mouse. The left mouse button corresponds to the ENTER key
on the keyboard, and the right mouse button corresponds to
the ESC key. If a mouse is not available, the ENTER and ESC
keys can be used for the left and right buttons,
respectively, and the arrow keys perform the horizontal and
vertical movements of the mouse.
3. Screen Control Keys
The following ALT key combinations are available at any
menu:
ALT-A - Select the active chord set
ALT-F - Select the fingering symbol
ALT-K - Select the active key
ALT-S - Select the active scale
Movement of the cursor bar within menus and some
functions which point directly to the PC-GUITAR fingerboard
is controlled with the arrow keys. The HOME key moves to the
first selection, and the END key to the last selection. The
ESC key selects the QUIT option in any menu.
4. Exiting PC-GUITAR Functions
All functions in PC-GUITAR may be exited or aborted
using the ESC key or right mouse button.
C. Music Parameters
Several music parameters can be selected in the various
menus when relevant to the operation of the selected program
function. Not all parameters are available in every function.
1. Key
When you desire to change musical key, choose the KEY
selection from the menu. Each time KEY is selected, the
"Key" indicator on the status line moves through the 12 keys
one at a time. The key can also be changed using the ALT-K
key combination at any menu.
2. Chord Set
In the chord functions, the user can select any one of
several chord sets by choosing SET from the menu. These
include all the chords supported by PC-GUITAR, the basic
chords needed to play most simple music, and the 6 chords in
the 12 keys. The chordset can also be selected using the
ALT-A key combination.
3. Fingering Symbol
The user can select either a block symbol or the note
name to indicate the fingerboard fingering locations. The
fingering symbol can also be toggled using the ALT-F key
combination.
D. Help
A. Main Help
The main help screen can be shown by pressing the ALT-H
key combination.
B. Specific Help
Help screens specific to a function can be invoked by
selecting the HELP option when presented in a menu.
E. Exiting PC-GUITAR
Any function in PC-GUITAR can be exited using either the
ESC key or the right mouse button, or by selecting the QUIT
menu selection.
V. Program Functions
A. Main Menu
The main menu presents the four basic functions of
PC-GUITAR as follows:
+-----------------------+
| |
| 1 - Tune 4 - Music |
| 2 - Chords 5 - QUIT |
| 3 - Notes |
| |
+-----------------------+
B. Tuning the Guitar
The tune function displays the following menu:
+------------------------------+
| |
| 1 - E 4 - D 7 - HELP |
| 2 - B 5 - A 8 - QUIT |
| 3 - G 6 - E |
| |
+------------------------------+
The numbers correspond to the strings numbers 1-6 from
the bottom of the fingerboard to the top. To tune a string,
press the number corresponding to the desired string.
PC-GUITAR produces a tone via the PC's speaker, and you
should adjust the tuning peg for the string until the string
has the same pitch as the speaker tone. The tone may be
turned off with the DEL key.
PC-GUITAR also indicates the frets to be pressed and the
strings to be picked for relative tuning. In other words when
the indicated two strings are fretted as shown (one is always
played "open") and are picked as indicated, both strings
should have the same tone if they are in tune.
C. Learning Chords
1. Chords Menu
The learn chord function displays the following menu
selections:
+------------------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Display Chords 3 - Play Chords |
| 2 - Chord Quiz 4 - QUIT |
| |
+------------------------------------+
2. Displaying Chords
a. Chord Display
The first selection displays an active chord chosen from
the menu window.
For each chord the follwoing infomation is displayed:
- The chord fingering pattern.
- The strings that are to be played open ('O' is
displayed in the string status area at the left of
the fingerboard).
- The strings that are not to be played ('X' is
displayed in the string status area at the left of
the fingerboard).
- The strings to be strummed as shown by the triangular
pick symbol in the play area of the fingerboard.
- The primary and secondary string to be picked in the
pick and strum methods as shown by the numbers "1"
and "2" in the play area of the fingerboard.
Each chord is displayed a note at a time and each note
is sounded briefly via the PC speaker.
b. Changing Chord Sets
A new chord set can chosen by selecting SET from the
chord menu and pointing to the desired set using the arrow
keys or a mouse.
3. Taking a Chord Quiz
The chord quiz tests your knowledge of the various
active chords. When PC-GUITAR displays a chord fingering
pattern on the fingerboard, you should enter the appropriate
chord selection from the menu display. A cumulative score is
shown on the status line. A new chord set can be chosen in
the same way as in the display function above.
4. Playing Chords
This function permits the common I-IV-V chord
progression to be played in several common keys.
D. Learning Notes
1. Notes Menu
The learn notes function displays the following menu
selections:
+--------------------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Play Notes 3 - Display Scales |
| 2 - Record Notes 4 - QUIT |
| |
+--------------------------------------+
2. Playing Notes
The play notes function displays the following menu
selections:
+-----------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Fingerboard 4 - SYMBOL |
| 2 - SCALE 5 - QUIT |
| 3 - KEY |
| |
+-----------------------------+
To individually play the notes on strings 1-6 at frets
0-12, select "Fingerboard". Simply move the finger symbol to
the desired string and fret and press ENTER or the left mouse
button. The sound automatically ceases when the finger
symbol is moved. The sound can also be stopped using the DEL
key. To exit to the menu, press ESC or the right mouse
button.
The type of scale may be changed using the SCALE
selection (also ALT-S), the key using the KEY selection
(also ALT-K) and the symbol used to display fingerings can
be changed using the SYMBOL selection (also ALT-F).
3. Recording Notes
The record notes function is very similar to the Play
Notes function and displays the following menu:
+---------------------------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Fingerboard 4 - Memory XXX 7 - KEY |
| 2 - Play 5 - Erase 8 - SYMBOL |
| 3 - Timing XXX 6 - Scale |
| |
+---------------------------------------------+
When the memory is activated with the Memory XXX
selection, up to 10 notes played on the fingerboard, which is
accessed with the "Fingerboard" selection, are recorded.
These may be played back using the "Play" selection. The
ON/OFF status the memory is incated directly in the menu. If
you would like to give different time values to each note,
then choose "Timing " and play the notes one at a time by
pressing any any key. The ON/OFF status the "Timing"
selection is incated directly in the menu. The timing pattern
will be added to memory, and the new timing pattern will be
used the next time "Play" is selected. To erase the memory,
select "Erase".
4. Displaying Scales
PC-GUITAR displays the fingerings for five scales as
follows:
Chromatic Scale
Major Scale
Pentatonic Scale
Bluegrass Scale
Blues Scale
The root note, the "blue" note and other notes in the scale
are indicated in colors shown by choosing the HELP selection.
Common passing notes not in the scale are shown with the "o"
symbol.
Scales and keys can be changed by choosing the appropriate
menu selection.
E. Music Theory
1. Music Menu
The music selection provides several music-related
functions which may be selected from the following menu:
+-----------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Notes 4 - Metronome |
| 2 - Intervals 5 - QUIT |
| 3 - Compose |
| |
+-----------------------------+
2. The Treble Staff Display
The music theory selection displays a treble music staff
showing all notes on the guitar fretboard through the 5th
fret on the first string. Most of the various music
functions display notes or note names on the staff.
3. Learning to Read and Hear Notes
a. Notes Menu
Selection "1" from the music menu displays the
following notes menu:
+-------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Show All 5 - ERASE |
| 2 - Scale 6 - KEY |
| 3 - Pitches 7 - QUIT |
| 4 - Read |
| |
+-------------------------+
Selection "5" erases the staff, and selection "6"
changes the key.
b. Displaying Notes
All the notes in the currently selected scale may be
displayed on the treble staff with selection "1".
c. Sound and Display Scale Notes
The notes on the staff in the currently selected
key are displayed and sounded one at a time with selection
"2".
d. Hear Pitch Differences
Selection "3" from the notes menu sounds two
different notes from the currently selected key and displays
the following menu:
+-------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Higher 4 - DISPLAY |
| 2 - Lower 5 - QUIT |
| 3 - REPEAT |
| |
+-------------------------+
| |
+-------------------------+
The user is asked to enter a "1" if the second note has a
higher pitch than the first and a "2" if the second note has
a lower pitch. Selection "3" repeats the two notes, and
selection "4" displays both notes on the treble staff.
e. Read Notes
Selection "4" in the notes menu displays the
following menu:
+--------------------------+
| |
| 1 - C 4 - F 7 - B |
| 2 - D 5 - G 8 - KEY |
| 3 - E 6 - A 9 - QUIT |
| |
+--------------------------+
A note from the currently selected key is sounded and
displayed on the staff. The user is asked to enter the
selection corresponding to the note. The key can be changed
with selection "8". A key change also changes the note
selections displayed in the menu.
3. Learing to Read and Hear Intervals
a. Intervals Menu
Selection "2" from the music menu displays the
following menu:
+------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Introduce 3 - Hear |
| 2 - Read 4 - QUIT |
| |
+------------------------+
Selections "1"-"3" all ask for an interval to be
selected from the following menu:
+------------------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Second 4 - Fifth 7 - Eighth |
| 2 - Third 5 - Sixth 8 - Random |
| 3 - Fourth 6 - Seventh 9 - QUIT |
| |
+------------------------------------+
| |
+------------------------------------+
Selection "8" is active only in selection "1".
b. Introducing Intervals
With the "1" selection, the user is introduced to
the sound of second through eighth (octave) intervals by
selecting "1"-"7" from the menu. A random interval can be
selected with an "8" from the menu. Each interval displays a
memory aid in the lower box area. These are ususally
fragments from the start of familiar tunes. The words that
contain the interval are shown in all capital letters. For
example, a third is illustrated by the tune from "Mary had a
little lamb". The first note of the interval is "Ma" from
"Mary" and the second note is "had". In other words the
musical distance from "Ma" to "had" is a third interval.
Since the direction of the intervals is selected at
random, the tune will in some cases be reversed from that
shown in the related tune.
c. Reading Intervals
The "2" selection sounds two notes of an interval
and displays them on the treble staff. The user is asked to
enter the selection "1"="7" which identifies the interval. A
cumulative score is displayed on the lower status line.
d. Hearing Intervals
The "3" selection is like the "2" selection except
that notes are not displayed on the treble staff.
4. Compose Music
Selection "3" from the music menu permits the user to
compose and play his own selections or enter and play a tune
from sheet music. The compose selection displays the
following menu:
+----------------------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Staff 4 - Erase 7 - QUIT |
| 2 - Rhythm OFF 5 - Files |
| 3 - Play OFF 6 - SETTINGS |
| |
+----------------------------------------+
| |
| (Sheet Area) |
| |
| |
+----------------------------------------+
a. Entering Notes
Notes can be entered into the sheet area from the treble
staff and played using selection "1". To select a note either
press the up or down arrow keys or move an active mouse up or
down. To enter the note onto the sheet area at the cursor ("."),
either press RETURN on the keyboard or the left mouse button.
Previously selected notes can be played by moving the
cursor left or right using the right and left arrow keys. The
HOME key moves the cursor to the beginning of the music, and END
moves it to the end. The up and down arrow keys are active only
when the cursor is at the end of the line or when the INS key is
used. The note at the cursor can be deleted using the DEL key.
The sound can be turned on and off with the SPACE bar.
b. Loading Previously-Saved Music
To load music previously created using the compose
function, use selection "5", which displays the following files
menu:
+------------------------------+
| |
| 1 - Load File 3 - Directory |
| 2 - Save File 4 - Quit |
| |
+------------------------------+
| |
| (Sheet Area) |
| |
| |
+------------------------------+
Enter selection "1" and enter a valid file name when prompted. A
directory may be displayed using selection "3".
c. Playing Notes
Notes entered using selection "1" or loaded from
disk using selection "5" may be played using selection "3".
While playing, the menu will indicate "Play ON"; and as each
note is played, the period cursor (".") indicates the current
note.
d. Setting Rhythm
When notes are entered, they are all given the same
time value. To provide different time values for the notes,
enter selection "2". When "Rhythn ON" appears in the menu,
you can play the notes sequentially by pressing the ALT key,
which you can think of as a one key piano. The time that the
ALT key is depressed and the time until the next note is
played are stored. The next time selection "e" is chosen,
the tune stored will be played using the stored times.
e. Saving Tunes
Tunes may be saved to a disk file by presing the "5"
selection and choosing the "2" selction from the files menu.
Enter a filename when prompted.
h. Changing Keys and Transposing
i. Erasing a Tune
A tune may be erased from memory with selection "4".
j. Changing Settings
5. Metronome
The "metronome" appears in a window and sounds clicks
in accordance with the time signature and tempo (BPM= beats
per minute) shown in the lower right box area in the the
window. The number of the beat is shown in the box area
directly under the metronome needle. The following function
keys are active during the metronome function:
F1 - Increase BPM by 1
F2 - Decrease BPM by 1
F3 - Increase BPM by 10
F4 - Decrease BPM by 10
F5 - Toggle between 4/4
and 3/4 time
VI. We Need Your Feedback and Help!
A. Feedback
It is my goal that PC-GUITAR be absolutely the best
guitar training program available anywhere, commercial or
otherwise. If it is not the best, I will endeavor to make it
so. To achieve this I NEED YOUR INPUT! Please let me know
what you like about PC-GUITAR, what you don't like about it,
any bugs or cosmetic defects you have discovered, what you
would like to see changed or added, etc. If you have used
another guitar program that you like better, tell me the name
of the program and why you like it better. Please take the
time to answer and return the questions in the registration
form contained in the file FEEDBACK.FRM to me. If the
registration form is inadequate, write me a letter. If a
letter won't do the job, give me a call!
Your help would be much appreciated. Remember PC-GUITAR
is for you! So tell me what you want it to do for you.
Please give me your constructively frank opinion.
B. Help Others Learn about PC-GUITAR
If PC-GUITAR is helpful to you, you can help others learn
about it in the following ways:
1. Give a copy to your friends.
2. Upload PC-GUITAR to your local computer bulletin
board system.
3. Leave a message on your computer bulletin board
recommending PC-GUITAR.
C. Correspondence with Author
The author is happy to correspond by mail with users, but
PLEASE send a SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE!!!