"A Comparative Analysis of the Guitar Entries in Orchestration Textbooks," Soundboard, Special Issue, Winter/Spring 2000.

Introduction

Learning the “art” of composition requires a careful study of the “science” of harmony, voice leading, counterpoint, and form. While these theoretical subjects govern the construction of most musical ideas, they must be combined and crafted into an original piece of music. The role of orchestration in this process can hardly be underestimated. It is not just a matter of range and register, or color and combination; the instrumentation must be an integral part of the creative process.

Composing or arranging idiomatically for an instrument requires a knowledge of the capabilities, as well as the limitations. The ideal way to become familiar with the nuances and specifics of an instrument is to learn to play one. And while learning an instrument is an invaluable skill, the amount of time it takes to become proficient could take away from the time needed to devote to composition.

Therefore, most composers obtain their knowledge about instruments by taking classes on instrumentation and orchestration; by attending rehearsals and performances; studying the literature; and seeking advice from performers. The many texts on orchestration and instrumentation, whose main purpose is to familiarize the composer with "standard" orchestral instruments (violin, clarinet, trumpet, etc.), often serve as a reference. In addition, these books contain chapters on auxiliary instruments such as the piano, include long chapters on the battery of percussion, and occasionally give explanations and descriptions of ethnic instruments. The inclusion of the guitar in the orchestral and operatic repertoire necessitates an explanation on the basics of the instrument. Most books provide a chart of the open strings to demonstrate tuning, and resort to a brief explanation of the “appropriate” (read: Spanish) context for which to use the guitar. But some of the entries present information that is incorrect and misrepresent the capabilities of the guitar. Some even exclude it altogether. Writing idiomatically for an instrument like the guitar can be a complicated and involved process, one that is often not aided by such books.

Despite the availability and popularity of orchestration textbooks, the use and employment of the guitar continues to be a problem for composers. John Schneider’s two part article on the 20th Century Guitar notes that some of the most important music involving the guitar has come from the pens of non-guitarists. But upon close examination of this music: “the guitar parts...reveal that it is still a mysterious instrument for many writers.” (18, Part II, Guitar and Lute, July 1979). I think it is worthwhile to survey those texts that attempt to aid composers in their ability to understand and compose for our instrument. This will provide us with a better understanding of how non-guitarist composers approach the instrument and possibly explain some of the stereotypical uses and abuses that exist in the literature. I have limited the survey to those texts that are still commercially available as well as a few historical sources that warrant comment due to the content of the entry on the guitar.