Putting a Finger on Guitars and Algorithms

Sammanfattning:

Guitar tablature is a notation system widely used by

guitar players when learning to play songs. The notation

consists of information about which string and which fret

the guitarist should put his finger on. However, it does not

normally contain information on which fingers should be

put on which notes.

In this thesis we study existing methods related to incorporating

fingering information alongside musical notations.

Using this material, we define a set of factors that

affect the guitar fingering and then design an algorithm for

computing an optimal fingering for a tablature.

The final product is an algorithm that computes optimal

fingering positions according to the relevant factors.

The computed fingerings are evaluated by comparing them

to how experienced guitarists play the given melody.

Our results indicate that it is possible to produce optimal

fingerings algorithmically. This is a step forward in

helping beginner and intermediate guitar players in their

learning process.