Figure 9.16 - “Hyperinstrument” setup for Bug-Mudra (1990), T. Machover. David Starobin & Oren Feder, New Music with Guitar Vol.4, Bridge BCD 9022: used by permission.

98 Bug Mudra

Excerpt from Electric Counterpoint (1987), S. Reich. Michael Nicollela, Shard Gale 05-004: used by permission.

92 Electric Counterpoint

Tolgahan Cogulu: Kara Toprak. T. Cogulu, Atlas, Kalan CD 562: used by permission.

80 Kara Toprak

Fig. 7.92 – excerpt from Vegan Permaculture (1995), Monroe Golden. Rusty Banks, A Still Subtler Spirit, Living Artist Recordings Vol.11: used by permission.

75 Vegan Permaculture

Fig. 7.91 - Schneider: Men are Men & Mountains are Mountains (2006).  

73 Men Are Men & Mountains are Mountains

Fig. 7.90 – excerpt from Microtonal Study #1 (2002) Holmes, J. The Duo, Food: used by permission.

72 Holmes Study #1

Fig.  7.88 – Excerpt from Scholz Rhythmicon. John Schneider, Just Guitars, Bridge CD 9132: used by permission.

71 Rhythmicon

Fig 7.87 – Poulenc: Sarabande with enharmonische fretting. Martin Draaf, Musik in Reiner Stimmung, Lambdoma LP RST 871: used by permission.

70 Poulenc Sarabande

Fig 7.81 - Lattice for Harrison’s Variations on “Song of Palestine” (1978). 

67 Lattice (Ditone)

Fig. 7.72 – Partch: Intrusion #2. John Schneider, Just Guitars, Bridge BCD 9132: used by permission.

65 Intrusion #2

Fig. 7.70 - Open string tunings for Partch’s Adapted Guitar II: Utonality & Otonality, followed by chords in Utonality, then Otonality.

64 AG II Tunings

63 Barstow Intro

62 AG I Tuning

Fig. 7.53 - Harry Partch’s 43/octave scale played on the Chromelodeon. 

61 43 - Tone Scale

Fig. 7.33 – excerpt from Fongaard Improvisations Op.81, #6. Anders Førisdal, Music of Fongaard Aurora ACD5068: used by permission.

57 Fongaard Improvisation #6

Excerpt from Bach: Partita in B-minor, Sarabande in 6th-comma meantone. Adam del Monte, Ezordio GSP 1020CD: used by permission.

54 Bach Sarabande

Fig. 7.4 Comparing Major triads in a) Equal Temperament, b) Ditone and c) Just tuning, and Minor triads in d) Equal Temperament, e) Ditone, and f) Just tuning.

50 ET, Ditone, Just

Opening measures of Surrounded (1972), S-D. Sandström. 

44 Surrounded Excerpt

Tuning for Surrounded (1972), S.-D. Sandström.

43 Surrounded Tuning

27 Multiphonics

Artificial harmonic arpeggiation of an open E major chord (classical guitar) + pinch harmonics (electric guitar).

25 Art. Harmonic Arpeg - Pinched Hrmcs

Figure 6.36 - Chart of Bi-tones: both, then with right hand damping normal tone.

20 Chart Of Bi - Tones

Scale in G-major: super-ponticello, ponticello, normale, 19th fret tasto, 13th fret tasto.

14 Different RH Positions

Figure 3.14 – Electric guitar run through different settings of a 4-band graphic equalizer. [Ira Ingber, ’58 Fender Deluxe amplifier + ’63 Gibson ES-335.]

10 Electric With 4-Band Eq

Figure 3.11 - Transmission characteristics of a high-pass filter and a low-pass filter: a) untreated, b) high-pass, c) low-pass. [Ira Ingber ’58 Fender Deluxe amplifier + ’63 Gibson ES-335.]

9 Hi - Pass, Low - Pass

Cut off attack on electric guitar. [Ira Ingber ’58 Fender Deluxe amplifier + ’63 Gibson ES-335.]

8 Fade - In Attack

Ebow – fretted & bottleneck. [Ira Ingber ’58 Fender Deluxe amplifier + ’63 Gibson ES-335.]

7 Ebow

Acoustic/electric feedback. [Ira Ingber ’58 Fender Deluxe amplifier + ’63 Gibson ES-335.]

6 Acoustic - Electric Feedback

Figure 2.39 - Various time envelopes for parameters of Vibrato.

5 Vibrato

04 Soundboard Wah - Wah

Figure 2.33 - Plucking angles available for changing the spectrum: Free Stroke X-Y plane, and X-Z plane

3 Plucking Angles

Figure 2.31 - Harmonic amplitudes of a low E-string (82.5 Hz) plucked downstroke with the thumb/nail at three different positions, with other strings damped.

2 Downstroke E - String

Figure 2.2 - The Harmonics of the A-string (110 Hz).

1  'A' Harmonic Series

The newly revised and expanded edition of John Schneider's classic "The Contemporary Guitar" traces the extraordinary rise of the instrument in concert music over the past century. Though recognized worldwide as a popular music icon, the all-to-recent time when the guitar was looked down upon as a second-class citizen in the world of “serious” music is finally past, and it can now be found in the scores of the most important composers. The guitar’s rightful place in chamber music, orchestral music, or as a solo instrument is now without question, whether in the classic acoustic form or the more recent electric version.

While the guitar has stood in the vanguard of musical experimentation, its many new techniques and notations remain a mystery for many composers and players. In The Contemporary Guitar, musician and scholar, John Schneider explains each class of technique and illustrates them with examples. Moreover, because the guitar is easily refretted, it has also become a leading instrument in the exploration of the relatively new musical language of microtonality. In this revised and enlarged edition from the original work of three decades ago, Schneider adds a broad-ranging, entirely new chapter on the instruments, notation and repertoire with insights into the interpretation of historical works through the application of accurate contemporary tunings and temperaments. 

"Schneider's brilliant book is mandatory reading for anyone who cares about the explosion of music and ideas that has characterized the guitar in our time."  
— David Starobin

"It’s a mammoth achievement – a guitarist’s entire education in one volume - and a readable and fascinating one." —Kyle Gann

"This book is a marvel: encyclopedic in scope, inter-disciplinary in a way far too little of our standard literature is, and yet always enlivened by his passion for an immense subject he knows more about than any of the rest of us. I love opening the doors of this cathedral and wandering about in it!"  — Eliot Fisk

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 364 • Size: 8 1/2 x 11
ISBN: 978-1-4422-3788-9 

The Contemporary Guitar

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