Marlon Titre

Scoring for the guitar: a study of orchestration

"The guitar is a miniature orchestra in itself!" Berlioz remarked about the guitar.
Yet, writing music for the guitar is a daunting task. Composers need find a balance between the possibilities and limitations that the instrument poses, and at the same time find something meaningful to say artistically. In my experience as a performing guitarist, regularly receiving scores from composers and learning new repertoire from many well-known composer, I often notice a lack in knowledge on scoring for the guitar shining through the guitar scores. This situation persists because of the apparent lack of a comprehensive scoring guide for the guitar. In my research project I want to learn how to effectively use the guitar as a musical body that allows to accommodate the widest possible range of artistic ideas, by drawing upon historical and contemporary musical texts, empirical research and the creation of new art objects. The outcome of this research can serve as a practical orchestration guide for composers who wish to score for the guitar.

Keywords: Score, composition, orchestration, arrangement, guitar

Website of Marlon Titre