User manual

Guitar pre-bends and pre-dives
Guitar pre-bends and pre-dives are techniques commonly performed on electric guitars, where
the performer changes the initial sounding pitch of strings before playing notes, either by
bending strings to tighten them or using the vibrato bar to loosen them.
A phrase containing a guitar pre-bend with release and multiple guitar pre-dives with release
In Dorico Elements, guitar pre-bends and pre-dives are properties of notes belonging to fretted
instruments, meaning they only apply to single notes.
Guitar pre-bends
Guitar pre-bends indicate that the performer should bend the string before playing the
note to raise the pitch, for example, to repeat a note that was at the end of a previous
guitar bend. The pitch can then be lowered after starting to sound.
On notation staves, guitar pre-bends are notated using an angled line between the
noteheads at the start and end. However, unlike guitar bends, the parenthesized
auxiliary notehead at the start is shown automatically as part of the pre-bend. On
tablature, guitar pre-bends are notated using a solid vertical line with an arrowhead at
the top, a bend interval above the arrowhead, and a small fret number below the line
to indicate the start pitch.
Guitar pre-bend on notation staff
Guitar pre-bend on tablature
Guitar pre-dives
Guitar pre-dives indicate that the performer should use the vibrato bar to lower the
pitch before playing the note. The pitch can then be raised after starting to sound.
On notation staves, guitar pre-dives appear the same as guitar pre-bends. On
tablature, guitar pre-dives are notated using a dashed vertical line with an arrowhead
at the top, a bend interval above the arrowhead, and a small fret number below the
line to indicate the start pitch.
Guitar bends
Guitar pre-bends and pre-dives
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Dorico Elements 3.5.12