Guitar post-bends

Dorico Pro Help

Product
Dorico Pro
Version
5.1
Language
English
Document type
Webhelp
ft:openMode
fluidtopics

The guitar post-bend is a technique commonly performed on electric guitars, where the performer pushes strings out of their normal alignment after notes start to sound. Bending strings tightens them, which produces the characteristic pitch fluctuation. Microtonal post-bends are particularly idiomatic in Blues music.

In Dorico Pro, guitar post-bends are properties of notes belonging to fretted instruments, meaning they only apply to single notes. They are notated the same on notation staves and tablature, using an upwards-pointing curved line with an arrowhead at the top and a bend interval above the arrowhead.

Guitar post-bend on notation staff
Guitar post-bend on tablature
Microtonal post-bend on notation staff
Microtonal post-bend on tablature

If you input guitar post-bends on multiple notes in chords, their arrowheads are automatically aligned. On notation staves, the appropriate number of curved lines is shown according to the staff positions of notes in chords.

Guitar post-bends on chord on notation staff
Guitar post-bends on chord on tablature
Note

Guitar post-bends are not currently reflected in playback. This is planned for future versions.