The new electric guitarscape in contemporary music

Abstract

The electric guitar has been widely employed in different musical genres, cultures and countries since its invention; however, it is less frequently used in contemporary compositions. It has been paid little attention to the articles, journals, dissertations, orchestration books and composition/orchestration courses in academia. Through the discussions of recent development and compositional approaches, the author expresses his artistic manifesto in the encounter of the electric guitar and contemporary art music.

This thesis suggests the “New Electric Guitarscape” as a concept in concerning the present phenomenal complexity of the electric guitar in musical and cultural aspects in the twenty-first century. To investigate the under-employment of this musical instrument, possible rationales are concerned. Potential merits of bringing the electric guitar into contemporary works are also proposed. Various composition and performance approaches are discussed through the illustration of musical examples when putting the electric guitar into practice. In addition, a brief survey on the electroacoustic chain and categorization of guitar is given for the purpose of clarification and basic understanding in terminology and sound production process. Finally, a portfolio of five original compositions is presented as the musical response of the author to the “New Electric Guitarscape” in the context of contemporary art music.