How do you write this?

AllenC said:

It's a dialog. One character is holding a guitar, and usually plays an emphasizing chord after finishing his line?

Example:

"I was alone in the dark, and then I've heard a noise," Tararaaaan <- Chord

How would you write the chord part? particularly when you want to show he plays a different chord every time.

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Well, I wouldn't, as some other character would've killed him with a stick an hour or so into that behaviour, so it'd cease to be an issue.

However, try, 'he/I played a G chord,' or establish that he does this incessantly and then only refer to it sparingly (Barbie rolled her eyes at the twanging as Ken finished speaking).

AllenC said:

It's a dialog. One character is holding a guitar, and usually plays an emphasizing chord after finishing his line?

Example:

"I was alone in the dark, and then I've heard a noise," said Tararaaaan striking an A-minor chord.

"Then I saw this," said Tararaaaan, with an E-minor accent chord.

How would you write the chord part? particularly when you want to show he plays a different chord every time.

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Or something like that.

For a roughly similar effect (I think, if I understand correctly), a quote from The Dragonbone Chair, by Tad Williams:
That "tararaaan" thing... I wouldn't do that. At most, maybe a "Twang! He struck a chord, startling her."

cornflake said:

Well, I wouldn't, as some other character would've killed him with a stick an hour or so into that behaviour, so it'd cease to be an issue.

However, try, 'he/I played a G chord,' or establish that he does this incessantly and then only refer to it sparingly (Barbie rolled her eyes at the twanging as Ken finished speaking).

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After an hour? My word, you're generous. I'd push their cranium through said guitar within the first five minutes,

NRoach said:

After an hour? My word, you're generous. I'd push their cranium through said guitar within the first five minutes,

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Yup

However for the case at hand -- I'd not write it phonetically as it may be misconstrued. As said above, I would write it out -- he strummed another bloody chord and I was ready to brain him (maybe not naming the chords if the POV would not know them)

"That strumming the guitar for emphasis? If you don't stop it, I'm going to shove that instrument so far up your arse, you'll use your sphincter as a capo."

The possibilities are almost limitless, in terms of the way you'd word it. But there are two basic ways to attribute dialog. One is with a dialog tag, such as said. If using a tag, you would include the accompanying action like this:

"I was alone in the dark, and then I've heard a noise," he said, playing an emphatic cord on his guitar.

Or you can merely write the accompanying action as a separate sentence, before, during (as a beat) or after the quoted material.

"I was alone in the dark, and then I've heard a noise." He played a chord on his guitar while he spoke, as if to emphasize his point.


"I was alone in the dark..." He paused to play a chord on his guitar. "...and then I've heard a noise."

And so on...

And I've gotten the giggles reading how everyone would respond to someone who actually did this for any length of time.

*strums a G minor 7th quietly, in response to Roxxsmom's post*

I'd use the phonetics, but It would be wise to listen to the others.Bwa-baaaaaah! Neer neer neerr vm zha!

I wish I was as confident as you guys. I'd be standing there, getting more and more annoyed, and finally stomp out of the room with a loud sigh.

Samsonet said:

I wish I was as confident as you guys. I'd be standing there, getting more and more annoyed, and finally stomp out of the room with a loud sigh.

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You are less obnoxious than I am.

First time: He played a G chord on his guitar.

Once well-established that he's doing this: "F minor," the guitar hummed. In other words, write as if the guitar is speaking dialogue.

Naming the chord only works if the pov character recognizes chords by sound. I have to say that after years of music lessons and being told I have a "good ear," I wouldn't recognize a g chord (or any note) played in isolation if it brained me. I think part of my problem is I played clarinet, so the note I knew as "c" was really a b flat.

But mostly, I have great relative pitch, but lousy absolute pitch.

For me, it would be, "he strummed a chord," then "he strummed a different chord, in a minor key this time."

So just saying, that unless the pov character is trained in music too, and has learned to recognize different chords by ear, I'd be pursing my lips skeptically if he's naming them.

I'm with Roxxsmom on this - the only reason I'd name the actual cord is if you were being uber-clever and building a song through the chord mentions throughout the story.

*cough*

Of course, now, if I were writing the dialogue for the OTHER character and we're setting this in a locked room with no way to run screaming from such a conversation? I'd probably snag the guitar pic, file it to a sharp point, and shove it under my fingernails for relief.

Unless he's doing an Adam Sandler impersonation. In which I give him ten minutes to live before I might brain the character with his own guitar.

tiddlywinks said:

I'm with Roxxsmom on this - the only reason I'd name the actual cord is if you were being uber-clever and building a song through the chord mentions throughout the story.

*cough*

Of course, now, if I were writing the dialogue for the OTHER character and we're setting this in a locked room with no way to run screaming from such a conversation? I'd probably snag the guitar pic, file it to a sharp point, and shove it under my fingernails for relief.

Unless he's doing an Adam Sandler impersonation. In which I give him ten minutes to live before I might brain the character with his own guitar.

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Ten whole minutes? And they said I was generous - geez.

Roxxsmom said:

Naming the chord only works if the pov character recognizes chords by sound.

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Or the POV character is the one playing. Presumably he knows the name of the exact chord he is intending to play.

I think naming the chords could work, and I also think that the action of punctuating speech with a strummed chord could be made to work, though it would be challenging!

It's really a rather creative character detail, IMO. Yep, in real life it might be annoying but it also might be intriguing. It would depend on a whole lot of other factors.

If the OP wants to try this, probably the best way to go is to try out a few different versions of how to write it and see which one flows best in the overall narrative, or if, in fact, it is too clumsy to use.

Another possibility is to set that element into the character early on, indicating he always or usually does this, and then only mention it from time to time later on....

Kylabelle said:

I think naming the chords could work, and I also think that the action of punctuating speech with a strummed chord could be made to work, though it would be challenging!

It's really a rather creative character detail, IMO. Yep, in real life it might be annoying but it also might be intriguing. It would depend on a whole lot of other factors.

If the OP wants to try this, probably the best way to go is to try out a few different versions of how to write it and see which one flows best in the overall narrative, or if, in fact, it is too clumsy to use.

Another possibility is to set that element into the character early on, indicating he always or usually does this, and then only mention it from time to time later on....

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I agree with this. It could be effective and unique. With a bit of carefully worded explanation, you can convince any reader of your purpose, even if some aren't familiar with such a thing as guitar chord names. The reader doesn't have to understand the mechanics of chords; just that they have different names, and that you are using them to emphasize your character's thoughts and words.

I'd either leave after about the third chord, or I'd tell him not to do that again, or I'd smash the guitar against the wall.

Having read to this point, I immediately pictured a character hearing a voice speaking punctuated with regular guitar chords, thinking "aargh its that blinking twit" and leaving at speed rather than continuing on towards the conversation. (Thereby saving his life when a piano drops on the guitarists head with a massive DISCHORD!! TWANG! CRASH!!! tinkle, tinkle)

First bit is serious.

There is also the variant of the person trapped in conversation, being able to see people veering off in all directions behind the guitarist.

Reminds me of that great scene in Malcolm in the Middle where Francis is annoyed because the German piano player follows his every move with a suitable tune. Brilliant!
Sorry no help on the twang

I dare any of you to give the literary and phonetic interpretation of your favorite guitar solo. It will probably not help the author, but would provide entertainment.

... it depends on the character. If they are musically adept then you can just have them say what chord. The name of it, e.g. G Major 7th, 2nd inversion, etc. If they are not, then having them say the name of the chord would be out of character. Onomatopoeia might due? It might not. It depends on the character and book and genre and audience. Personally, I suspect you should not get so involved. High pitched chord, low-pitched chord. Not much more involved then that. Maybe not even necessary to define how it sounds. To many people, a guitar chord is very much like any other guitar chord, in isolation unless, again, they are a musician. My two cents.

After about twenty minutes, I'd be struggling with the urge to grab the guitar from him and bash it over his head.

But assuming that the guy doing it isn't meant to be provoking a similar reaction in his listener(s), then I'd mention at the outset that he punctuated each sentence with a different guitar chord, and then only mention it again when the chord emphasizes a mood change. (Character: *story takes an ominous turn* "The discordant note sent a shiver down Brad's spine." Kind of thing.)

Because writing out the chord every single time (however it's written out -- phonetically, with the name of the chord, even just a mention of any sort that there's a chord) is going to make me start skimming. Because as a reader, I know that there's a chord at the end of every sentence; you've already told me that. Saying it again at the end of every sentence won't add anything to the scene except clutter, and it will get tiresome very quickly.