Ghost notes

So i've always have heard talk of ghost notes, could somebody fill me in please?

I've always thought that they were the result of a quick hammer on that isn't meant to be accented very much... or maybe with a little bit of delay the notes coming back could maybe be them?...I don't even really know what they are but I'm hoping someone here does...
SO...I second this man's question... what are ghost notes exactly?

GOOD im not the only one

According to ol' Wikipie, ghost notes are "musical notes occurring in a rhythmic figure which are purposely deemphasized, often to the point of near silence.".

Ah, I was close :D lol

Right. I've heard the term ghost notes used in reference to muting all of the strings and strumming. Thus playing a rhythm with no tonal quality.

So it would be like strumming eighth notes but only fretting a chord on a few beats. the rest of the beats would be ghost notes.

So i read the wiki, and i think it sort of fits?

Thats just how i've seen the term used. Please tell me if i'm on crack.

Ozzfan486, you were pretty closed with your wiki definition. A "ghost note" should really be called a guessed note. Ghost notes are in fact those notes you see in parenthesis and they are only added to a transcription of song when it is impossible to tell just by listening, if that note was actually played by the guitarist.

Hope that helped!
Rock on!

so its like a note that isnt necessarily played, but its implied?

Yea, kind of. You don't always need to play a ghost note to play a song accurately. Ghost notes aren't always the correct note either. Whoever transcribes the song just puts these ghosts notes in when they aren't sure what note actually belongs there.

a Ghost note would , fer instance, be a note IN a slide to another; its there , it's intended to be there BUT its also intended to be "not so much there"/"Subtle"

RAWK!
Cs

Seems like there are a few different definitions... however, if I hear the words "ghost notes", I think of muted strings.

Ahh I thought it was like a pull-off - for example I have an original instrumental where I pick A on the B string then pull-off to F# only bending the F# to G and then back. I thought the whole goin to F# deal was a ghost note. It kinda sounds like a ghost when I do it...I guess it's just a pull-off bend after all :-/ LOL

whats being easily confused here is the differences and similarities between 'ghost notes' and 'passing notes'.

BOTH require more than simple type on a forum-post provides to 'explain'; they need one on one help or (God forgive me for saying this)a really really good video , as they are quite similar.

RAWK!
Cs

I hate to disagree with you Carl, but passing tones/notes and ghost notes are two totally different things; I am not sure how someone could get them confused. (Not that you [Carl] don't know this, but for everyone else): A passing note can be described as a note intended to step from one interval to the next in a stepwise motion. A ghost note is like I said in my above post.

don't sweat it man! .. i love it when i screw up-it-makes me work harder (and teach better etc-etc)

But i don't agree with ya on the 'ghost note' definition...well 'don't agree OR dont quite see what ya mean ;)

which , lol, is why i (in frustration) said:


Har! Its true..

but yeah i realized i screwed the pooch via 'passing notes' right when a student walked in .. was gonna correct it buuuut.

ANYWAY, regardless of all that crapolla, this IS a tough one to "describe" as so much of 'it' (Ghost Notes) is "Fathered by' the chordal/modal/+ Licks that surround 'it'

the way i have always taught (and was taught , yadda yadda yadda) this is that IT (ghost) is more an IMPLIED TONE than a ringing tone IE: when ya play a two 2's via sliding purposefully over '2' en-route to '3', '2' = ghost 1 slides to 2 very softly and barely(/if)-emphasized while moving to '3'
(in a quick "blue" slide this is common when very very very briefly 'ghosting' the Maj-2nd while hammering+sliding to the Min-3rd)

->therein lay the trap that caused my stinky old brain to call it 'passing' ;)

chorally 'ghosts' are created via omission from "large" (at times small)chords...as a sort of "you notice IT because IT's not there(tonally) but rather, 'implied by omission'

anyways .. all attempted forum-style answers aside. this IS "really one of those things ya need to see and hear" IMNSHO

RAWK!
Cs

Global Disclaimer :
Carl Snow is an old, jaded & slightly bitter old man who cannot be held accountable for anything, much less his opinionatedly opinionated opinions or those of his imaginary friends. We sincerely apologize if this Carl Snow and/or its behavior have infected you or others with its ugly brain and its juices.

Haha... What does that mean? I get, "In My Not So Honest Opinion". Hehe.

Our definitions of ghost notes are not so different in the end. If I understand correctly, you see ghost notes as a tone definitely played by the musician, simply with less emphasis for the purpose of... suspending or supporting a tonal phrase?
I am saying that you might just well be correct, however, the ghost note is a transcribers addition to a tune, although it just may be part of the original composition, for lack of a better note.

Such is the beauty of music!

Rock on!

A ghost note is a note that died suddenly without being played and has unfinished business. It needs to be heard before it moves on to the next dimension. "I hear dead notes" HA!