Edition Zalzal aims to be the definitive modern edition for important historical and contemporary microtonal works for the guitar. Named in honor of Mansur Zalzal, the medieval oud player and music theorist, this series aims to make microtonal guitar music available to the general public in clear, readable, and beautiful editions.

We strive to bring to light important unpublished works of the past, as well as the vibrant and vital music of today. We celebrate the radical diversity and creativity of microtonal music. And—for maximum clarity—we use a single standard notation, adapted to the many idiosyncratic tuning systems in our catalogue.

We use the Helmholtz-Ellis Just Intonation system of microtonal accidentals (HEJI). Of course, there is a great deal of microtonal music in non-Just systems. For such music, we use the same graphical symbols as HEJI, but redefine them—using them flexibly, yet consistently, between one system and another. For details on our notational practice, please visit our Notation page.

The focus of this series is on music with altered fretboards. The efforts of Tolgahan Çoğulu inspired us to gather such music into a single outlet and accessible format. However, the task of altering a fingerboard can seem expensive, technically daunting, or generally out of reach. Our Fretboard page provides resources to overcome these obstacles. The path to a microtonal guitar in your hand can be easier than you think.

Finally, all scores come with a technical preface describing the notation, the pitch system used, and the fretboard itself. Each score is capable of standing alone: it contains all the information necessary to perform the piece, without further research. Of course, comparative study is valuable—but it is not a barrier to entry.

At present, all scores are available in digital form only, as DRM-free pdf files.