It features exclusive scores by legendary figureheads like Takashi Nagasuka, Shingo Fujii, and Hirokazu Sato.
Every issue contains high-quality scores, ranging from solo classical pieces and ensemble arrangements to unique transcriptions of Japanese melodies, popular music, and anime themes.
Distributing their work for free is piracy. However, there are legal ways to build your digital library of Gendai scores without going broke.
For many, "Gendai Guitar" immediately brings to mind the monthly magazine. However, the name represents a broader institution— —which has been a cornerstone of the classical guitar community in Japan for decades.
Gendai Guitar is famous for publishing specialized books, such as classical guitar arrangements of Studio Ghibli films, Beatles tracks, and Latin American masterpieces. 3. Technical Method Books
Here is a quick translation key for common terms found in Gendai PDFs: Japanese Term English Meaning Gendai Gitā Modern/Contemporary Guitar 独奏 二重奏 合奏 Ensemble / Orchestra 編曲 Arranged by 作曲 Composed by 指使い タブ譜 TAB / Tablature Standard Notation Practices in Gendai Scores
If you are a classical guitarist, you have likely experienced the frustration of the "repertoire rabbit hole." You hear a beautiful piece—perhaps by Satoshi Yagisawa or a modern Japanese composer—only to find that the sheet music is out of print, exorbitantly expensive to import, or simply unavailable in your local music shop.
Renowned Japanese arrangers like Takashi Shizako, Hirokazu Sato, and Shingo Fujii regularly publish exclusive, virtuosic arrangements of anime themes, Japanese folk songs, pop standards, and orchestral works in the magazine.
This milestone issue is filled with a retrospective on the guitar world, including columns, historical articles, and a comprehensive table correlating issue numbers with dates.
If Takemitsu is the philosopher, Sato is the rock star of Gendai. His music merges progressive rock harmony with classical virtuosity.
The magazine is so well-regarded that its back catalog is treated as a historical archive. The company has made available PDFs of indices for issues No.1 to 500, allowing researchers and enthusiasts to search through its five-decade history.