Giacomo Merchi (1730-1789) was an Italian guitarist active throughout Europe. He mainly composed songs with guitar accompaniment, duets for two guitars and guitar solo works. He played a 5 course guitar of which the first string was single, the second and third in unison courses, and the fourth and fifth in octave courses. He was the first to use staff notation instead of tablature in a Paris guitar publication. Merchi declared tablature to be an "abuse" and asserted that "those who only know tablature cannot truly play, and accompany only by routine and without balance".
He did not limit himself to the five-course guitar. He and his brother played the calichonchini (also called calasoncini) in a duo. The Calichonchini was a type of guitar with a long neck and two strings tuned in fourths. He and his brother received acclaim for their abilities on this instrument. He also played the newly invented Neapolitan mandolin, but his favorite instrument seems to have been the five-course guitar, as most of his 38 publications after settling in Paris include the instrument.

Thanks to "The Guitar and Its Music from the Renaissance to the Classical Era" by James Tyler and Paul Sparks for the biographical information.

score: https://imslp.org/wiki/Special:Revers...

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