Theoretical calculations are developed in the present study in order to predict propagation characteristics of surface transverse waves (STW) on piezoelectric substrates. A general model has been implemented for both cases of shallow groove or thin metal strip grating resonators. The analysis gives access to the principal STW characteristics (propagation and attenuation coefficients, velocity, electrical and mechanical amplitudes) and the dispersion curve relating the angular frequency to the propagation coefficient. The results obtained are in good agreement with previous results without piezoelectricity. Improvements on theoretical predictions are emphasized for the case of STW propagating under thin metal strips on AT‐cut quartz. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.