Music Notation Tips

Some Important Aspects of Score Presentation by Jonathan Huff

With AS and A2 (and indeed any) composition, score presentation is often something which is overlooked. It is, however, a CRUCIAL part of your work. Not only is it directly assessed, but it will also affect the examiner’s perspective of your work as a whole. This document is intended to give you some basic information so that you are able to produce a well-presented composition. It is by no means comprehensive however; if you wish to learn more about score presentation there are some very useful sources you could consult: • • • •

‘Behind Bars: the Definitive Guide to Music Notation’ by Elaine Gould. Published by Faber Music Ltd; 1st edition (20 Jan 2011). http://www.mola-inc.org/MOLA%20Guidelines%20Text.htm. This source is a publisher’s specific guide for score presentation. ‘Music Notation in the Twentieth Century: A Practical Guidebook’ by Kurt Stone. Published by W.W Norton (1980). ‘Music Engraving Today: The Art and Practice of Digital Notesetting’ by Steven Powell. Published by Brichtmark Music (2002)

Of course, there are a variety of different software packages you can use to present your score. Davenant uses Sibelius however, so this document will assume that you are too!

Some Initial Points There is no ‘right’ way of presenting a score. Every composer has personal preferences, whilst many publishing companies have very specific requirements! One of the best ways to find your own personal style is simply to attempt to copy a score which particularly catches your eye. You can find a variety of free scores on IMSLP: http://imslp.org/ There are certainly ‘wrong’ ways of presenting a score however. Understanding if something is incorrect in your layout is very often common sense; if in doubt, ask yourself, ‘does this look right?’ If the answer is ‘no’, it is probably the case that something is not quite correct. It is important too that you remember to attach ALL of the necessary documents to your score. Your teacher can give you more guidance on what this entails, but be prepared to attach several exam documents/covering sheets to your work.

What to Include •

A title page with the title of the composition, the composer’s (your) name and any sub-text you wish to include (e.g. a dedication etc). You can do this by clicking ‘Create’-‘Title Page’.

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A cover page featuring basic information about the piece, including instrumentation (with the pitch of the instrument, e.g. ‘Clarinet in A’), an indication of how many (if any) percussionists are to be used. This is done in the same manner as above. If you are using unconventional instruments, performance techniques or notation, you MUST include a preface (a written document) detailing any relevant information about said devices. For example, ‘A triangle is an instruction for the performer to strike the back of his guitar’. It is unlikely that you will have anything of this nature in your score, but if you do then this preface must be included.

Presenting the Music • • • •

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Remember to include your title at the top of the page, and the name of the composer (your name) on the right-hand side. You must include all of the instrument names IN FULL on the first page (next to each relevant stave); after this you can abbreviate the names (e.g. ‘Trombone’ can become ‘Tbn.’) Don’t forget to include all tempo markings, and to use a ‘crotchet equals’ so that the exact tempo can be determined by the examiner. All tempii and performance directions should, where possible, be linguistically consistent. If you are using Italian tempo markings, you should also use Italian performance directions (including all ‘mute’ markings- con sord). There are some exceptions to this, but as a general rule aim for consistency. Include bar numbers at the start of each staff (this should be automatic with Sibelius, but always make sure to double-check). Don’t be afraid to include rehearsal letters; although it doesn’t matter if you decide not to, rehearsal can help the examiner find reference points. You can do this by clicking ‘Create’‘Text’-‘Special Text’-‘Rehearsal Marks’. Your score should be transposed! It is amazing how many students submit scores that are beautifully laid-out, but forget to transpose their work. Clefs and key signatures must appear at the beginning of each line. Percussion instruments should be notated on the staff from high to low, according to their relative pitch. Don’t forget to make sure that all sections have their constituent instruments bracketed together. For example, in the Brass section, all instruments from the 1st Trumpet down the Tuba should be connected by a bracket at the beginning of each staff. This should be automatic, but again make sure you double-check. Furthermore, if you include several of the same instrument (e.g. two Clarinets) you must include an additional ‘sub bracket’ which connects said instruments. This can be done by clicking ‘Create’-‘Other’-‘Bracket or Brace’‘Sub-Bracket’. Remember that your score MUST finish with its last staff at the bottom of the page. It is not satisfactory for your last staff to be floating in the middle of the page! You can do this by actively dragging your staffs up and down. This is often quite time-consuming, but it is well worth the effort. It may help you do this if you reduce the size of your staves. To do this, first select the whole score by clicking ‘Ctrl+A’ and then clicking ‘Layout’-‘Document Setup’ and then reducing the figure in the box labelled ‘Staff Size’.

Final Words This list is not comprehensive, but it does address some of the most frequent issues that arise when students come to present their work. If you have any questions relating to your own work, feel free to contact me! You can obtain my contact details from Mrs Bishop.