[Nichollgrud] Music Notation Prepar(Bookfi.org)

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MUSIC NOTATION: SCORES AND PARTS Whether you notate music by hand or use computer software, this practical reference will show you today’s best practices for how to render the details of your scores and parts. Improve your music’s legibility and express your ideas clearly to get the best possible representation of your music.

You will learn to: Create scores that are easy to conduct and parts that are easy to perform



Understand the unique practices and standards for handwritten vs. computer-generated scores, such as those by Finale® and Sibelius®



Lay out scores with proper instrument order, measures per page, and common alignment practices



“What’s often missing in composers’ training is the correct, professional way to prepare scores and parts. Fortunately, this much-needed new tome by Matthew Nicholl and Richard Grudzinski ‘fills in the blanks’ about music notation. It’s an inspiring and well-organized presentation, with clear and concise explanations pertaining to the most vexing notation problems. All composers should place this book at the top of their next-to-read list.” —Alf Clausen, composer, (The Simpsons)

Understand the publication standards for orchestral, big-band, vocal, and rhythm-section–based scores



Use appropriate practices for different styles, such as pop, commercial, classical, and jazz



Master the details of setting notation elements such as measure numbers, rehearsal markings, chord symbols, dynamics, lyrics, and many more



—Kari Juusela, Dean of the Professional Writing Division, Berklee College of Music

“This quality, in-depth tutorial encompasses all you need to know regarding the preparation of scores and parts. These valuable guidelines will help you to write clear scores, facilitating better performances and recordings, and saving you time and money. This comprehensive work is a ‘must have’ for all composers, arrangers, and copyists.” —Victor Vanacore, Grammy-winning arranger, composer, conductor (Ray Charles, Barry Manilow, the Survivor television series, conductor of orchestras worldwide)

Use specialized notation such as measure repeats, col, slashes, hits over time, and others

—Philippe Saisse, keyboardist, arranger, producer, recording artist (Rod Stewart, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, David Sanborn)

Richard Grudzinski

Berklee Press, a publishing activity of Berklee College of Music, is a not-for-profit educational publisher. Available proceeds from the sales of our products are contributed to the scholarship funds of the college.

Cover by Robert Heath

Berklee Press 1140 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215 USA 617-747-2146 www.berkleepress.com

U.S. $16.95

+84088-AJIAHa HL50449540

Matthew Nicholl

“A clean and precise part or score is essential—an intrinsic element of any music production or performance. Recently, I worked closely with Richard Grudzinski on my own scores, and I witnessed first-hand his expertise in turning my musical thoughts and intentions into artistry, in a clean and cogent music preparation. This book is invaluable for anyone interested in communicating their musical language precisely and intelligibly through music notation.”

Music Notation: Preparing Scores and Parts is used as a notation textbook by Berklee College of Music’s Contemporary Writing and Production Department. It presents the definitive word in score and part preparation, based on contemporary publishingindustry practice.

MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

“Music Notation: Preparing Scores and Parts is a must-have book for both professional and beginning composers and arrangers. It is a completely up-to-date and thorough treatment of the subject and includes all of the latest practices for both computer-assisted and hand-written notation. It is the most comprehensive book on this topic I have seen, and it is written and laid out in a clear and easily readable style. I endorse this superb book as a required text at Berklee, and highly recommend it to anyone aspiring to be a composer or arranger.”

Make your music easier to read.



MUSIC NOTATION: SCORES AND PARTS

ISBN-13: 978-0-87639-074-0 ISBN-10: 0-87639-074-2

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Music Notation Preparing Scores and Parts by Matthew Nicholl and Richard Grudzinski

BERKLEE PRESS

86438 Title Pages

2/13/07

11:57 AM

Page 1

MUSIC NOTATION MUSIC NOTATION: SCORES AND PARTS

Music Notation Preparing Scores and Parts by Matthew Nicholl and Richard Grudzinski

Edited by Jonathan Feist

BERKLEE PRESS

86438 Title Pages

2/13/07

11:57 AM

Page 2

Berklee Press Vice President: Dave Kusek Dean of Continuing Education: Debbie Cavalier Managing Editor: Jonathan Feist Director of Business Affairs: Robert F. Green Senior Designer: Robert Heath

Copyrights “Avenue Brazil” by Matthew Nicholl, © 1993, Matthew Nicholl “December Samba” by Richard Grudzinski, © 2005, Richard Grudzinski “Dreaming Rain” by Matthew Nicholl, © 1981, Matthew Nicholl “Harbour Island” by Matthew Nicholl, © 1993, Matthew Nicholl “It Seems to Be” by Matthew Nicholl, © 1982, Matthew Nicholl “Just to Have the Chance” by Carlos/Keys, © 2003, Carlos/Keys “La Rosa de Las Terrenas” music by Rich Grudzinski, lyrics by Rich Grudzinski, Jose Rojas, Benjamin De Roubaix, © 2004 by Richard Grudzinski “Neither Here nor There” by Matthew Nicholl, © 1998, Matthew Nicholl “Silent Picture” by Matthew Nicholl, © 2004, Matthew Nicholl “So Beautiful” by Matthew Nicholl, © 2003, Matthew Nicholl “Street Scene” by Matthew Nicholl, © 2005, Matthew Nicholl

ISBN-13: 978-0-87639-074-0 ISBN-10: 0-87639-074-2

1140 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215-3693 USA (617) 747-2146 Visit Berklee Press Online at www.berkleepress.com

Visit Hal Leonard Online at www.halleonard.com

Copyright © 2007 Berklee Press All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

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Contents Introduction Acknowledgements

v vi

Chapter 1. Getting Started 1. Choosing Your Tools: By Hand vs. by Computer The Pros and Cons 2. Scores by Hand Pencils and Other Tools Choosing the Right Score Paper 3. Computer-Generated Scores Equipment Page Orientation: Portrait vs. Landscape 4. Summary: Getting Started

1 1 1 1 2 2 5 5 7 8

Chapter 2. Laying Out the Score 1. Basic Elements of the Score The Score System Braces, Brackets, and Barlines 2. Score Order Score Orders for Common “Classical” Ensembles Score Orders for Common Jazz and Pop Ensembles Concert vs. Transposed Score 3. Score Page Layouts Title Page Layout Continuation Page Layout The Distance between Staves Margins and “White Space” Multiple Systems per Page Measures per Page Score Optimization and “Short” or “Reduced” Scores 4. Measure Numbers and Rehearsal Markings Measure Numbers Formats for Rehearsal Markings 5. Summary: Laying Out the Score Scores by Hand Computer-Prepared Scores

9 9 9 11 15 15 22 28 29 29 31 32 33 35 37 40 41 41 43 47 47 48

Chapter 3. The Contents of the Score 1. Barlines, Clefs, Key/Time Signatures Changing the Clef Changing the Key Signature Changing the Time Signature 2. Notes Spacing and Alignment 3. Dynamics, Articulations, and Accidentals Dynamics Articulations

51 51 53 55 57 58 58 62 62 63

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Slurs and Phrase Marks Accidentals 4. Divisi Parts 5. Words and Performance Directions in the Score Tempo/Style Marks Performance Directions 6. Repeat Notation and Form Markings One- and Two-Measure Repeats Omitted Noteheads Repeated Beats Use of “Col” Large-Scale Repeat Schemes 7. Rhythm-Section Notation and Improvisation Playing Time and the Changes Stop Time Cues and Hits over Time in the Drum Set Part Fills, Solos, and Ad Lib Passages 8. Text Setting and Vocal Notation Lyric Font and Spacing Hyphens Slurs and Word Extensions 9. Finishing the Score The Final Score Layout Proofreading and Editing Copying, Binding, and Taping 10. Summary: Entering the Contents of the Score

64 66 67 71 71 73 74 74 74 75 75 78 88 88 92 93 95 97 97 99 100 101 101 104 105 105

Chapter 4. Creating Parts 1. Choosing the Tools Using a Computer Creating Parts by Hand 2. Parts by Hand Paper Equipment 3. Parts by Computer Equipment and Paper The “Parts Score” 4. Laying Out the Parts General Guidelines Page Headers Rehearsal Marks, Measure Numbers, and Multi-Measure Rests Page Turns 5. Sample Parts 6. Proofreading and Editing

109 109 109 110 110 110 111 112 112 113 113 113 114 115 118 118 136

Afterword Appendix A. Instrument Names and Abbreviations Appendix B. Resources Index About the Authors

138 139 142 143 147

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INTRODUCTION Music notation is a highly complex visual language. A great deal of skill and training is required to create professional-quality scores and parts. While the study of notation may seem dry and far removed from the art of composing and arranging, the score and parts are the last step in the process by which a piece of music is created. Any failure in this final step can immeasurably damage the musical result. To put it another way, a great piece of music deserves a well-prepared score and set of parts. This book provides composers and arrangers with a set of guidelines to follow when creating scores and parts. Some aspects of score and part preparation are fairly straightforward, practiced universally by all musicians. Other aspects are more flexible and are dealt with differently according to the specific situation. We have attempted to show all the techniques and practices currently in use by professional writers and copyists, including those instances when some flexibility is allowed for individual preference and style. We recommend you read the book through once, from beginning to end, to familiarize yourself with the contents. Then, using the table of contents and the index, use the book as reference when working on a score and set of parts. In addition, you can learn a great deal by studying the scores and parts of professional writers.

v

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We had a great deal of help preparing this book. In the Contemporary Writing and Production Department, several faculty members reviewed the manuscript and gave us valuable feedback: Bill Elliot, Michael Farquharson, Jerry Gates, and George Hargan. Bob Pilkington and Jeff Friedman of the Jazz Composition Department also made a number of useful suggestions. The chairs of the Professional Writing Division—Michael Rendish, Don Wilkins, Joe Mulholland, Jack Perricone, Greg Fritze, and Ken Pullig— also read the text and made helpful suggestions. Kari Juusela, Dean of the PWD, also reviewed the text for us. Thanks to all these individuals for their help. We would also like to thank Susan Nicholl, whose careful editing of the text contributed greatly to its readability and clarity. She also designed the original layout of the text and spent countless hours assembling the book. Finally, many thanks to Jonathan Feist for his support and fine editing. This project wouldn’t have happened without him.

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Chapter 1

GETTING STARTED

1. Choosing Your Tools: By Hand vs. by Computer Before beginning to prepare your score, you must make a crucial decision: whether to prepare the score by hand or by computer. There are good reasons to use each method. You must decide what best fits your situation. THE PROS AND CONS There are a number of reasons to prepare a score by hand: •

You don’t know how to use a computer notation program. This is a really good reason not to use a computer. Never try to learn a music notation program while you’re in the middle of a writing project.



You like the tactile quality of writing in pencil on a score page.



You like to score at the piano, rather than at the computer screen.



You are working under the direction of a producer, senior writer, or teacher who has directed you to prepare the score by hand.

There are a number of reasons to prepare a score with a computer: •

It can greatly reduce the time you spend creating the parts (if you know the program well and are experienced in part preparation).



Computer-generated scores are extremely flexible. It’s easy to make changes or multiple versions of a piece.



Files of computer scores are easy to share through e-mail or the Internet.



You can use MIDI playback of the score to check for wrong notes.



With practice, the right information, and instruction, you can create professional-quality scores and parts, which can lead to an entry-level position in the music industry.

2. Scores by Hand If you’ve decided to do your score by hand, the essential next step is to assemble your materials and pick the best paper for your specific project.

1

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

PENCILS AND OTHER TOOLS Most handwritten scores are done in pencil. There are a few inexpensive, easily available items you will need to prepare your score. (Please see the appendix for information on where to buy these and other tools you might need to create scores and parts.) •

Pencils: Choose dark #2 lead or buy a pencil created specifically for music writing, like those available from Judy Green (see appendix).



An eraser: Stand-alone erasers, like the Pentel Clic Eraser or the Mars Art Eraser, work well (better than the eraser on the end of any pencil).



A straight edge and a set of triangles: For drawing barlines, brackets, and any kind of line, a transparent, straight-edged ruler or triangle is essential.



A brush: An inexpensive brush can be useful for sweeping away eraser crumbs and excess lead left by the pencil.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCORE PAPER A great many different score papers are available commercially, many of which can be found at most college bookstores or online. If you’re writing a project for a particular class, your teachers may specify which paper you should use, or they may leave it up to you. The important considerations when you choose score paper are: •

the paper size



the color and quality of the paper



the size and number of the staves and the distance between them



the instrument names, clefs, and barlines of pre-formatted paper

Paper size. If you are preparing a score that will be used by a conductor (you or someone else) during rehearsal and/or performance, a larger score is easier to read. The preferred size of paper for scores is often 11" x 17" because it is readily available and is a relatively common size for photocopy machines. A score that you intend to use only as a record of your work can be prepared with smaller paper. Paper color and quality. Off-white score papers, either pale green or ivory, reflect less light and are usually easier to read than white paper. Score paper should take pencil well and erase easily. Most professional-quality score paper has these characteristics. 2

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CHAPTER 1: Getting Started

Size of the staves. Like paper size, bigger staves are easier to read. For a conductor, it is ideal if the sizes of the staves in the score are as big as the staves on a part. There should be an adequate amount of space between staves (as will be discussed later). The number of staves. The paper must have enough staves so that each instrument (or pair of instruments in orchestral or band scores) can have its own line. Some types of score paper are already formatted for certain common ensembles like orchestra or jazz band. However, for many reasons, you will often need to select blank score paper for a particular project. If the paper has more staves than you need, group the staves together as much as possible. If there are blank staves, it’s helpful to draw a diagonal line through them on each page of the score.

Fig. 1.2.01 Score with blank staves and a diagonal line

3

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Many writers like to leave a blank stave below a vocal part to allow more space for the lyrics. Another common practice is to leave an empty staff in the middle of the score for the measure numbers, as shown below.

Fig. 1.2.02 Score with measure numbers in a blank stave

Barlines. Many types of score paper are sold with the barlines already in the score system. This is acceptable in many instances, but can cause problems. If your music is in a common time signature (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8) and doesn’t contain a great deal of syncopation, the spacing of pre-drawn bars usually works well. However, for music with other time signatures (7/4, 12/8, for example) or that is extremely syncopated or rhythmically complex, the size of the pre-drawn bars is often too small, resulting in cramped or poorly spaced music. Scores containing vocals often need wider measures to accommodate the lyrics. In these instances, 4

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CHAPTER 1: Getting Started

you should use score paper that does not have pre-drawn barlines, and you will have to be very careful about spacing your music on the page. Look at the sketch or lead sheet of your music, and decide which type of score paper is appropriate.

3. Computer-Generated Scores If you’ve chosen to create a score using a computer, you are faced with many of the same issues that arise when creating a score by hand. In some ways, computers offer greater control over the look and feel of the score, and in some ways less. To create pro-quality scores quickly and effectively, you must first begin with the right equipment. EQUIPMENT To create computer-generated scores and parts you need the following equipment: •

a computer



notation software



a keyboard controller or synthesizer for note entry



a printer

The computer. For all practical purposes, the relative merits of the two computer platforms (PC vs. Mac) isn’t much of an issue. As long as you know how to use your computer, you can create pro-quality scores and parts on either platform. Notation software. The case is slightly different with computer software. A number of different music programs create scores and parts. Some are modules or functions of sequencing or recording software, and some are programs designed specifically for score and part preparation. In general, sequencing and recording programs that offer music printing as an added feature do not have the capabilities and controls necessary to create truly professional scores and parts. You might be able to generate a quick printout of a track or a basic score of the sequenced parts, but you won’t be able to create high-quality printed music. Instead, pick a program that is designed for music notation. Several programs are widely used; Finale and Sibelius are among the most popular. The effectiveness of the one you choose will be determined by your mastery of it. Pick a good program, and learn to use it. Keyboard controller. While not absolutely necessary, it is extremely helpful to be able to enter notes in the score via the keyboard of a MIDI controller or synthesizer. 5

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Most notation programs allow you to enter notes, either by playing them in “real time” or by entering the notes one by one. Any MIDI keyboard will work if you have the necessary interface or cables to connect to the computer. This has become a common task, and setting up your workstation is easy to do. A simple keyboard controller is usually less expensive than a keyboard synthesizer and often comes with built-in interfaces for the computer, but a keyboard synthesizer also works well. It is also helpful to use the notation software to play your score. It takes a little extra time to get your system set up to play your score, but it is a good way to check for wrong notes in the score. Most notation programs give the option to play back the score directly from sounds resident in the computer, so an external synthesizer is not essential. However, if you already own a keyboard synthesizer, it is not difficult to have it play your scores. The printer. A good printer is obviously important for printing the score and parts. Generally, laser printers are better than ink-jet printers for printing music. One important disadvantage to most printouts from ink-jet printers is that the ink runs or smears easily when it gets wet. Laser-printed images are more durable and are generally sharper than those printed on an ink-jet printer. However, ink-jet printers are certainly adequate for printing drafts of scores and parts. A printer that prints oversize paper, specifically 11" x 17", is extremely useful (see below). Some printers also accept other paper sizes, which can be useful when creating parts (see chapter 4). Paper size and quality. All the important qualities of score paper described above apply to printer paper. Unfortunately, white paper is nearly ubiquitous and other colors usually have to be specially ordered or purchased directly from the manufacturer. When preparing a score for a conductor, you should use large paper—11" x 17" or bigger. If your printer won’t print this size, you can usually find a copy center that will enlarge an 8.5" x 11" page to 11" x 17". However, it’s better to print directly to the larger paper size, if possible. For scores that won’t be used by a conductor, 8.5" x 11" or 8.5" x 14" (legal size) are usually acceptable. You might use a score like this simply to keep a record of the piece or to distribute to students for score study. Many producers like smaller scores in the control room during recording sessions because they take up less desk space. You can reduce the size of the music enough that almost any ensemble can fit on letter- or legal-size paper, but the music will be very small and potentially very difficult to read. 6

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CHAPTER 1: Getting Started

PAGE ORIENTATION: PORTRAIT VS. LANDSCAPE When making initial decisions about paper, you can also choose the orientation of the page. “Portrait” orientation is taller than it is wide. “Landscape” orientation is wider than it is tall. The two orientations are shown below. Silent Picture (For Jamie) Jazz Ballad / Hip-Hop Funk q = 76

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7

© 2004, M. Nicholl

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

When there are a great many staves in the system, as in an orchestral or concert band score, portrait orientation is often the best choice. Most professionally prepared and published orchestral scores use this orientation. However, for a relatively small group of instruments, landscape orientation can often work well. A number of factors can affect your choice. When you first begin creating scores you might need to try both portrait and landscape to see which will look better. After you’ve had some experience—and perhaps even more important, after you’ve created templates of the types of scores you use most commonly—you will know which orientation will work best for a particular project.

4. Summary: Getting Started When you first begin to work with scores and parts, the initial process of getting started—choosing your method and assembling your tools and materials—will take some careful thought. However, once you’ve done several different kinds of projects, getting started will be quick and easy and won’t involve very many choices. Your most important choice for every project will be choosing the right size paper for the specific job. This too will get easier as your experience grows.

8

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LAYING OUT THE SCORE

Chapter 2

1. Basic Elements of the Score The score is the visual grid that contains all the notational elements of the entire piece of music. The score must be as accurate, complete, and easy to read as possible. The basic elements of the score are handled in such a way as to insure that it has these essential qualities. THE SCORE SYSTEM One complete vertical set of staves that contains all the instruments of the ensemble is called a “score system.” Depending on how many instrumental parts the score contains, a single score page could have one or more systems. The example below shows an ensemble score that has only one system per page.

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& Piano

Bass

j j ‰ j ‰ j œ ‰œ j ‰ œ œ œ. œ ‰œ œ ‰œ j ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰œ œ. n œ- œ. œ. œ.j œœ. œ. -œœ œ. œ. n -œ œ. œ. # œ. # œ. # -œ -œ n œ n œ œ œ œj œœ œ œœ œ œ n œ œ œ # œ # œ # œ œ simile F ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑























5

6

Œ ¿ ¿ Œ œ Œ Œ ‰œ J F 7

8

9



(Play)

Drums

÷

C

Cue: cowbell

1

2





3

4

Fill



’ 10

© 1993, M. Nicholl

Fig. 2.1.01 An ensemble score page with a single system 9

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

The next example shows a score for a piece for small ensemble that has two systems per page. Notice the marks, called “slash marks,” on the sides of the page used to separate the two systems.

Harbour Island Matthew Nicholl

Slow Reggae / Samba / Funk / Rock å = 78 Flugel

b 4 & b 4







Guitar

b 4 & b 4









Keyboard

b 4 & b 4









Bass

? b b 44









Ó

‰. rœ œ œ P

Funk / Reggae

Drums

4 ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ 4 . œœ ’ ’ ’ ’ ‰ ‰ . œR œ R P 1 2

/

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’

3



4

{5 } Flgl

b & b œ ..

r œ ˙

œœ

œ œ

≈ œr œ œ œ

œ

œ œ œ œ œ . œ ‰ œj ˙

œ !6

!

Gtr

E9 b B /D & b ’ ’ ’ ’ P (Muted Pluck)

Kbd

b & b ’ ’ P

6

B !/D

Bs

? bb

Dr

/

6

B !/D



E !9

B !/D

’ ’









’ ’

B !/D

E !9

’ ’



E !9

B !/D

E !9

’ ’

’ ’





’ ’ 5





6

E !9

’ ’ 6

F\



’ ’

’ ’ ’



6

F\





’ ’

6

‰. rœ œ œ





’ 7

’ ’ ’



’ ’ ’



8

© 1993, M. Nicholl

If you are preparing your score with a computer, you usually make the final decision about the number of systems per page later in the process—after you’ve entered the notes, but before you print the score for the first time.

10

Fig. 2.1.02 A rhythm section score page with two systems per page

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

BRACES, BRACKETS, AND BARLINES To make the score as visually accessible as possible, braces, brackets, and barlines are used to group staves in particular ways. In large ensemble scores, brackets are used to group families of instruments together: woodwinds, saxophones, upper brass, lower brass, percussion, and strings. These groups of instruments are often called “choirs.” Figure 2.1.03 shows the typical use of brackets in a big-band score. The saxes, trumpets, and trombones are grouped together with brackets. In this rhythm section, only the staves of the piano part are grouped together, joined by a brace.

Saxes

Alto 1

& 44



Alto 2

& 44



Tenor 1

& 44



Tenor 2

& 44



Baritone

& 44



1

& 44



2

& 44



3

& 44



4

& 44



1

?4 4



2

?4 4



3

?4 4



4

?4 4



Guitar

& 44



& 44



?4 4



Bass

?4 4



Drums

÷ 44



Trumpets

Trombones

“instrument choirs”

Piano

Fig. 2.1.03 Brackets in a big band score

11

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Extra brackets, sometimes called “sub-brackets,” are used to set off sections within an instrumental family, such as Flutes 1 and 2 or Violins 1 and 2, as in figure 2.1.04.

Sub-bracket

Fig. 2.1.04 Brackets and “sub-brackets” in an orchestral score

In a smaller ensemble of mixed horns, it is common—especially in jazz and pop scores—to bracket the horns together, even though the horns are from different instrument families. The purpose here remains to make the score as easy to read as possible, as shown in the next example.

Trumpet 1

& b

44



Trumpet 2

& b

44



&

44



& b

44



Trombone

? b b 44 b



Guitar

b 4 & bb 4



Alto Sax

Tenor Sax

12

Fig. 2.1.05 A small ensemble of mixed horns, with the horns bracketed

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

A brace usually indicates multiple staves played by a single instrument, such as a keyboard or harp.

& 42



? 42



?2 4



? 42



Violin 1

& 42



Violin 2

& 42



B 42



Harp

Braces

Piano

Bracket

Fig. 2.1.06 Braces in a score with piano and harp

To reinforce the visual grouping of instruments joined by brackets and braces, barlines are drawn through all the staves in the group. Notice how the barlines are used in figure 2.1.07.

Viola

Trumpet 1

& b

44



Trumptet 2

& b

44



&

4 4



& b

44



Trombone

? b b 44 b



Guitar

b & b b 44



b & b b 44



? bb 4 b 4



? bb 4 b 4



Alto Sax

Tenor Sax

The barline is drawn through all the staves joined by a bracket or brace.

Piano

Fig. 2.1.07 Barlines with braces and brackets

Bass

13

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

However, it is common in vocal music not to draw the barline through all the staves joined by a bracket because this might interfere with the printed lyrics. In figure 2.1.08, notice how the barlines don’t extend through the whole system, leaving space for the lyric. Note also that the Baritone/Bass stave shares the lyrics with the Alto/Tenor. Slowly, Gently Sopranos 1

2

Alto Tenor

Baritone Bass

& c œœ

# ˙˙

˙˙

˙˙ ..

œ œ

# ˙˙ ..

It

seems

# ˙˙

to

be

n ˙˙ ..

that

œœ

you

It

seems

to

be

that

you

˙ ˙

˙. ˙.

œ œ

˙˙ . .

œ Vc œ

? c œœ

# ˙˙ ˙ ˙

˙˙ ..

Fig. 2.1.08 Barlines in vocal scores. Though the voices are grouped with a bracket, the single barline is not drawn through all the staves. This makes the text easier to read.

The rhythm section as a group is not bracketed and uses normal barlines (though the piano, of course, uses the brace).

& 44





& 44





? 44





Bass

? 44





Drums

÷ 44





Guitar

Piano

14

Fig. 2.1.09 The rhythm section in the score

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

When there are two or more guitar parts, the guitars are usually bracketed, as shown below. Multiple keyboard parts are not usually bracketed. Guitar 1

& 44





Guitar 2

& 44





& 44





& 44





& 44





?4 4





Bass

?4 4





Drums

÷ 44





Synthesizer

Piano

Percussion

ã 44





Fig. 2.1.10 Multiple guitar and keyboard parts

2. Score Order Over time, the order in which instruments appear (from top to bottom) has become standardized. Orchestral and “classical” music has a long tradition of score organization. Though jazz, rock, and pop music have a much shorter tradition, common styles of score layout have evolved for these idioms as well. Whatever the musical style of your score, it’s essential to be aware of and follow these established guidelines. SCORE ORDERS FOR COMMON “CLASSICAL” ENSEMBLES Established score order for orchestral and “classical” music is the most rigidly followed. The instrumental choirs are grouped, from top to bottom, according to this scheme: woodwinds, upper brass, lower brass, percussion, keyboards, and strings. Within each choir, instrument registers are ordered from high to low.

15

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Woodwinds:

Piccolo Flutes 1 and 2 Oboes 1 and 2 English Horn Clarinets 1 and 2 Bass Clarinet Bassoons 1 and 2 Contrabassoon

Piccolo

&



Flutes 1, 2

&



Oboes 1, 2

&



English horn

&



&



&



?



?



&



&



&



&



?



?



?



?



ã



&



?



&



?



&



2

&



Viola

B



?



?



Bb Clarinets 1, 2

Bass Clarinet

Upper brass:

Horns 1, 2, 3, and 4 Trumpets 1, 2, and 3

Bassoons 1, 2

Contrabassoon

Lower brass:

Trombones 1, 2, and 3 Tuba

1 2

Horns in F 3 4

Percussion:

Timpani Percussion

1

Bb Trumpets 2 3

Keyboards:

Harp Piano

1

Trombones 2 3

Strings:

Violin 1 Violin 2 Viola Cello Double Bass

Tuba

Timpani

Percussion

Standard orchestral score order is shown in figure 2.2.01. Notice how the brackets and barlines are used.

Harp

Piano

1 Violins

Cello

Fig. 2.2.01 Score order for standard orchestra

16

Double Bass

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

For concert band, the same order applies, without the strings and with the saxophones added below the woodwinds. The larger complement of percussion usually follows the order shown in figure 2.2.02.

Piccolo

4 &4



Flute

4 &4



Oboe

4 &4



1

4 &4



B Clarinets 2

4 &4



3

4 &4



E Alto Clarinet

b

4 &4



b

& 44



?4 4



& 44



& 44



E Baritone Saxophone

& 44



1

& 44



B Trumpets 2

& 44



3

?4 4



Horn in F

& 44



1

?4 4



2

?4 4



Baritone

?4 4



Tuba

?4 4



& 44



?4 4



ã 44



Snare Drum

ã 44



Cymbals

ã 44



Bass Drum

ã 44



b

B Bass Clarinet

Bassoon

b

E Alto Saxophones 1 2

b

B Tenor Saxophones

b

b

Trombones

Mallet Percussion

Timpani

Accessory Percussion

Fig. 2.2.02 Score order for concert band

17

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Woodwind quintet, brass quintet, and string quartet scores have also been standardized, as shown below.

18

Flute

4 &4





Oboe

& 44





Clarinet

& 44





Horn

4 &4





Bassoon

? 44





Trumpet 1

& 44





Trumpet 2

& 44





Horn

& 44





Trombone

?4 4





Tuba

? 44





Violin 1

& 44





Violin 2

& 44





Viola

B 44





Cello

?4 4





Fig. 2.2.03 Small chamber group scores (woodwind quintet, brass quintet, and string quartet)

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

When scores in a “classical” style contain unusual combinations of instruments, the order is usually organized around the standard score order. “New” music in the classical tradition sometimes uses a more flexible approach to score order. When in doubt, find a score from a reputable publisher that uses similar instrumentation, to serve as a model. When a vocal soloist is added to an orchestral score, it usually appears above the strings, as shown below.

?c



ã c



&c



&c



Soprano

&c



I

&c



II

&c



Viola

Bc



?c



?c



Timpani

Percussion

Harp

vocal soloist

Violin

Cello

Contrabass

Fig. 2.2.04 Orchestral score with vocal soloist

19

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Choir parts also go above the strings in an orchestral score.

&c



&c



Soprano

&c



Alto

&c



Tenor

&c



?c



I

&c



II

&c



Viola

Bc



?c



?c



Harp

choir

Bass

Violin

Cello

Contrabass

20

Fig. 2.2.05 Orchestral score with choir

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

Simple choral music is often written with two staves. The soprano and alto share a stave, as do the tenor and bass. This is called a “closed score.”

Soprano Alto

Tenor Bass

& 44





? 44





Fig. 2.2.06 Closed vocal score

For more complex polyphonic vocal writing in the classical style, each vocal part is written on a single stave. This is called an “open score” format. Either closed or open scores can appear in an orchestral score. Notice that the tenor part in figure 2.2.07 is written in a G clef with an 8 below it. This hybrid clef often appears in both classical and pop/jazz vocal notation. Many times, the normal treble clef is used for tenor voice with the tacit understanding that the part will sound an octave lower than written.

Soprano

4 &4



Alto

4 &4



Tenor

4 V4



Bass

? 44



Fig. 2.2.07 Open vocal score

21

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

SCORE ORDERS FOR COMMON JAZZ AND POP ENSEMBLES Scores for pieces in pop and jazz styles have evolved similar conventions about score order and layout, but these practices are not as generally accepted as in classical music, even in professionally prepared music. The horns in large ensembles follow the conventional score order, as shown below.

Saxes

Alto 1

& 44



Alto 2

& 44



Tenor 1

& 44



Tenor 2

& 44



Baritone

& 44



1

& 44



2

& 44



3

& 44



4

& 44



1

?4 4



2

?4 4



3

?4 4



4

?4 4



Guitar

& 44



& 44



?4 4



Bass

?4 4



Drums

÷ 44

Trumpets

Trombones

Piano

22



Fig. 2.2.08 Big-band score (five saxes, eight brass, rhythm section)

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

The most common order for the four-piece rhythm section is shown below. Many writers like this arrangement of the staves because it places the guitar above the right hand of the piano and the bass below the left hand of the piano. Notice the use of barlines in the rhythm section.

& 44





& 44





? 44





Bass

? 44





Drums

÷ 44





Guitar

Piano

Fig. 2.2.09 The rhythm section in the score

When additional instruments are added to the rhythm section, similar instruments are placed on adjacent staves, as shown below.

Guitar 1

& 44





Guitar 2

& 44





& 44





& 44





& 44





?4 4





Bass

?4 4





Drums

÷ 44





Percussion

ã 44





Synthesizer

Piano

Fig. 2.2.10 A large rhythm section (two guitars, synthesizer, piano, bass, drums, and percussion)

23

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

For small group scores of mixed horns, the horns usually are grouped together above the rhythm section. The instruments are ordered by range, from high to low, not by instrument family. Conventionally voiced chords are then assigned to the instruments from top down, from highest note to lowest note. This instrument order makes the score as visually accessible as possible. Trumpet

&

Trumpet

&

Trumpet 1

&

Trumpet 1

&

Tenor

&

Tenor

&

Trumpet 2

&

Trumpet 2

&

Guitar

&

Trombone

Tenor

&

Alto

&

&

Guitar

Tenor

&

?

? &

Trombone

&

Guitar

Piano

? &

Trombone

&

Guitar

Piano

&

Piano

& Piano

Fig. 2.2.11 Score order for mixed horns (several examples of two-, three-, four-, and five-horn ensembles)

When vocals are added to scores in pop and jazz styles, the vocal staff (or staves) usually goes at the top of the system. Most writers prefer this because it places the voice as principal instrument in a visually prominent spot in the score. Jazz Ballad Vocal

3

j b & b bb c Œ ‰ œ œ .

j œ

Ash - trays

and

!

Piano

b b b c B -13 b ’ ’ & ? bb b c ˙ b

œ

‰ j œ œ œ

œ

rec - ord sleeves

a

E !\

’ ’



B !-13 Bass

œ œ

œ œ œ bœ

pair

of

E !ö

’ ’

E !\

E !ö

˙

˙



’ ’



3 Brushes (On Snare) - "2" Feel Drums

/

c œ œ¿ Œ

œ œ Œ ¿

Simile

1

24

2



Fig. 2.2.12 Lead vocal in a small group chart

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

In the case of a duet, the two lead vocal staves are grouped together, with the highest part on top.

Lead Female

b 4 &b 4

œ œ œ œ œ œ Dreams have nev- er lied to me b œ œ œ œ œ bœ & b 44 œ œ

Lead Male

Dreams have nev - er lied

to

me

˙. ˙.

‰ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ At least as far as I can see œ œ bœ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ At

least as far as

I

can

˙. ˙.

see

Fig. 2.2.13 Two lead vocalists

Background vocals go below the lead vocal. If the part is rhythmically simple and can all be written in the same clef, background parts of up to three voices can be written on a single stave. Four or more voices require two staves.

Fig. 2.2.14 Lead vocal with background vocals in a single staff

25

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

When the background vocals get complex or their range is so wide as to not fit in a single clef, they can be written on two staves. When both male and female vocalists are singing, separate clefs are usually used for each gender. The male vocal parts can be written either in treble or bass clef. When the tenor is written in treble clef, it sounds an octave lower than written.

Fig. 2.2.15 Lead vocals with background vocals in two staves

Scores of a cappella music (music for choir without accompaniment) can have a wide variety of formats, depending on the complexity of the writing. For relatively simple four-part vocal music, the two-stave closed score is sufficient. However, for music with five or more vocal parts—and because a cappella music is often rhythmically and texturally complex—more staves are usually required. Five-part music, a common vocal texture in advertising music for radio and TV, is often written with three staves, as shown below. Soprano Alto

j j & 44 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ Sum- mer's

Tenor Baritone

Here

? 44 œJ œ œ ˙ J Sum-mer's

26

Let's

44 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ V J J Sum-mer's

Bass

Here

Here

Let's

j œ j œœ œ œœ ˙˙ Have Some

Fun

œœ œœ b œœ ˙˙ J J Have some

ww

Fun

œ œ œj ˙ J Have Some

ww

Fun

w

Fig. 2.2.16 Five-part vocal music in three staves

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

Six-part vocal music is usually written on three staves, with two parts to a stave. Following this pattern, eight-part music is written on four staves. A cappella scores usually include a piano reduction for rehearsal purposes. Slowly, Gently Soprano 1 Soprano 2

& c œœ It

Alto Tenor

V c œœ It

Baritone Bass

Rehearsal Piano

# ˙˙ seems

# ˙˙

˙˙

˙˙ ..

œ œ

# ˙˙ ..

œœ

n ˙˙ ..

to

be

that

you

and

me

bb ˙˙ ..

# ˙˙

n ˙˙ ..

œœ

˙˙ ..

œœ

to

be

that

you

and

me

˙. ˙.

œ œ

˙˙ ..

seems

? c œœ

˙ ˙

˙ ˙

˙. ˙.

œ œ

& c œœœ

# ˙˙˙

˙˙ ˙

˙˙ .. ˙˙ ..

œœ ˙. œœ # ˙˙ ..

? c œœœ

# ˙˙ ˙

˙˙ ˙

˙. ˙.

œ œ

1

œœœ b N ˙˙˙ ...

˙˙ .. ˙.

2

b ˙˙ .. ˙.

œœ œ 3

4

Fig. 2.2.17 Six-part music with piano reduction

Solo parts can be written on separate staves above the choir.

Solo Vocal

& Œ. Œ

P

j œ œj œ # œ œ œ cresc

A vis - ion

Choir

& ˙. ˙˙ .. Doo P ? ˙. ˙.

of an

cresc

Œ œ b œ b œ œ . œ . œj emp - ty beach

b b ˙˙˙ ...

˙˙˙ .. .

Doo

˙˙ ..

cresc

˙˙ . .

˙˙˙ ... b ˙˙ cresc ..

Fig. 2.2.18 Choir with separate solo staff

27

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

CONCERT VS. TRANSPOSED SCORES Scores commonly appear in two forms: concert and transposed. In a concert score, all the instrumental parts are shown at sounding pitch (with a few exceptions, discussed below). In a transposed score, all parts appear as they are written in the individual part from which the player reads. Concert scores are identified as such in the upper left-hand corner of the title page. Many professional writers identify a transposed score by showing the concert key signature in the upper left-hand corner. The example below compares part of a score in concert with that same part in a transposed score. Concert Score

Two Trains

b Andante

Andante Flute

Bb Clarinet

Horn in F

Guitar

Bass

b & b 44 ˙ F b & b 44 ˙ F b & b 44 ˙ F b & b 44 ˙ F ? b 4˙ b 4 F

Two Trains

b

˙

˙

˙

Œ Œ ‰ j œ

Flute

œ

Œ Œ ‰ j œ

Bb Clarinet

œ

Œ Œ ‰ j œ œ

Horn in F

Œ ˙.

Œ ˙.

Œ ˙.

b & b 44 ˙ F & 44 ˙ F & b 44 ˙

˙

˙

œ

Œ Œ ‰ j œ

œ

Œ Œ ‰ j œ

Œ ˙.

˙.

˙

˙.

˙

˙.

Œ

Œ

j œ Œ Œ ‰ œ

F ˙ ˙

Œ ˙. ˙.

Œ

Œ Œ ‰ j œ œ œ Œ Œ ‰ œJ

Guitar

Bass

b & b 44 ˙ F ? bb 4 ˙ 4

˙

Œ

˙.

œ Œ

Œ Œ ‰ j œ

œ Œ Œ ‰ œJ

F

Fig. 2.2.19 Concert versus transposed scores

28

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

In the concert score, all parts appear exactly how they sound except instruments that transpose at the octave, such as bass and guitar. These instruments are always shown at written rather than sounding pitch. So in both a transposed or concert score, the guitar, bass, glockenspeil, and piccolo parts are written the same way. Many writers prefer concert scores: when all parts appear at their sounding pitch, it is very easy to see what’s going on harmonically with the score. In the transposed score, each instrumental part appears exactly as it does in the individual instrumental part. Some writers prefer the transposed score because it allows the writer to see how the music looks to the player. This can make discussions about notes between the conductor and player much easier during rehearsal. Deciding whether to create a concert or transposed score is often a matter of personal preference. However, if you are writing under the direction of a teacher, producer, or senior writer, you should be sure to ask which type of score is expected. For many years, a transposed score has been the industry standard, though concert scores are becoming more and more common.

3. Score Page Layouts Two different page layouts are used in a score: the title page layout (which appears only on the first page of the score) and the layout for page 2 to the end of the score. This second type of layout is called the continuation page layout. In the publishing industry, a continuation page is often called a running page. While writers do not organize these layouts in absolute uniformity, it is important that they are used consistently and with attention to clarity and ease of use. TITLE PAGE LAYOUT The first page of the score, called the title page, contains a great deal of information that appears nowhere else in the score and has a unique layout. The following things appear on the title page: •

complete title and subtitle



names of all authors (composer, arranger, lyricist, etc.)



initial tempo and style, often including a metronome marking



full instrument names



initial clefs, key signatures, and time signatures



copyright notice, if appropriate

29

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

While there are no hard-and-fast rules about exactly where these items appear on the page, certain conventions are commonly followed. Referring to the example below, notice the following: •

The title is centered above the top staff, with a subtitle centered below it.



The credits go on the right above the top staff, often right justified with the last right-hand barline on the page.



Tempo and style indication is on the left above the top staff, often left justified with the time signature.



Instrument names are in the left margin.



The copyright notice is centered at the bottom of the page. title

style/tempo

instruments

"Avenue Brazil"

credits

subtitle

For the Dallas Brass

Matthew Nicholl

Bb Trumpet 1

# # & # C

h =104 •

Bb Trumpet 2

# # & # C





















Horn in F

# & # C





















?#

C





















?#

C





















C





?#

C





?#

C





Salsa

Trombone

Bass Trombone

&

#



















j n- ‰ . j ‰ . . . . . . F • •

Piano

Bass





j . ‰ n- ‰ . # j ‰ # . # n n . . . simile

j j‰

n



#

j j ‰# #





























8

9

(Play) Drums

÷

C

¿

¿

Cue: cowbell

1

¿

¿

2









3

4

5

6

¿ F

¿ ‰J 7

Fill



’ 10

© 1993, M. Nicholl

copyright notice 30

Fig. 2.3.01 Title page layout

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Page 31

CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

CONTINUATION PAGE LAYOUT The layout of the pages after the title page differ in small but important ways from the title page. The continuation page layout contains the following elements: •

The title, often abbreviated if it is more than a few words long



The page number



Abbreviated instrument names



Clefs and key signatures



Time signatures and tempo markings only if there has been a change

Notice that there is a great deal less information on the continuation page. It doesn’t include any of the writer credits or copyright information. Some published scores, particularly study scores of classical works, do not include any instrument designation—either in full or abbreviated form—on continuation pages. However, this can create a lot of difficulty and confusion in rehearsal and performance, so it’s a good idea to use at least abbreviated instrument names on all continuation pages. (A complete list of instrument names with their common abbreviations is given in the appendix.) Clefs and key signatures should appear on all continuation pages.

Fig. 2.3.02 Continuation page layout

"Avenue Brazil" 11

Tpt 1

# # & #







Tpt 2

# # & #







• Ó

• ‰

flugel



w

w

w

w

w

w

• j . . ‰#. ‰ n. ‰ J f j‰n . ‰# j‰ . . . f . . . . J ‰ n ‰ #J ‰ f

F Hn

&

##







Ó

n

‰ F

?#



Tbn





Ó

‰ F

Bs Tbn

?#

&

#

Pno

?#

?# Bs

Drs

÷

◊ ‰ j F

j‰

Opt:



n

j‰ ‰ j F Baion o + o + ¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿ ¿ ‰J 11

J



n ‰



J

J

j‰

‰ j

j‰

j j ‰ j‰

◊ ‰ j



#



J

j j ‰# #



n n

j‰

‰ j

j‰



j‰

‰ j

j‰



J

J

j‰

‰ j

J ‰





J

j j ‰

J ‰

‰ j

j‰



J ‰

‰ j

j‰



J

J











12

13

14

15

16

j‰



j



. J



.

j‰ ‰ j‰ j . . n. #. . f

n. ‰ j ‰ . . #. f j‰ j ‰ ‰ j‰ . . n. #. j‰

. J

. f

j‰

Û

. n.



j



j



‰ j‰ j #. .



Û Û ‰ Û

f 17

. .

Fill

Û ’ J

’ 18

-2-

31

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STAVES Notation software allows you to adjust the distance between each stave in the score system. There should be the same distance between each stave in the system. However, some writers prefer a little more space between choirs in a large score system to make the score more visually accessible. In this case, the distance separating each choir is consistent. Notice in the example below that the distance between the vocals and horns and the horns and rhythm section is slightly larger than the distance between the staves within each section. "Just To HAve The Chance" - P.16

Ld Voc

b & bb œ œ œ œ œ

Œ

‰ œj œ

ver a - gain

Bg Voc

&

I'd fall

bbb

Œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ F b b [F\lŒ\u\g\e\l] œ b & F [S\o\p] b Œ œ b b & F -œ b b [F\Œl\u\t\e] b & F ? b [W\i\tŒ\h\ \C\u\p] œ bb F [F\l\u\g\e\l]

Tpt 1

Tpt 2

Sx 1

Sx 2

Tbn

I'd fall

. œ> . œ ‰ œ J ß . œ> . œ ‰ œ J ß . œ> . œ ‰ œ J ß œ> . œ J œ. ‰ ß œ> œ. ‰ œ. J ß

FÖ Gtr 1

b & bb ’

Gtr 2

b & bb ’

out

w

j œ œ œ œ

back

j œ œ

and run

in

Oh

back

˙ Œ.

p w

˙ Œ.

p w

˙ Œ.

p w

˙ Œ.

p B∂



’ ’

yeah

Oh,

œ œ œ œj œ œj that's what I

would do





œ œ œ J F œ œ œ J F œ œ œ J F œ œ œ J F œ œ œ J F

œ œ éÓ



œ œ éÓ



œ œ éÓ



œ œé Ó



œ œ éÓ



C-





B∂



Œ œ

in

Œ. p w

‰ jŒ œ

j Œ œ œ œ

˙





j œ œ

and run

œ œ œ







Syn

out

‰ j œ œ

ver a - gain

b & bb Œ

œ œ œ







C-





Greater distances between these staff groups















b & bb











b & bb











? b bb











Pno

Bs

FÖ . ˙> ? b b b œ ‰ œj



œ

B∂

‰ œ ˙ J



C-

‰ œj ˙











Simile

Dr

/





















Perc

/





















93

32

94

95

96

97

Fig. 2.3.03 Greater distance between groups of staves

Music Notation

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1:25 PM

Page 33

CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

The distance between staves should be set in the first system and remain consistent throughout the score. Certain pages require more space because of dynamics, ledger lines, text, or other symbols that take up vertical space. Adjust the distance between staves on that page, and use that system layout throughout the score. MARGINS AND “WHITE SPACE” When preparing scores with notation software, you have a great deal of control over how the score system is placed in the page. Generally, you should use as much of the page’s available “white space” as possible, while avoiding making the page too dense. This requires you to make some basic judgments about how the page should look. Often, you need to experiment with the size of the system and the width of the margins until your page looks right. Here are some things to keep in mind as you set up your score page: 1. Leave margins wide enough so that nothing will be cut off or not printed by the printer—at least 1/2 inch. It’s a common problem to have the parts of the score that are close to the edge of the page missing or cut off when the score is printed. 2. The page often looks best when the score system is centered in the page. Too much white space in any single margin (left, right, top, or bottom) looks odd. 3. The title page margins often differ from the margins of the continuation pages because it contains more information above the score system. Be sure to adjust these margins carefully. 4. Experiment with the orientation of the score page and the size of the music. Remember that you don’t want to reduce the music too much (especially for a conductor score), but by experimenting with different sizes of the music and orientation of the page, you can often create a very effective layout for your specific score.

33

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Page 34

MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Refer to the example below. h

Salsa

Bb Trumpet 1

# # & # C

Bb Trumpet 2

Horn in F

"Avenue Brazil"

=104

Matthew Nicholl





















# # & # C





















##

C





















?#

C





















?#

C





















#

C





?#

C





?#

C





&

Trombone

Bass Trombone

&

œ ‰œ ‰ œ. n œ- œ. œ. œ.j F ∑

Piano

Bass



j j j ‰ j œ ‰ œ j ‰ œ œ œ. œ ‰œ j‰œ œ œ œ ‰œ œœ œœ œ n œ œ œ œj œœ œ œœ œ œ n œ œ œ # œ œ# œ œ . œ. - œ. œ. n -œ œ. œ. # œ. œ.# -œ -œ simile ∑













∑ Œ

÷

C

¿ Œ ¿ Œ

¿ Œ ¿ Œ

Cue: cowbell

1

2









3

4

5

6















8

9

Œ

(Play) Drums



¿ ¿ œ Œ Œ ‰œ J F 7

Fill





Fig. 2.3.04a Poor layout—system not centered in the page

10

© 1993, M. Nicholl

h

Salsa

Bb Trumpet 1

# # & # C

Bb Trumpet 2

Horn in F

"Avenue Brazil"

=104

Matthew Nicholl





















# # & # C





















# & # C





















?#

C





















?#

C





















#

C





?#

C





?#

C





Trombone

Bass Trombone

& Piano

Bass

j j j œ ‰œ j ‰ j œ ‰œ j ‰ œ ‰ œ j ‰ œ œ œ. œ ‰œ j ‰ œ œ œ œ. n œ- œ. œ. œ. œœ. œ. -œœ œ. œ. n -œ œ. œ. # œ. œ. # -œ -œ œ n œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ n œ œ œ # œ œ # œ œ simile F ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑















Œ ¿ ¿ Œ œ Œ Œ ‰œ J F 7





8

9



(Play)

Drums

÷

C

¿

¿ Œ

Cue: cowbell

Œ

¿ Œ ¿ Œ

1









3

4

5

6

2

© 1993, M. Nicholl

"Avenue Brazil" ###

Salsa

h

Fill



Matthew Nicholl

=104

Bb Trumpet 1

&

C





















Bb Trumpet 2

# # & # C





















Horn in F

# & # C





















?#

C





















?#

C





















C





?#

C





?#

C





Trombone

Bass Trombone

&

#

Piano

Bass

’ 10

Fig. 2.3.04b Poor layout—margin too narrow, not enough white space

j j ‰ j ‰ j œ ‰œ œ ‰ œ j ‰ œ œ œ. œ ‰œ œ ‰œ j‰œ œ œ œ. n œ- œ. œ. œ.j œœ. œ. -œœ œ. œ. n -œ œ. œ. # œ. œ. # -œ -œ œ n œ œ œ œj œœ œ œœ œ œ n œ œ œ # œ œ # œ œ simile F ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑















Œ ¿ ¿ Œ œ Œ Œ ‰œ J F 7





8

9



(Play)

Drums

÷

C

¿ Œ ¿ Œ Cue: cowbell

1

¿ Œ ¿ Œ 2









3

4

5

6

© 1993, M. Nicholl

34

Fill



’ 10

Fig. 2.3.04c Good use of margins and white space

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Page 35

CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

The margin of the last page of the score often needs to be adjusted, as discussed later in this chapter. MULTIPLE SYSTEMS PER PAGE Often, the best page layout uses two or more systems per page. This type of layout usually works best when the system has a small number of individual staves, for example, the score to a flute trio or a piece for guitar and oboe. Even when the score system is shown at full size, several systems can fit on a single score page. Be sure to leave enough white space around the systems so that each system is visually distinct. Small bars, sometimes called “slash marks,” visually separate the systems.

Harbour Island Matthew Nicholl

Slow Reggae / Samba / Funk / Rock å = 78 Flugel

b 4 & b 4







Guitar

b 4 & b 4









Keys

b 4 & b 4









Bass

? b b 44









Ó

‰. rœ œ œ P

Funk / Reggae

Drums

44 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ’ ’ ’ ’ ‰ . œR œ ‰ . œR œ P 1 2

/

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’

3



slash marks

4

{5 } Flgl

b & b œ ..

r œ ˙

Keys

œ œ

≈ œr œ œ œ

œ

œ œ œ œ œ . œ ‰ œj ˙

œ 6

B !/D

Gtr

œœ

E !9

b & b ’ ’ ’ ’ P (Muted Pluck) &

bb

Bs

? bb

Dr

/

6

6

B !/D



B !/D

E !9

B !/D

’ ’ P

’ ’









’ ’

B !/D

E !9

’ ’



E !9

B !/D

E !9

’ ’

’ ’





’ ’ 5





6

E !9

’ ’ 6

F\



’ ’

’ ’



F\



’ ’ ’





’ 7

© 1993, M. Nicholl

’ ’ ’

6



6

‰. rœ œ œ



’ ’ ’



8

Fig. 2.3.05 A score page with multiple systems

35

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

For systems with more staves, you should experiment with the size of the system and the page orientation, to determine whether it is appropriate to use more than one system per page. Remember, scores for conductors are usually printed at full size, without reduction, to be as visually accessible as possible during rehearsal and performance. Figures 2.3.06 a and b show two layouts for a score with nine staves. The layout with a single system per page is appropriate for use by a conductor. The layout with two systems per page is perfectly adequate as a record of the work or for score study.

Silent Picture (For Jamie) Jazz Ballad / Hip-Hop Funk q = 76

Alto Sax

# & #

Violin 2

# & #

BX

Ó

4 4

Cello

B ##

? ##

Piano

? ##

’ ’

œ . œ ‰ œj ˙

w

œ. œ

‰ j œ ˙

w

œ . œ ‰ œj ˙

‰ j œ ˙

w

œ. œ

‰ j œ ˙

w

‰ j œ ˙

w

œ. œ

#œ . œ

j œ. œ ‰ œ ˙ P

w

j #œ . œ ‰ nœ ˙

w

j œ. œ ‰ œ ˙

w

‰ œ J

w

44 œ. œ P

# & #

BX

Ó

’ ’ ’ ’

w

4 4 4 4

’ ’ P

‰ j œ ˙

œ. œ P

#œ . œ P Viola

[\F\i\l\l

# ## 4 & # # 4

Violin 1

Matthew Nicholl

‰ œ J

˙

w œ. œ

44

‰ j . œ ˙ # œœœ .. œœœ n œœ ˙˙ P 44 ‰ œ ˙ œ. œ J

ww w

˙

œ. œ

œ .. œ ‰ j # œœ . œœ n œœœ ˙˙˙

ww w

‰ œ J

w

w œ. œ

˙

‰ œ J

˙

œ. œ

‰ œ J

j #œ . œ ‰ nœ ˙

w œ. œ

‰ j . œ ˙ # œœœ .. œœœ n œœ ˙˙ ˙

‰ j œ ˙

‰ œ J

˙

œ .. œ ‰ j # œœ . œœ n œœœ ˙˙˙

ww w w

œ. œ

‰ œ J

˙

[\F\i\l\l Bass

Drums

? ##

4 4

/

44

DX

Ó

DX

Ó

’ ’ P

’ ’ ’ ’

Û. Û ‰ Û ’ ’ J P 1

’ ’ ’ ’

Û. Û ‰ Û ’ ’ J

2

3

’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

Û. Û ‰ Û ’ ’ J

’ ’ ’ ’

4

5

6

Lite Cyms

Û. Û ‰ Û | J 7

© 2004, M. Nicholl

Fig. 2.3.06a Layout of a nine-stave score in landscape format

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

Silent Picture (For Jamie)

Matthew Nicholl

Jazz Ballad / Hip-Hop Funk q = 76 [\F\i\l\l

Alto Sax

BX

# ## 4 & # # 4

Violin 1

# & #

Violin 2

# & #

Ó

4 4



‰ j œ. œ œ ˙

w

œ. œ

j œ ˙

w

œ. œ

‰ j œ ˙

w

#œ . œ

j œ. œ ‰ œ ˙ P

w

j #œ . œ ‰ nœ ˙

w

4 4



Cello

? ##

44 44

œ. œ P # & #

44

‰ œ J ‰

. # œœœ .. œœœ P

Piano

? ##

’ ’ ’ ’

w

#œ . œ P Viola



j œ ˙

œ. œ P

B ##

’ P

44 œ. œ

w

˙

œ. œ

j œ ˙ n œœ ˙˙

‰ œ J

w œ. œ

j œ ˙

w

j œ ˙

w

j œ. œ ‰ œ ˙

w



w

˙

œ. œ

œ .. œ ‰ œj ˙ # œœ . œœ n œœ ˙˙

ww w

˙

‰ œ J



‰ œ J

‰ œ J ‰

ww w

˙

j œ ˙ n œœ ˙˙

. # œœœ .. œœœ

w œ. œ

w

˙

‰ œ J

ww w

˙

w

[\F\i\l\l Bass

Drums

? ##

44

/

44

DX

Ó

DX

’ P



’ ’ ’ ’

Û. Û ‰ Û ’ J P 1



’ ’ ’ ’

Ó





’ ’ ’ ’

Û. Û ‰ Û ’ J



’ ’ ’ ’

Lite Cyms

Û. Û ‰ Û ’ J

2



’ ’ ’ ’

3

4

5

6

{9}

#### A Sx

## Vln 1

BX

# Ó

˙.

‰ j œ ˙

˙.

j #œ . œ ‰ nœ ˙

˙.

‰ œ ˙ J

˙.

œ. œ ##

Vla

Vc

’ ’ ’ ’



‰ j œ. œ œ ˙

## Vln 2



## œ. œ

Œ

˙

w

˙ w

Œ ˙

w Œ

˙

˙

w

˙

œ œ bœ œ ˙

Œ ˙

w

j bœ ˙

w

j œ . bœ ˙

j œ . Nœ ˙

w

w

w

w

wœ .

wœ .

œ.

j œ ˙

w

œ.



œ 3

##

Œ

œ .. œ ‰ j # œœ . œœ n œœœ ˙˙˙

˙˙ ˙

ww w

˙˙˙ ...

˙˙ ˙

Pno

##

˙.

‰ œ ˙ œ. œ J

œ œ bœ œ ˙

Œ ˙



œ

œ ˙ J j œ . bœ ˙ w

œ. w

bœ ˙ J j œ ˙

www w

3

Bs

Melody 3

##

&

Ó

Œ ‰œœ F

3

w

3

œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ ˙.

3

œœœ ˙

œ. œ ˙.

‰ j œ œ œ #œ œ

Jazz Brushes Dr

Û. Û ‰ Û | J 7

’ ’ ’ ’ 8

’ ’ ’



’ ’

9

’ ’ 10

’ ’

’ ’ 11

’ ’

’ ’ 12

’ ’ ’

’ 13

© 2004, M. Nicholl

Fig. 2.3.06b Layout of the same nine-stave score in portrait format

MEASURES PER PAGE In most popular or commercial music, there are four measures per score page in portrait layout and eight measures per page in landscape layout. However, in a variety of situations it might be desirable to have more or fewer measures per page, such as a phrase with an odd number of measures, vocal music with lyrics, or rhythmically complex music, that requires wide measures. Additionally, it is helpful if a section begins at the beginning of a page, so the writer will sometimes adjust the number of measures per page for these elements to coincide. 37

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

However, you need to be extremely careful when setting the number of measures per page. If there are too many measures per page, the notes and markings will appear crowded and collisions can often occur between elements. The example below shows an obvious example of too many measures in the page.

Silent Picture - P.6

{42}

#### A Sx

&

Vln 1

# & #

Vln 2

# & #

#

- . œ œn œ ≈œ.œ>

j œ .œ ˙

˙

n -œœ. . > ‰ ≈œn œ

j œ .œ ˙

j # œ .œ ˙

j # œ .œ ˙

# œ .Jœ ˙

j # œ .œ ˙

? ##

# œ .Jœ ˙

# œ .œJ ˙

##

j œœ ..œœ ˙˙ # # œ .œ ˙ j # œ .œ ˙ w

B ## Vla

Vc

˙

& Pno

? ##

j œ .œœ ˙˙ ## œœ ..œ ˙ j # œw.œ ˙

- . œ .. œn œœ . œ ‰ œ> ˙ . J



˙

œ. F œ. F

> j Ó œ ˙ > j Ó œ ˙

˙. Œ

’ ’ P

’ ’

G #maj7

G #-

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’’

Œ n˙

˙

w

˙.

-- - - - . > ‰ b œ n œ œ b œ # œ . œ œj ˙ -- - - - . > b œ œ œ # œ œ . œ ‰ œj ˙

> œ #. œ œ œ ˙ Ó F œ #. œ œ œ> ˙ Ó ˙ ˙ F ^ ^ > ‰ j≈ j bbn ˙˙˙ nn œœ #.. œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ œœ n œœ ... bbn œœœ n œœ œ nœ œ F > ^ ^ œ. ‰ j≈ j œ# œ œ . œ œ œ ˙ œ # œ . ˙ #˙

[S\o\l\o]

G #-

> - - > ‰ 3œ œ n œ ..œn œœ œ w

˙

- . > ‰œ ˙ œ.œ J

Œ ˙. ˙. Œ ˙. Œ

Œ n œœ b œœ w ˙. œn œ j # œœ ..œœ‰n œœœ ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙. .. Œ ˙ œ.œ J

?

B-. œ œ . # œ Bmaj7 w # œœœ .. n œœ œœ ..## œœ ww J J P

Bœœœ ...œœœ ˙˙˙ J

Sparse Hip Hop Funk

Bs

Dr

? ##

œ .œ ˙ J

/

’’ ’ 35

œ .œ ˙ J



’’ ’ ’ 36

^ ^ > œ. ‰ j≈ j œ# œ œ . œ œ œ ˙ œ # œ . F ^ ^ > ’ ’ Û .Û Û Û ’ ’‰ Û ≈ Û . J J F 38

˙

˙

[\F\i\l\l - . > DX œ . œ ‰ œ ’ ’ ’ ’Œ J

Lite Cyms

’ ’ ’ ’ Û .Û ‰ Û ’ ’ ’ ’ J 39

40

41

B-

’ ’ P

’ ’

Bmaj7

B-

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’’

¿¿¿¿¿œ¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿œ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿œ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿œ¿¿¿ ’ ’ ’’ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰. œ œ Œ ‰ œ Œ J J R J P 42 43 44

37

Fig. 2.3.07 Too many measures per page

If there are too few measures per page, the music looks odd. This often happens on the last score page, when there are only a few measures left in the score. Adjust the right-hand margin, to fix this.

38

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

Silent Picture - P.16

{101}

Ritard...

#### A Sx

&

w

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œ

œ

œ

œ.

G #Ñ

œ J

#

w

Ó

w

˙ π ˙ π

| u ˙U

3

Vln 1

# & #

Vln 2

# & #

w P

˙

w P

˙

˙

nw

w P

˙

˙

w

˙ π ˙

˙

n˙ nw

π

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˙

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œ ˙

œ bœ

œ

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n˙ nw

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Brushes Dr

/















101







102







103



U | 104

Fig. 2.3.08a The last page of the score with too few measures

Silent Picture - P.16

{101} Ritard...

#### A Sx

&

w

œ

œ œ œ œ.

#

œ J

G #Ñ

w

Ó

w

˙ π ˙ π

3

Vln 1

# & #

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# & #

w P

˙

w P

˙

˙

nw

w P

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˙

w

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B ## Vla

Vc

? ##

œ œ bœ œ ˙ P

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ww w

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’ 101



’ ’

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’ ’

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U ’ ’ | 104

Fig. 2.3.08b The last page of the score, adjusted

Finalize the score’s number of measures per page at the end of the preparation process, after all notes, markings, and other details have been entered. Even though most notation software programs will attempt to distribute the measures on each score page, the result often is less than professional and will need to be examined and adjusted carefully. 39

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SCORE OPTIMIZATION AND “SHORT” OR “REDUCED” SCORES It is common, particularly in “classical” music, to eliminate staves in which no music appears on a particular page. Sometimes called a “short” or “reduced” score, this layout is used to save space and have more music on the page. The title page always shows a staff for any instrument that plays anywhere in the piece, but continuation pages can be “optimized” so that they show only staves containing musical information. The example below shows a full continuation score page and then how it looks when it is optimized.

Fig. 2.3.09a A complete continuation page

Fig. 2.3.09b The same page, optimized 40

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

While many published scores do not display the names of the instruments shown in an optimized score, it is extremely helpful to do so. This allows the conductor to know at a glance who is playing without having to look earlier in the score to find the beginning of the line or part. Notice that the abbreviated names of the instruments are shown in the optimized score. When using notation software, it is extremely important that you only optimize the score after all notes and markings have been entered. You should also have already fixed the number of measures on each page of the score. With many programs, changing the page layout after optimization can result in music “disappearing.” If this happens, you merely need to remove the optimization, adjust the page layout as needed, then optimize again. Obviously, this is another instance in which careful proofreading is essential.

4. Measure Numbers and Rehearsal Markings All scores must display measure numbers and rehearsal markings. However, there is a great deal of variety in the way these elements are displayed on the score. If you are writing under the direction of a teacher, producer, or senior writer, be sure to ask how the measure numbers and rehearsal markings should appear. Like many other aspects of score and part preparation, no matter how you choose to display these elements, be consistent and accurate throughout your score. MEASURE NUMBERS It is current practice for the number of every measure of the piece to appear in the score. (The scheme for how measure numbers appear in parts is discussed in chapter 4.) Most often, measure numbers appear below the score system, centered between the barlines of the measure. When using a computer to prepare your score, be sure to use a large enough font size so that the measure number can be easily read.

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

AS I Roved Out

Trad/Arr. Nicholl

q = 92 Rit.

Flute

## & # 44 Œ







42

Viola

# B # # 44 Œ







2 4

Smooth & Gentle

Harp

j # # # 4 œ ‰œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ 2 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ ‰ œ œ œ & 4‰ J 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ J J P œ œ œ œ ? ### 4 Œ 2 ∑ ∑ 4 4 œ 1

2

3

Fig. 2.4.01 Measure numbers below the score

When preparing a score by hand, measure numbers can also go below, as in the previous example, or they can be written in the measures of an unused staff. Measure numbers are most visually accessible if they are large and neatly written. Pickup measures are usually not numbered: the first full measure of the score is measure 1.

Fig. 2.4.02 Measure numbers in an unused staff 42

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

FORMATS FOR REHEARSAL MARKINGS There are several widely used formats for rehearsal markings, each useful for a particular type of music and score. You should carefully consider which format will be best for your score based on your music and the situation in which it will be rehearsed and performed. In one method, commonly used in “classical” music, the measure number appears above the system in a box or a circle every 10 or 20 measures throughout the score. Using this format, the placement of measure numbers has nothing to do with the phrase structure or form of the music. While this is fairly common in published scores, there are obvious reasons why this method is less useful than some of the other schemes described below. It is useful during both rehearsal and performance for the rehearsal markings to be placed at the beginnings of phrases and/or sections of the piece. In the most basic use of this format, successive letter numbers appear at the beginning of musical sections. Sections should be separated by a double bar. This helps make the structure of the music visually apparent and accessible.

Trumpet 1

Ú¡£º b & b b 44









Trumpet 2

b & b b 44









Trombone

? b 44 bb









A

Fig. 2.4.03 Double bar with rehearsal letter

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Many writers prefer to use the measure number as the rehearsal marking, as shown below. This format is often best if you are working with sequenced music, since the measure numbers displayed in the sequencer and the score will match. (Obviously, measures in repeated sections of the score would need to be counted twice to match the actual measure numbers displayed by the sequencer, so this format requires some care.)

Trumpet 1

Ú¡£º b & b b 44 ∑







Trumpet 2

b & b b 44









Trombone

? b 44 bb









3

2

4

Fig. 2.4.04 Double bar with rehearsal number

These two schemes are fairly common, particularly for music that is throughcomposed (not based on a set form or the repetition of music elements) or relatively complex. However, for music based on popular song forms, other strategies may be more effective. For multi-chorus arrangements of jazz standards, for example, a different letter (occurring in alphabetical order) can be used for each chorus as shown in figure 2.4.05. Using this scheme, the rehearsal marks communicate the form visually to the players. Many jazz composers and arrangers prefer this rehearsal marking format.

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

Form: aaba, where each section is eight bars long. One time through the form is one “chorus.” Intro.

a 8 Bars

8 Bars Introduction INT

B25 B17 B B9 A25 b b a a a a a 8 Bars 8 Bars 8 Bars 8 Bars 8 Bars 8 Bars 8 Bars Chorus Chorus w/solos, etc.

A9

A

C

C25 TAG b a a 8 Bars 8 Bars 8 Bars Chorus

C9 a 8 Bars

12 Bars Interlude

A17

C17

6 Bars Tag Ending

Fig. 2.4.05 Multi-chorus arrangement of a 32-bar AABA standard, timeline

This same format is often used in scores of pop songs. Each successive verse/chorus part of the form is assigned successive letters of the alphabet. The graphic example below shows how this format would be applied to a typical pop song.

Intro.

A

8 Bars Introduction D

D9

A9

A17

8 Bars 8 Bars 8 Bars Chorus Verse

B

B9

B17

8 Bars 8 Bars Verse

C

C9

8 Bars 8 Bars 8 Bars Chorus Solo

TAG

8 Bars 8 Bars Chorus

8 Bars Tag Ending

Fig. 2.4.06 Multisection arrangement of a typical pop song, timeline

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Some writers choose to display a word or phrase describing the section of the piece in addition to the rehearsal marking, as shown below. This is the easiest way to communicate the form of the arrangement to the players, but some writers find this amount of information unnecessary and dislike the visual clutter created by the additional words.

{9}

[F\i\r\s\t\ \A\ \≥S\e\c\t\i\o\n]

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#### ˙ A. Sx

& #

Gtr

≈œ œ œœ œ



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A 2/C #

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|

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bœ ˙ R

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Fig. 2.4.07 Rehearsal marks with section labels

In summary, there are several different, widely used rehearsal marking formats. Many writers have strong preferences for a certain format. Be sure to choose the best format for the particular piece, based on the factors described above. Most important: whatever format you choose, be clear, accurate, and consistent. Rehearsal marks appear above the top staff in most scores. In large scores, rehearsal marks can also appear in a second place, usually in the middle of the system or above each choir.

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

5. Summary: Laying Out the Score The process of creating and notating a piece of music is very complex. There are several different ways to approach the various aspects of that process—composing, arranging, orchestrating, preparing the score, etc.—to arrive at the finished piece of music. The preparation of the score can occur at several different places within the larger creative process. The writer can: 1. Compose, arrange, and orchestrate from scratch, directly into a blank score. 2. Have a general idea of the shape and scope of the piece before going to the score paper, but finish much of the writing while preparing the score. 3. Work from a detailed sketch that is virtually complete, so that preparing the score is essentially a process of transferring musical ideas from the sketch to the score. Each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages, and every writer has his or her own preferences. The process of score preparation goes much more quickly when all the writing is complete so that no compositional decisions are being made as you work on the score. Depending upon the project—and your own preferred method of working—this may or may not be possible or even desirable. It’s very important that you start to develop a consistent approach to score preparation so that you work both quickly and accurately. You will develop “chops” in score preparation in much the same way you develop them as a writer or performer— through application and practice. To simplify the explanation that follows, this section assumes that—while every single detail might not be fixed by the time you lay out the score—the form of the piece has already been determined. That means that you know how many measures are in the entire piece and where each section begins and ends. The laying out process is slightly different for scores created by hand than scores created with notation software. This section will summarize the process for each. SCORES BY HAND Here are the steps for laying out the score. Some of the steps have several parts: 1. Choose the right paper for the project. 2. Assemble your tools: pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, straight edge, etc. 47

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

3. Lay out the title page: •

Write the title, author(s), and style/tempo information.



Determine the score order and write the full instrument names on the left of the score system.



Add brackets and braces as appropriate.



Decide whether your score will be transposed or concert.



Add the appropriate clefs, key signatures, and time signatures.

4. Lay out the remaining pages of the score (or a rough estimate of pages needed if you don’t know the exact number of measures in the piece): •

Write the title and page number, centered at the top of the page.



Add the abbreviated instrument names on the left of the score system.



Add brackets and braces as appropriate.



Add the appropriate clefs and key signatures.

5. Add measure numbers, double barlines, and rehearsal markings: •

If your paper has pre-drawn barlines, determine where the measure numbers will go and number each measure.



If your paper does not have pre-drawn barlines, determine the number of measures and what size they should be for each separate page.



Decide which rehearsal-marking scheme is appropriate for the form of the piece.



Add double barlines and rehearsal marks.

COMPUTER-PREPARED SCORES Here are the steps to follow in laying out the score using notation software. Computer preparation differs from hand preparation because decisions about page layout can be made later in the process. This is because when using the computer, you lay out the system first and can wait until after the notes are entered before laying out the score pages. This section divides the layout of the score into two parts: first, laying out the system; and second, laying out the score page.

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CHAPTER 2: Laying Out the Score

Like the process of preparing a score by hand, some of the steps have several parts. Part 1. Laying out the score system: Do this before entering any notes in the score. 1. Lay out the score system for the title page: •

Determine the score order and add the full instrument names for each stave in the system.



Add brackets and braces as appropriate.



Decide whether your score will be transposed or concert.



Add the appropriate clefs, key signatures, and time signatures.

2. Lay out the score system of the continuation pages: •

Add the abbreviated instrument names for each stave.



Set the software so that clefs and key signatures appear at the beginning of each score system (many software programs allow you to choose not to do this).

3. Create the measure numbers: •

Determine the size and font for the measure numbers.



Set where the measure numbers will appear in the score.



Set where the measure numbers will begin (consider pickup measures).

4. Add double bars and rehearsal markings: •

Decide which rehearsal marking scheme is appropriate for the form of the piece.



Add double barlines and rehearsal marks.

Part 2. Laying out the score pages: After all the notes have been entered in the score, set the layout for each page. 1. Determine the number of measures per page. Most software programs will automatically allot measures to each page, but you will need to check each page to be sure that it has the best number of measures. Avoid the following extremes: 49

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a. The collision of elements, particularly accidentals and noteheads, when there are too many measures per page. b. Odd-looking notation when there are too few measures per page. (This often happens on the last score page, when there may be only a few measures on the page.) •

Starting at the beginning of the score, adjust each page to have the best-looking number of measures.



If necessary, adjust the margins of the last page so that the measures on that page are appropriately sized.

2. Create the page layout for the title page: •

Set the margins for the page.



Place the title, author(s), and style/tempo information in the appropriate locations.

3. Create the layout for the continuation pages: •

Determine the margins for page 2, and apply these to the rest of the score.



Add the title and page number in the appropriate location.



Check the margins on the last page of the score and adjust as necessary.

4. Optimize the score, if necessary:

50



Generally speaking, do not optimize systems unless you absolutely have to.



Apply score optimization from page 2 to the end of the score.



Go back and examine the layout of each page. If you will be using two or more systems per page, you will probably need to adjust the margins of your score.



Important: if you ever add or remove notes to the score after you’ve optimized, you must remove the optimization and reapply it to make sure all the notes appear.

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Chapter 3

THE CONTENTS OF THE SCORE

1. Barlines, Clefs, Key/Time Signatures Three types of barlines are most commonly used in a score: the single barline, the double barline, and the final barline.

Moderato {q = c 108} Flute

&

44











Oboe

&

44











# & # 44











&

# 4 4











?

44











1

2

3

4

Bb Clarinet

Horn in F

Bassoon

Double barline

Single barline

Final barline

Fig. 3.1.01 The three types of barlines used in a score

Double barlines are usually used before changes of key or time signature, as discussed below, and at the end of musical sections. The final barline is used at the end of the music. The double barline is also used as the first barline in a piece of music with a pickup measure. After the pickup, the double barline indicates the first full measure of music. Measure numbers in the score usually begin counting with the first full measure of music (see figure 3.1.02).

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Double barline after pickup measure

Flute

&

44 Œ

Oboe

&

44 Œ









# 4 & # 4Œ









&

# 4Π4









?

4Π4









1

2

3

Bb Clarinet

Horn in F

Bassoon

5







Double barline at end of section



4

Fl.

&









Ob.

&









# & #

























6

7

8

B b Cl.

Hn.

&

#

? Bsn. 5

Double barline before key change

Fl.

&





bbb

Ob.

&





bbb





# & #





nnb









nbb









bbb





9

10

11

12

B b Cl.

Hn.

& ?

Bsn.

52

#





Final barline

Fig. 3.1.02 Double barlines and final barlines in the score

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CHAPTER 3: The Contents of the Score

The clef, key, and time signature always appear in the first measure of the score. The clef and key signature appear at the beginning of every score system. The time signature appears only in the first measure of the score and when the time signature changes. Jazz Ballad / Hip-Hop Funk q = 76

Alto Sax

#### 4 # 4 &

Violin 1

# & #

Violin 2

# & #

Viola

Cello

4 4 œ. œ P

‰ j œ ˙

w

44

‰ j #œ . œ œ ˙ P 4 4 œ . œ ‰ œj ˙ P

B ##

44

? ##

œ. œ P

‰ œ J

w w Fig. 3.1.03 Clef, key, and time signature in the score

w

˙

There are some writers, particularly of music for Broadway, who prefer to show the key signature only at the beginning of the score and whenever the key signature changes. This technique can cause significant problems in rehearsal and performance and is not recommended. CHANGING THE CLEF To change the clef, a reduced-size clef appears before the barline of the measure using the new clef. I

& 44









II

& 44









Violin

Viola

Cello

Contrabass

B 44 œ P ?4 4 ? 44

œ

œ

œ

˙.

œ

&

˙

˙

F ∑ ∑

w p

∑ ∑

∑ ∑

∑ ∑

Fig. 3.1.04 Showing a change of clef before the barline

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

If necessary, the new clef can appear in the middle of the measure. Moderato {q = c 108}

I

& 44









II

& 44









Violin

B 44 œ P ? 44

Viola

Cello

œ

œ

œ

œ

&

œ.

œ J

˙.

œ

w p

F

? 44

Contrabass

œ ∑















1

2

3

Fig. 3.1.05 Showing the clef change in the middle of the measure

4

Often when the clef changes at the beginning of a page, a courtesy clef is shown at the end of the previous system as an aid to the conductor. 9

I

&









II

&









Vla.

B









Vln.

Courtesy clef

?









?









Vc.

Cb.

13

&

I

&









II

&









Vla.

&









Vln.

New clef

?









?









Vc.

Cb.

54

B

Fig. 3.1.06 Showing a courtesy clef at the end of a score system when a clef change occurs in the first measure of the following system

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CHAPTER 3: The Contents of the Score

CHANGING THE KEY SIGNATURE Some writers prefer to precede changes in the key signature by a double bar. (In handwritten scores, a “half-moon” or “arc” is sometimes used to indicate the new key signature.)

Moderato (q = c. 108) Flute

&

44

Oboe

&

44

œ œ œ F ‰ Œ

˙.

w

œ

bbb ˙ .

œ

w





bbb





Bb Clarinet

# & # 44

‰ Œ





nnb





Horn in F

&

# 4 4

‰ Œ





nbb





?

44

‰ Œ





bbb





1

2

Bassoon

3

Fig. 3.1.07 Showing a change of key signature

4

In “classical” music, the old key is cancelled before the new appearance of the new key signature. This is done except when the new key signature is created by simply adding more flats or sharps to the existing key signature.

Moderato {q = c 108}

Flute

b & b 44

Oboe

b & b 44

œ œ œ P ‰ Œ

œ

˙.

œ

˙.





nb nb #

˙.

œ

w









44

‰ Œ





Horn in F

& b 44

‰ Œ





n





Bassoon

? b b 44

‰ Œ





nb





3

4

Bb Clarinet

&

1

2

Fig. 3.1.08 Canceling the old key signature at a change of key. This is common in scores of “classical” music.

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

In popular and commercial music, the old key signature is cancelled only if the new key is C major or A minor—in other words, if the new key signature has no accidentals. Moderato {q = c 108}

Flute

b & b 44

Oboe

b & b 44

œ œ œ P ‰ Œ

œ

˙.

˙.

œ

˙.





œ

b b #

w









44

‰ Œ





Horn in F

& b 44

‰ Œ





n





Bassoon

? b b 44

‰ Œ





b





3

4

&

Bb Clarinet

1

2

Fig. 3.1.09 A change of key in pop and commercial music. Only the key signatures of C major or A minor are canceled.

When the key change appears at the beginning of a system or page, a courtesy key signature is placed at the end of the previous system.

Fl.

&









bbb

Ob.

&









bbb

# & #









nnb









nbb









bbb

9

10

11

B b Cl.

Hn.

&

#

? Bsn.

12

Fl.

b &bb









Ob.

b &bb









&b









B b Cl.

Hn.

Bsn.

56

&

bb

? bb

∑ b















13

14

15

16

Fig. 3.1.10 A courtesy key signature at the end of a score system when a key change occurs in the first measure of the following system

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CHAPTER 3: The Contents of the Score

CHANGING THE TIME SIGNATURE Changes in the time signature are handled in much the same way as changes of key. The new meter is often preceded by a double bar (or the half-moon, if the score is prepared by hand). When a time signature appears at the beginning of a page, a courtesy time signature is placed at the end of the previous page.

Moderato {q = c 108}

Flute

& 44 ‰

Œ









Oboe

& 44 ‰

Œ









Bb Clarinet

& 44 ‰

Œ









Horn in F

& 44 ‰

Œ









Bassoon

? 44 ‰

Œ









1

2

3

4

Fl.

&





43





Ob.

&





43





B b Cl.

&





43





Hn.

&





43





?





43





Bsn.

5

7

6

8

Fl.

&









44

Ob.

&









44

B b Cl.

&









44

Hn.

&









44

?



Bsn.

9







10

11

12

44

Fig. 3.1.11 A change of time signature. Notice the courtesy time signature after the last measure of the page.

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

2. Notes Many of the specific requirements for drawing by hand the various elements of musical notation—noteheads, stems, beams, accidentals, etc.—are covered at length in other texts. (Please see the bibliography in the appendix.) Notation software deals automatically with most of these details. However, anyone working with music notation—by hand or by computer—should be aware of several factors. SPACING AND ALIGNMENT The spacing of notes in the measure strongly affects the visual quality of written music. Notation software allows you to control the spacing of the measure in four ways: first, by allowing you to set the width of the measure manually changing the width of each bar; second, by adjusting the number of measures on each score page (see the last chapter); third, by moving individual notes; and fourth, by reducing notation size. Obviously, fewer measures per page results in wider measures. The music should be neither too crowded nor too widely spaced. The examples below show these two extremes. q = 102

œ # 2 œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ & 4 3 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 f Fig. 3.2.01a Poorly spaced music: the music is too crowded, making it hard to read

q = 102

# 2 œ & 4 1 f

œ

œ œ

œ

œ

œ

œ œ

œ 2

œ

œ

œ œ œ œ

œ

3

Fig. 3.2.01b Poorly spaced music: the music is too widely spaced and looks odd 58

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q = 102

œ # 2 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & 4 3 1 2 3 4 f Fig. 3.2.01c The previous passage of music, correctly spaced

When creating the score by hand, correct spacing requires more dexterity. If you are using paper with pre-drawn barlines, the music must be spaced as well as possible between the existing barlines. In rhythmically simple music in one of the common time signatures (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, etc.) this is usually not too difficult, as shown below.

Fig. 3.2.02 Simple music in common time signatures 59

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For music with greater rhythmic complexity or in unusual time signatures, it can be very difficult to space the music well within the pre-drawn barlines. If your music is complex in this way, use score paper with wider measures or without pre-drawn barlines. One of a score’s most critical qualities is the vertical alignment of simultaneous events. Notation software aligns automatically, but when preparing a score by hand, the writer must pay careful attention to this alignment. Figures 3.2.03 a and b show a musical excerpt both poorly (a) and correctly (b) aligned.

Fig. 3.2.03a A score with poor vertical alignment

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Fig. 3.2.03b A correctly aligned score

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3. Dynamics, Articulations, and Accidentals DYNAMICS Dynamics are placed directly below the note or notes they affect (though a few exceptions are discussed later in this chapter). If there is not enough space below the note, the dynamic mark can go slightly to the left of the note. The examples below show common practice for placing dynamics in single-stave music.

Fig. 3.3.01 Dynamics below the single staff

In parts written on two staves, such as piano and harp, dynamics go between the staves.

Fig. 3.3.02 Dynamics between staves in two-stave music

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Dynamics go above the staff in vocal music to avoid conflict with the lyric or text.

Fig. 3.3.03 Dynamics above the staff in vocal music

Dynamic wedges, sometimes called “hairpins,” are used for short crescendos and diminuendos, usually when these dynamic changes take place within a measure or two. For longer changes of dynamic, use the terms “cresc.” and “decresc.” or “dim.”

Fig. 3.3.04 Dynamic wedges and words used to indicate dynamics

ARTICULATIONS There are two approaches to the placement of articulations. In the “classical” tradition, articulations are usually placed on the notehead side of the note, as shown in figure 3.3.05.

&

# œ œ



œ



œ



œ. . . . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 10

11

œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œœœ >œ>œ . œœ 12

Fig. 3.3.05 Articulations on the notehead side. This is common in scores in the “classical” tradition.

In contemporary practice, particularly for jazz and pop scores prepared by hand, articulations go above the staff, regardless of stem direction.

&

# œ œ



œ



œ



œ. . . . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 10

11

> > . œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œœ œœœ œ œ 12

Fig. 3.3.06 Articulations above the staff. This is common in the scores of pop and commercial music.

63

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Deciding where to place the articulations is often a matter of personal preference. However, if you are writing under the direction of a teacher, producer, or senior writer, be sure to ask which style of articulation is expected. It is essential that the method you choose is used consistently throughout the score and parts. SLURS AND PHRASE MARKS Slurs or phrase marks mean different things for different instruments. For most instruments it indicates how the music is phrased. For stringed instruments, it shows how the music is bowed. Slurs are used in a very specific way in vocal music, as discussed later in this chapter. You must clearly understand how you are using this symbol in your music in order to use it correctly.

rit.

b & b b 44 Œ

œ œ œ œ œ w ‰ J

U

œ œ œ ‰ J œ œ w

U

2

b & b b 44 Œ

≥œ œ œ œ œ w≤ ‰ J

U

1

b & b b 44 Œ b & b b 44 Œ

≥j ≤ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ w

B b b b 44 Œ

≥œ œ œ œ œ ≤ ‰ J w

U

? b 4Πbb 4

≥œ ≤ ‰ J œ œ œ œ w

U

1 Flutes

Violins 2

Viola

Cello

64

w

w w

U

w w w

Fig. 3.3.07 Slur, bowing, and phrase markings

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For passages with all notes of a single stem direction, slurs are placed on the notehead side of the notes. For a passage with mixed-stem direction, the slur goes above the notes.

œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ P œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ ‰

25

Fl. 1

b & b b 44





Ó

Fl. 2

b & b b 44





Ó

Tpt.

H.n

Tbn.



P

b & b b 44 œ . P bb 4 & b 4 œ. P ? b 4 œ. bb 4 P

j œ œ

œ

˙ ~~G~~lis~~sa~~ ndo ~~ ˙

œ.

œ œ J

œ

w

j œ œ

œ

˙ ~~Gl~~iss~~an~~do~~ ˙

œ.

j œ œ

œ

w

œ œ J

œ

˙ ~~Gl~~iss~~an~~do~~ ˙

œ.

œ œ J

œ

w

26

27

28

Ó





œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Ó





œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

bbb

˙

Fl. 1

bbb

˙

Fl. 2

Tpt.

bbb œ .

j œ œ

œ

Glissando ˙ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ˙

œ.

œ œ J

œ

w

Hn.

bbb œ .

j œ œ

œ

Gli~~ ssa~~ ˙ ~~~~ ndo ~~~ ˙

œ.

j œ œ

œ

w

œ œ J

œ

Gli~~ ssa~~ ˙ ~~~~ ndo ~~~ ˙

œ.

œ œ J

œ

w

Tbn.

bbb

œ.

29

30

31

32

Fig. 3.3.08 Slurs and stem direction

Software programs often draw slurs oddly, requiring manual adjustment to make them look “right.” Additionally, the default line thickness of the slur often needs to be adjusted so the slur can be visually differentiated from staff lines and other score marks. Be sure to carefully examine the slurs in your score.

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ACCIDENTALS Whether you are notating by hand or using a computer, accidentals need to be handled carefully. First, you need to decide whether the note will appear as a sharp or as a flat. When there is a non-diatonic note in a line, the general convention is to spell the note based on its melodic direction: notes that are part of an ascending line are written with sharps, while descending lines use flats. There is an obvious visual logic that makes the line easier to read, as in the examples below. No

bœ œ #œ nœ. #œ Nœ. bœ n˙ 4 œ &4 J J

Fig. 3.3.09a Accidentals used incorrectly; they don’t indicate the directions of the line

Yes

œ bœ œ. bœ œ. j 4 œ # œ #œ ˙ J &4

Fig. 3.3.09b Accidentals used to indicate the direction of the line; sharps ascend and flats descend

Carefully proofread your score to make sure you have spelled the non-diatonic pitches in each individual part as carefully as possible. Courtesy accidentals, placed in parentheses, are used whenever there might be some question about the identity of a note that had been previously written with an accidental. This is especially important when considering a sequence of notes that crosses a barline. The example below is technically correct—because the accidental usually does not carry through across the barline—but is potentially confusing to the player. A courtesy accidental eliminates any uncertainty the player might have about the correct pitch. No

j & 44 # œ œ b œ œ b œ . b œ œ . j ˙ #œ

Fig. 3.3.10a The “G” on the downbeat of measure 2 should have a courtesy accidental

Yes

& 44 # œ œ b œ œ b œ .

66

j bœ Nœ. j ˙ #œ

Fig. 3.3.10b The courtesy accidental used to avoid confusion

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Accidentals should never collide with one another. Most software programs automatically place the accidentals to avoid collisions, but if the music is too compressed—especially if there are too many measures on a line—the accidentals can collide with each other or with surrounding notes. No

b œœœ b b œ n œ b 4 & 4 b # œœœœb b n œœœn n # œœœ b œ

Fig. 3.3.11a The measure is too narrow and as a result the accidentals collide with one another

Yes Fig. 3.3.11b The measure is correctly spaced so that the accidentals do not collide

b œœœ b b œ n œ b 4 & 4 b # œœœœ b b n œœœ n n # œœœ b œ

4. Divisi Parts There are several common instances in which two or more instrumental parts are written in the same staff. These are called divisi parts. In orchestral scores, pairs of winds or brass are often written in the same staff. The example below shows a typical example of paired winds in an orchestral score.

2 Flutes

2 Oboes

2 Clarinets in Bb

2 Bassoons

&

>œ œ. œ. 44 œ œ œ F

4 & 4 œœ œœ. œœ. > F # # 4 >œ œ. œ. & 4 œ œ œ F ?

4 Ó 4

. . œ œ

œœ. œœ. Œ

Œ

Œ

Œ

Œ

cresc.

Œ

. . Œ œœ œœ Œ

. œ. œ Œ œ œ Œ

cresc.

œœ.

. .œ Œ Œ œœ œ

œœ.

œœ.

œ. œ. œ Œ Œ œ

cresc.

œœ. Œ Œ

Πp

œœ.

œœ. Œ Œ

cresc.

Fig. 3.4.01 Paired woodwinds in an orchestral score

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If the parts are rhythmically identical or very similar, they can share noteheads and beams. In passages where the two instruments play in unison, the indication “Unison” or “a2” is used (meaning “by two players”). The example below shows this type of notation. An isolated unison within the divisi can share one notehead with separate stems.

2 Fl

. . n œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œ

# # 6 ˙˙ .. & 8 ß

A2

‰ Œ

j œ. œ # œ œ. œ œ œ. Fig. 3.4.02 Unisons in divisi parts

If the divisi parts are rhythmically distinct, the parts must be written as separate entities sharing the staff. Because that type of notation can become quite complex, take a great deal of care to ensure the separate parts are readable. Decide whether or not the music warrants a separate staff for each part. If the parts are quite different throughout much of the music, separate staves might be the best choice. If the music requires only short passages of two-part music, then one single stave usually is enough. Each part must be rhythmically complete, including all necessary rests so that the measure contains the appropriate number of beats. To separate the two parts visually, the higher part is written with all stems up and the lower part with all stems down, as shown below. If there is any question about who plays which part, you can indicate the player with a written direction.

q = 92

### & ? ###

j œœ œœœ ‰ j ‰ 44 ‰ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J œ œ. œ œ œ œ J œ J P 44 Œ ∑ ∑ 1

68

2

3

Fig. 3.4.03 Stems direction in divisi parts

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When the parts cross, the stem directions are maintained for each part.

2 Ob

& 44 Ó

> . > > > .œ œ. œ. ˙œ # œ œ œ œ œ œœj ˙œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ‰œ‰ œ‰ J‰ J f Fig. 3.4.04 Stem directions when divisi parts cross

In the case of notation for strings and voices, when a section of players—rather than just two in the case of paired winds and brass described above—is reading from a single stave, the terms “unis.” (for “unison”) and “div.” (for “divisi”) are used to indicate who plays which part. This is especially important in string music, where the difference between double stops and divisi needs to be clearly indicated.

1 Violin 2

Fig. 3.4.05 Divisi parts in vocal and string music

When the parts are close together, particularly when they are a second apart, the notation must be handled carefully. Notation software does not usually follow the appropriate practices to keep elements from clashing with one another, so it is often necessary to adjust notes and accidentals manually. The placement of accidentals follows the placement of the noteheads.

69

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For major and minor seconds, the common practice is this: •

For notes sharing a stem, the lowest note goes on the left, no matter what the direction of the stem.



For notes with separate stems, the lowest note goes on the right.

Some examples are shown below:

b œœ œœ b œœ œœ 4 & 4 œ # œœ œ œ œœ # œ

Notation for the drum set in pop and jazz music, commonly shown as two-part music, is discussed later in this chapter.

70

Fig. 3.4.06 Noteheads and accidentals for twopart music

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5. Words and Performance Directions in the Score The placement of words and directions in the score requires some care. While the placement of some types of directions in the score follows fairly strict guidelines, there are many situations in which the writer needs to determine the best place for the various visual elements.

TEMPO/STYLE MARKS Every score needs an indication of style and tempo at the beginning of the piece. This indication should go above the system, on the left.

December Samba

tempo/style Funky Samba q=120 Trumpet

b & b 44











Alto

b & b 44











Tenor

? b b 44











Trombone

? b b 44











Baritone

? b b 44











Guitar

Synthesizer

b & b 44 Ó

> œœœœ Œ

wwww

b 4 & b 4 Ó

P > œœœœ Œ

wwww

Ó

>œ n œ Œ œœ

wwww

Ó

Ó

>œ Œ n œœœ

wwww

Ó

P Fig. 3.5.01 Basic tempo/style marking in the score

71

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In scores with a large number of staves, the tempo/style mark should appear in several places. In scores for large ensembles, such as orchestra and marching band, the marks go above the woodwinds, above the brass, and above the strings. For big-band scores and smaller ensembles, one tempo/style mark at the top of the system is usually enough.

Fig. 3.5.02 Tempo/style marks for orchestra 72

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Marks indicating changes in tempo or style go above the system, aligned with the left barline of the first measure in the new tempo or style.

Fig. 3.5.03 Changing style and tempo

Directions in the score related to changes in tempo (ritard, accelerando, etc.) follow the same placement guidelines used for tempo/style marks.

PERFORMANCE DIRECTIONS Other words in the score are handled in a variety of ways. Technical directions usually go above the staff. This applies to many different types of directions, such as: •

words that convey general musical directions, like “legato,” “smoothly,” etc.



sound indication for guitar and synthesizer



words describing the form



repeat directions: first and second endings, “To Coda,” etc.

Some words that go below the staff usually include: •

dynamics



the word “simile” meaning “like what has come before”

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6. Repeat Notation and Form Markings Repeats are used for many reasons. Small repeats, such as a one- or two-bar repeat, can help the player see larger patterns at work in the music. Large-scale repeats can make the score and parts shorter and help the player understand the form. Here are the common types of repeats and the ways they are used.

ONE- AND TWO-MEASURE REPEATS These short repeats are used to make the repetitive nature of the music visually obvious to the player and to make the score and parts easier to read. The example below shows the typical symbols for these repeats.

{57}

œ œ œ œ œ œ B# œ œ œ œ œ œ 58 F



‘ 59

{49}

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ # B f

50



3

51

60

2 « 52

Use these repeats to make it easy for the reader to find the pattern that is being repeated. This often means showing the written music at the beginning of new sections of music or in the first bar of a new page of the score or part. A line should never begin with a one- or two-bar measure repeat. Though you sometimes see four-bar repeats, most professional writers and publishers do not use them.

OMITTED NOTEHEADS When a single note or set of notes are repeated many times in succession, the repeated noteheads can be omitted. This makes the music easier to read. The page is less cluttered and the eye is drawn to the most important elements of the passage—

74

Fig. 3.6.01a One-measure repeats

Fig. 3.6.01b Two-measure repeats

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the initial note or notes to be repeated and the place at which the repeated notes change. This type of notation is usually used for repeated chords in guitar and piano parts.

œœ œ 4 &4 J

J J

J J

b œœ œ J J

J J

ww w

Fig. 3.6.02 Showing repeated notes by omitting noteheads

J

REPEATED BEATS A repeated figure occurring on a single beat can be indicated by using slashes similar to those used in pop and jazz notation, as discussed below. Each slash represents the repetition of the figure on a single beat.

& 44 œ œ œ œ ’

’ ’

bœ œ œ œ ’





œœœœ’

œœœœ ’

Fig. 3.6.03 Slashes indicating repeated figures

USE OF “COL” In contemporary jazz and pop charts, instruments doubling parts can be shown using Col notation. Col is an abbreviation of “colla,” meaning with. For example, when the alto sax doubles the first trumpet, the term “Col Trumpet 1” is written in the staff, followed by a wavy line, as shown below. This technique is usually used for a relatively long passage, not for just a few notes. Use your own judgment about when and where to employ Col notation.

Fig. 3.6.04 Col notation indicating the unison doubling of a part 75

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Generally, Col notation is used only for unison doubling, not for when an instrument doubles another part at the octave. Most conductors prefer to see one line per octave and only used within an instrument family. No {9}

Tpt.

b & b ..

A. Sx.

b & b ..

T. Sx.

b & b ..

Tbn.

? b .. b

> ˘œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ P Col. Tpt. 8vb

Œ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

˘ > œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ P Col. Ten. 8vb

˙.

Œ ˙.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes {9}

Tpt.

b & b ..

A. Sx.

b & b ..

T. Sx.

b & b ..

Tbn.

? b b ..

> ˘œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ P > œ œ œ œ flœ œ œ œ œ œ P ˘ > œœ œ œ œ œœœœ œ P ˘ > œœ œ œ œ œœœœ œ

˙.

Œ

Œ ˙. Œ ˙. ˙.

Œ

P Fig. 3.6.05 Col notation should only be used to indicate unison doubling, not octave doubling 76

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Col notation should not be used between instruments with different transpositions in a transposed score, since Col technically means one instrument’s part is “exactly like” another instrument’s. For example, Col would not be used in a transposed score when the alto sax doubles the trumpet, as shown below, because these instruments have different transpositions. In the same passage in a concert score, Col notation is acceptable. No {9}

Tpt.

&

..

˘œ œ œ > œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

˙.

Œ

P A. Sx.

T. Sx.

&

&

# . . ..

Col. Tpt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

˘ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ>

˙. Œ

P Tbn.

? b b ..

Col. Ten.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes {9}

Tpt.

A. Sx.

T. Sx.

&

..

# . . &

&

..

˘œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ > P ˘ > œœ œ œœ œœœœ œ

Œ

˙. Œ

P ˘ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ

˙. Œ

P ˘ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ Tbn.

˙.

? b b ..

˙. Œ

P Fig. 3.6.06 Col notation should not be used between parts with different transpositions 77

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With this method, it is visually very obvious when the parts are in unison (or octaves). Creating Col notation can be somewhat difficult with notation software, and extra time is necessary when creating parts—obviously, each part must have the completely written music. However, this notational shortcut is extremely useful.

LARGE-SCALE REPEAT SCHEMES A number of standard terms and symbols are used to indicate the repetition of entire sections of the music. Repeat notation is used instead of writing the music out again to save the writer time and to make the score and parts visually reflect the repetitive nature of the music. Repeat signs are used to repeat a complete section of music, often with numbered endings. Like most of the symbols relating to form, indications about the ending usually occur only on the top staff of the score.

December Samba RKG Funky Samba q=120 b 4 ∑ & b 4 ..















..

Alto

b 4 & b 4 ..

















..

Tenor

? b b 44 ..

















..

Trombone

? b b 44 ..

















..

Baritone

? b b 44 ..

















..

Guitar

b 4 & b 4 ..

















..

Trumpet

1.

Fig. 3.6.07 Numbered ending used in a repeated section

78

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For systems with several large choirs, the repeat notation can be shown above each choir.

Fig. 3.6.08 Showing the numbered repeat above each choir in the score 79

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Any use of sectional repeats raises the possibility of confusion or mistakes during rehearsal and performance, so they should be used only when necessary. In the example below, the use of repeats only saves the writer from writing out two measures and makes the road map of the music confusing. This passage would be much easier to read if it were written without repeats. No

Moliendo Cafe

Traditional

Salsa 2/3 q=180

1.

& 44 ‰ œ œ œ

.. œ œ J

œ œ J ‰

œ ‰ œ J

1

œ ‰ œ œ œ J

2

˙

˙

3

2.

‰ œ œ œ .. ˙ .

Ó 4

Ó

Œ

5

‰ œ

œ œJ œ J

6

œ . J œ

8

œ ˙ J

œ ‰ œ J

œ J

7

Ó

9

œ œ J

‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ

10

Yes

Moliendo Cafe

Traditional

Salsa 2/3 q=180

& 44 ‰ œ œ œ œJ œ Jœ ‰ œ Jœ ‰ œ Jœ ‰ œ œ œ ˙ 1

œ œ J

œ ‰ œ J

œ J

‰ œ

3

˙.

œ œ œ œ J ‰

6

5

œ œ J 9

2

œ ‰ œ J

œ ‰ œ J 10

œ J

œ. 11

‰ œ œ œ

4

Œ

7

œ Jœ œ J

Ó

˙ Ó

‰ œ œ œ

Ó

‰ œ œ œ

8

œ ˙ J

12

Fig. 3.6.09 Poor use of repeat notation: this passage would be much easier to read completely written out 80

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However, in a longer section with a shorter first ending, the use of repeats is justified.

R.C.T

R. Grudzinski

Up Swing

b

3 œ b œ n œ3 b œ b 4 œ œ b œ œ œj ‰ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ Œ & b 4 .. ‰ b œj n œ œ œ œ œ œ . bœ nœ

B

G-7

C-7

F7

D-7

G7

C-7

F7

3

1 b Eb A b7 D-7 D b7 C-7 F7 b œ œ œ œ œ b Œ œ bœ nœ œ œ nœ œ b œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ & bœ œ œ œ œ j ‰ Œ .. J J #œ 2 D-7 G7 C-7 F7B b D7 j œ b œ œ bœ nœ œ nœ bœ œ œ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ b Œ Œ ‰ œ & œ œ J bœ œ #œ œ

B

b

B 7

© 2005, Richard Grudzinski

Fig. 3.6.10 Correct use of repeat notation

When a section repeats more than once, the number of times the passage is played is indicated at the beginning of the repeated section, not the end of the section. Indications for each player about which repeats to play are also written at the beginning of the section. Since the word “repeat” can be confusing in written directions, use the word “play” instead. In other words, instead of writing the direction “Repeat three times,” write “Play four times.”

105

Fl. 1

Fl. 2

Play 4 Times

Play 3rd & 4th Times Only

bb b .. Œ ˘œ ‰>Jœ ‰ >œJ Œ ‰ >Jœ ‰ œ œ >œ Œ ˘œ ‰>œJ ‰ >œJ Œ ‰ >Jœ ‰ œ œ >œ & f b b .. Œ ˘œ ‰>œ ‰ >œ Œ ‰ >œ ‰ œ œ Œ ˘œ ‰>œ ‰ >œ Œ ‰ >œ ‰ œ œ b œ œ & J J J J J J > > f 105 106 107 108

.. ..

Fig. 3.6.11 Repeat directions placed correctly at the beginning of the repeated section

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Two symbols are used to indicate a return to an earlier point in the music: D.C. and D.S. The abbreviation D.C. stands for the Italian phrase “Da Capo,” which means return to the beginning. The D.C. is placed above the end of the last measure to be played. December Samba 2.

D.C. al Coda

..





..





E mi7



.. ’

E







b



F





..





..







Fig. 3.6.12 Use and placement of the D.C.

D.S. stands for “Dal Segno” and means return to the sign, indicated with the symbol . The D.S. is also placed above the end of the last measure. The sign itself is placed above the left barline of the measure beginning the repeat. December Samba 2.

D.S. al Coda

..





..





E mi7



82

.. ’

E







b



F





..





..







Fig. 3.6.13 Use and placement of the D.S.

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The terms “To Coda” and “Coda” are used with the coda symbol to indicate when the music jumps from one point in the score to a later point in the score called “the coda.” (The term “coda” is not used here in the “classical” sense—as a formal section of the music—but merely as a notational convention indicating the point to which the music jumps.) The coda sign goes directly above the right barline of the measure from which the music jumps, with the term “To Coda” to its left. These symbols never appear in a measure using ending repeats (such as a first or second ending).

December Samba

œ

œ

To Coda

œœœœœ

œ . >œ ˙ .

Œ



f -œ

œ . >œ ˙ .

Œ



œœœœ



f ∑

















Fig. 3.6.14 Use and placement of “To Coda”

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The coda always begins a new score system. The coda sign goes directly above the clef of the first measure of the coda, with the term “Coda” to its right. If there is no clef, the coda sign goes directly above the left barline.

fi Tpt.

A.

Ten.

Tbn.

Bari.

Coda

b b & œ F b & b œ F b b & œ F ? b b œF ? b b œF

œ œ œ

> œ. œ œ

œ œ œ

> œ. œ œ

œ œ œ

> œ. œ œ

œ œ œ

> œ. œ œ

œ œ œ

> œ. œ œ

œ

œ

. œ œ œ

> . œ œ

œ

œ

> œ. œ

œ

œ

. œ œ œ . œ œ œ

œœœ

œ

œ

. œ œ œ

œ . œ>

œœœ

œ

œ

. œ œ œ

œ . œ>

œœœ

œœœ œœœ

> œ. œ

Coda indications are commonly combined with D.C. and D.S. notation to indicate large-scale repeats in the music. Some graphic examples in a single line of music are shown on the next page.

84

Fig. 3.6.15 Use and placement of the Coda sign

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## 4 & # 4 ## & #









1

2

3

4









5

6

7

8









10

11

12









13

14

15

16









18

19

20





How this would be interpreted: •

play measure 1–24



return to the beginning, play measure 1–22



jump to measure 25, play to the end

9

## & # ## & # 17

## & # &

###





21

22

fi Coda ## & #

## & # 44 &

###

% ### &

To Coda



23

D.C. al Coda

24









25

26

27

28









1

2

3

4









5

6

7

8









10

11

12









13

14

15

16









18

19

20





How this would be interpreted: •

play measure 1–24



return to the sign at measure 9



play to measure 22



jump to measure 25, play to the end

9

## & # 17

## & # ## & # fi Coda ## & #





21

22

To Coda



23

D.S. al Coda

24









25

26

27

28

Fig. 3.6.16 Graphic representation of the use of D.C. and D.S. notation

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The term “Fine,” meaning end or ending, is often used in a large-scale repeat scheme to indicate the last measure of music. This is shown in the example below.

### 4 & 4 & 9

&

### ###

## & #









1

2

3

4









5

6

7

8









10

11

12









13

14

15

16









18

19

20









21

22

23

24

How this would be interpreted: •

play measure 1–24



return to the beginning



play measure 1–16, stop at the Fine

Fine

17

## & # ## & #

86

D.C. al Fine

Fig. 3.6.17 Use and placement of the Fine within the score

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Fine is often written at the end of a score, though it’s not really necessary when the final barline is used and there are no more measures of music.

œ œ œ f œ œ œ f œ œ œ f œ œ œ

>œ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ ƒ œ > œ œ œ œ œ ≈ ƒ > œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ ƒ œ > œ œ œ œ œ ≈

œ¨ Œ œ¨ Œ ¨ œ Œ ¨œ Œ

ƒ f ¨ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ ≈ œ Œ ƒ f ¶Fine®

Fig. 3.6.18 Use and placement of the Fine at the end of the score

It is very important that the score (and the parts) be as clear and easy to understand as possible. Complex directions about the form of the piece can be responsible for a great deal of wasted time in rehearsal (discussing the formal structure) and mistakes and “train wrecks” in performance. We recommend you use only the repeat terms and symbols discussed here—ending repeats, D.C., D.S., Coda, and To Coda—to avoid problems in rehearsal and performance. All repeat indications should be used carefully and with discretion.

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7. Rhythm-Section Notation and Improvisation Notation for instruments in the rhythm section—keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, and some percussion instruments—differs significantly from notation for horns, winds, and strings. In many cases, rhythm-section notation is not a literal transcription of what the instruments play. It is a guide that gives the players enough information to create their parts within a particular style. The writer has a great deal of discretion about how the parts appear for the individual instruments and must carefully consider all the options before selecting the best one.

PLAYING TIME AND THE CHANGES In many contemporary styles of music, one of the rhythm section’s principle functions is to play time. At its simplest, playing time is indicated for all rhythmsection instruments with slash notation. This type of notation merely shows the players that time is going by. All the instruments except the drummer (and the percussionist, when playing time) also are given chord symbols.

F #à

Fmaj7

&

’ ’ ’ ’

?



’ ’ ’





















Pno



∑ F #à

Fmaj7 Gtr

&



’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’













F #à

Fmaj7











? ’ ’ ’ ’

Bs

’ ’ ’



















’ ’ ’



















simile

Dr

/

’ ’ ’ ’ 27

28

29

30

Fig. 3.7.01 Slashes for the rhythm section, showing that the rhythm section is playing time

88

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To make the style clear, it’s usually a good idea to write out one or two measures of the time pattern—the groove—for each of the rhythm-section players. A written style designation is also important. After the basic time pattern has been written out, slash notation can be used to show the measures going by. The term “simile” is written (below the staff) to indicate that the player continues playing time based on the written pattern. If the music has more than one groove, the pattern should be written out again, with the written style designation, when the groove changes. After several statements of each pattern, the notated pattern can be omitted and slashes and the style term alone can be used to show the groove.



&

C

o

?

C

&

C

ww www

˙˙ ˙˙˙

itar

‰ Û.

Û

Û



˙˙ ˙˙







’ ’





Û





simile





Û

D-/C

D-/C



‰ Û.



∑ Eï



’ ’









simile



? ass

C

œ

D-/C

‰ œ ˙ J

œ

‰ œ ˙ J









’ ’









> > > ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ’ ’ Ó Œ simile

’ ’









simile Brush Samba

ums

/

C

> > > > ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ Ó Œ 23

24

25

26

Fig. 3.7.02 Pattern/simile notation: the basic time-keeping pattern is shown and then slashes are used to indicate that the groove continues

89

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Some writers prefer to use one- or two-measure repeats after the written pattern, instead of slashes, to show the passage of time. There is no hard-and-fast rule about when to use slashes and when to use repeat notation, but we recommend using slashes when the players are just playing time and repeat notation when you want a more literal interpretation of the written music. Psychologically, the players will interpret slashes a little more freely than the repeat notation.

C

/

Drums

>Brush Samba> > > ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ Ó 23







24

25

26

In any part that uses two staves, such as piano, organ, or synthesizer, slashes go only in one stave, usually the top stave. Combinations of slashes in one staff and written notation in the other staff are confusing and should be avoided. In almost every instance, if the music is this complex, it should be written out with conventional notation.

Fig. 3.7.03 Measure repeats used instead of slashes to indicate playing time

No B !maj7

& Pno



A !maj7

A7









B !maj7





























Û

‰ Û.

A !maj7

A7

’ ’

’ ’



? ’

















’ ’

’ ’

Fig. 3.7.04a Never use both staves of a piano part to show slashes: use only one stave

No B !maj7

& Pno

’ ’ ’





B !maj7

?

Œ

A !maj7

A7







Û

‰ Û.

’ A !maj7

A7

Û

‰ Û.



Œ

Œ

’ ’







Œ

‰ Û.

Û

No 3 Œ œ œ

&

œ bœ œ bœ

˙ Pno

B !maj7

?

Œ

w

˙ A !maj7

A7

Û

‰ Û.

> œ

j œ Œ

œ.

Œ

‰ Û.

Û











’ ’

’ ’

Fig. 3.7.04b and 3.7.04c Don’t combine slashes in one stave with written notes or other types of notation in the other stave

Yes F #à

Fmaj7

&

’ ’ ’ ’

?



’ ’ ’



















Pno

90









Fig. 3.7.04d Show slashes and chord symbols in the upper stave and rests in the lower stave

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If both piano and guitar are playing changes for a complete section of music, the changes should only appear in one part, with Col notation appearing in the other stave.

Guitar

&

C

&

C ’

?

C

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Col Changes



D-/C























’ ’









Piano









Fig. 3.7.05 Col notation used when two or more rhythm-section instruments are playing changes

Showing the chords in only one of the comping instruments has both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, it reduces clutter and redundancy in the score. However, it can cause problems when extracting parts in notation software: you have to add in the chord symbols that don’t appear on the score before you extract the parts. Additionally, when looking at the score, the conductor can’t tell who has the changes and who doesn’t. No matter how you decide to handle the changes in the rhythm section, be consistent and proofread your parts carefully. A common type of notation for guitar or keyboard is “top-note voicing.” A kind of shorthand, in top-note voicings, only the highest note of the chord is notated, leaving it up to the player to choose the notes below the top note. In addition to the chord symbols and the written indication, the highest pitch is shown above a slightly elongated stem, as shown below.



& b 44 œ .



Fmaj7

j œ œ.

j œ ˙. Œ

Fig. 3.7.06 Top-note voicings for guitar. Notice the height of the stems.

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STOP TIME Stop-time notation, sometimes called rhythmic notation, is used to specify the rhythm of a passage while leaving the specifics of playing the figure up to the player. All stems go down in stop-time notation.

#

C à CÑ # DÑ . & Û Û Û Û |

G 2/B

C #µ/E

Û. Û Û Û |

{16} G



|

13

Ó

Muted Pluck

’ ’ ’ ’ F

Fig. 3.7.07 Stop-time notation showing specific rhythms

For bass parts, it is often easier to write out the notes rather than use stop-time notation, particular when the chord symbols are complex. No

DÑ C #à CÑ

? # Û. Û Û Û |

G 2/B

E∂

Û. Û Û Û |



|

13

> > {16} G œ . nœ œ . œ ’ ’ ’ ’ F

Fig. 3.7.08a Stop-time notation used in the bass part. In this instance, it is easier for the player to read a fully notated part.

Yes

? # œ . bœ œ œ ˙ 13

92

œ . nœ œ œ ˙

˙

> > {16} G œ . nœ œ . œ ’ ’ ’ ’ F

Fig. 3.7.08b Instead of stop-time notation, each note is written out

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For two-stave piano parts, stop time appears only in the upper stave. Stop-time notation in one staff is never combined with written notes (or slashes) in the other staff. No

# œ œ œœ ˙ œ &

œ œœ œ ˙



? # Û ..

Û | R



G/C

A 2/C # F/E !

Û .. Û | R

’ ’ A 2/C # F/E !



D/F #



Û ..

Û | R

Û .. Û | R

G/C

’ ’

Û .. Û | R

Fig. 3.7.09a In two-stave parts, stop-time notation in one stave is never combined with other types of notation

Yes

# EÑ & Û .. Û | R P ?# ∑



D/F #



Û .. Û | R

G/C

Û .. Û | R



A 2/C # F/E !

Û .. Û | R





Fig. 3.7.09b Stop-time notation above rests in the lower stave

CUES AND HITS OVER TIME IN THE DRUM SET PART Slashes and noteheads can be combined for the drum part to show cues, kicks over time, cymbal patterns, and kick drum patterns. Cues are written stems up, above the staff, along with a word or two indicating the instrument or section the cue displays. [C\u\e\:\ \H\o\r\n\s

Œ

j œ œ ≈ œ . œ

/’ ’ 35





Ó

œ. œ œ œ

’ ’ ’ Decresc.



’ ’ ’ ‰ Û | J

Fig. 3.7.10 Cues shown above the staff in the drum part

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Kicks over time are shown in much the same way.

{47} ‰ œj

‰ œj

/’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

44

Fig. 3.7.11 Kicks over time shown above the staff in the drum part

Specific cymbal rhythms and patterns are often indicated using this type of notation, particularly in Latin styles. The slashes indicate that the drummer plays time as usual on the rest of the drum set. Ride Cym

{9}

¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ /’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’

(4)

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

Fig. 3.7.12 Specific cymbal patterns shown above the staff in the drum part

A similar type of notation can be used to indicate the rhythm of the kick drum. Like the example above, the slashes show that the drummer plays time as usual on the rest of the drum set while specifying a particular rhythm for the kick drum. This can actually make the part easier to read than writing out the whole groove pattern, since it calls the drummer’s attention to the critical part of the groove at that point— the kick drum. Ride Cym

> > ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ /œ ’ ’ ’ ’ Œ Ó 20 P

94

œ’ ‰’ œ Ó’ ’ J

’œ . œ ’ œ ’ ’ ‰JÓ

Fig. 3.7.13 The kick drum part shown below the slashes in the drum part

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FILLS, SOLOS, AND AD LIB PASSAGES For all instruments, slash notation with changes are used to show improvised passages. (However, in contemporary “classical” or “new music,” improvisation can be indicated in many ways. This section refers to the commonly accepted notation for improvisation in contemporary popular music.) The beginning and end of the solo are indicated with written terms.

{65}

[S\o\l\o

’ ’

#

A\ Aï



# ˙

’ ’ ’ ’ F/E !



’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’ \E\n\d\ \≥S\o\l\o]



D !Ñ

C‹



’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’

Fig. 3.7.14 Notation for improvised solos

69

It can sometimes be helpful to the soloist to show stop-time figures of important accents in the accompaniment.

{65}

# ˙

[S\o\l\o



’ ’



#

’ ’ ’ ’

A\

’ ’ ’ ’ F/E ! DÑ

’ ’ ’ ’ D !Ñ



’ ‰ Û Û Û J \E\n\d\≥ \S\o\l\o]

C‹

’ ’ Û. Û Û. Û ’ ’ ’ ‰. Û | R

69

Fig. 3.7.15 Stop-time figures in the soloist’s part

Fills, most common in the drum set part, are carefully written to show, as closely as possible, when the fill begins and ends.

{54}

> [\F\i\l\l . Û Û ‰ Û ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ J 52

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’ [\F\i\l\l

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

Fig. 3.7.16 Notation for fills

56

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Chord symbols can be combined with written music to indicate that the player has a certain amount of freedom in interpreting the passage. This type of hybrid notation is often used to show that the player can take liberties with the interpretation of a melody. The term “melody ad lib” can be used in these instances.

{17}

[M\e\l\o\d\y\ \A≥\d Lib]

C #Ñ

A #Ñ œ

#### w # F

F #Ñ

Amaj7 œ

œ

œ

Dmaj7

˙.

œ œ œ ˙.

‰ œœ Fig. 3.7.17 Written solos and ad lib notation

3

Changes can also be shown above rhythm section instruments like the guitar or keyboard. Most players interpret this notation to mean that the written music is shown as an example of how the part should be played, not as music to be played literally.

{9}

## &



A 2/C #

G 2/C

E-/G E !/G

D/F # F #´

ww w

˙˙ ˙

˙˙ ˙

œw.

œ œ bœ œ ˙



œw. b œJ ˙ j œ. œ ˙ w

? ## ˙

œ ˙ J j œ . bœ ˙ w

œ

Fig. 3.7.18 Changes above a fully notated part

3

Some writers use chord symbols as an aid to the player when they read the part, expecting the player to play the passage exactly as written. In this case, “As Is” or “As Written” should be written at the start of the passage.

{9}

[\\A\s\≥ \W\r\i\t\t\e\n]

A 2/C # G 2/C

# # 4 EÖ & 4 ww w ? # # 44 ˙

˙˙ ˙

˙˙ ˙

œ œ bœ œ ˙



œ 3

96

E-/G E !/G

D/F # F #´

wœ . œ ˙ J j œ . bœ ˙ w

œw. b œ ˙ J j œ . Nœ ˙ w

Fig. 3.7.19 Changes used as an aid in sightreading

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8. Text Setting and Vocal Notation Because it combines text and music, vocal notation can be difficult and extremely time-consuming to create. The lyrics often affect the spacing of the music, requiring wider measures so that the text is both complete and legible.

LYRIC FONT AND SPACING The lyrics should be large enough that they can be easily read, but not so large that the measures become unnaturally wide. When preparing the score by hand, writers use all capital letters. Using software, a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters appropriate to the meaning of lyric should be used. In addition, if you’re using notation software, a sans serif font (a relatively plain style) can make smaller type easier to read.

bbb b & œ œ œ . j œ b œ # œ ‰ n œj # œ n œ nœ œ œ 17 mid - night of

the

day you

left

that's

how

I

miss New

Œ ‰ j bœ

n˙ York

The

Fig. 3.8.01 A sans serif font used for the lyrics

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Letters and other symbols in the lyrics must not collide. Experiment with the measure layout of the score to find the best width for each measure. Measures must be wide enough that the elements of the lyrics do not collide, but not so wide as to look bizarre. This is relatively easy with notation software, but must be handled carefully when creating a score by hand. No

{21}

bb &b b œ cit

-



bœ .

j œ

œ

œ



y's

draped

in

shades

of

grey



Fig. 3.8.02a The measures are too wide, creating too much space between them

j œ the

No

{21}

bb j Œ ‰ j œ œ . j œ bœ #œ ‰ j & b b œ n œ b œ . j œ œb œ ‰ œ n œ b œ n œ b œ œœ nœ œ ˙ œ cit-y'sdrapedin shadesofgrey the Sound isblackand blue

the

mid-nightof the dayyou left that's

Fig. 3.8.02b The measures are too narrow, causing collisions between lyrics

Yes

{21}

bb & b b œ nœ bœ . cit - y's draped

j œ in

œ œ b œ ‰ œj n œ b œ n œ b œ shades of grey

the

Sound

is black and

˙ blue

Œ ‰ j œ the

Fig. 3.8.02c The width of the measure allows for good spacing of the lyrics

When writing by hand, using a ruler or straightedge makes the baseline straight and exactly parallel to the staff. The lyrics then look much more neat and precise.

Fig. 3.8.03 Handwritten lyrics created using a straight edge

98

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To avoid collisions with the text, dynamics go above the staff in vocal music.

Soprano Alto

p cresc. j j 4 & 4 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ Sum- mer's

Tenor Baritone

Let's

œœ 44 œpœ œœ cresc. œ œ œ œ V J J Sum-mer's

Bass

Here

Here

Let's

p cresc. ? 44 œJ œ œ ˙ J Sum-mer's

Here

j œ fœj ˙ œœ œ œ ˙ Have Some

ww

Fun

f œœ œœ b œœ ˙˙ J J Have Some

ww

Fun

fj œ œ œ ˙ J Have Some

w Fig. 3.8.04 Placement of dynamics in vocal music

Fun

HYPHENS The syllables of a multi-syllable word are separated by a hyphen. It’s important that hyphens are used correctly, so consult a dictionary to see exactly how a word is divided. No

bbb b & 13

j œ œ. œ œ A -

bsol-ut - ely

j œ œj œ œ œ

œ. œ œ œ J

œ . œJ œ œ

oh so

fal

love.

co - mplet - ely

-

ling

in

Fig. 3.8.05a Hyphens used incorrectly; words are not separated into correct syllables

Yes

bb &b b 9

jœ œ . œ œ Ab -

so - lute - ly

j œ œj œ œ œ

œ. œ œ œ J

œ . œJ œ œ

oh so com - plete - ly

fall -

love.

ing

in

Fig. 3.8.05b Hyphens used to show the correct syllables of each word

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A single syllable word is written in its entirety, with no hyphen, no matter when the final consonant or vowel might be sung in performance. No

bbb œ . œ œ œ b & J fall -

i - ng

in

Fig. 3.8.06a A singlesyllable word divided by a hyphen to show where the singers “close” the word

œ . Jœ œ œ lo

-

ve.

Yes

b & b b b œ . Jœ œ œ fall -

ing

œ . œJ œ œ

in

Fig. 3.8.06b A singlesyllable word written correctly

love.

SLURS AND WORD EXTENSIONS Slurs are not used to indicate phrasing or articulation in vocal parts. A slur is used to show two or more notes sung with a single word or syllable. A word extension is used with the slur. Note that the extension extends just to the right of the last notehead under the slur. No

bbb œ b œ œ œ œ. & Help

j œ œ me

˙ know

‰ œj the

Fig. 3.8.07a Word extensions are either too short or too long

Yes

bb & b b œ œ œ œ œ. Help

100

j œ œ me

˙ know

‰ œj the

Fig. 3.8.07b Word extensions extend just to the right of the last slurred notehead

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9. Finishing the Score After all the contents of the score have been entered, there is still a lot of work to do to finish the score. When using notation software, print a draft of the score to review and edit. If you’re preparing the score by hand, much of the editing described below will already have been done, but you should still proofread the score—particularly notes and rhythms.

THE FINAL SCORE LAYOUT The end of chapter 2 contains a number of suggestions about how to work the score layout. Please review these ideas because many of them deal with ways to work with the final layout of the score once the notes have been entered. This section deals with the final touches made to the score once you’ve entered all the notes and other symbols and are preparing your final copy. Check the spacing of the measures so that elements don’t collide. It might be necessary to move a measure or two to the following page to create better spacing. If the measures are too wide, you’ll need to add measures to that page. You sometimes have to experiment to get the best result, and you can’t always trust that the software will automatically give you the best layout. Some writers like the score to visually represent the form of the music, if possible. This means that sections begin in the first measure of the page and end in the last measure. Obviously, this sometimes doesn’t work, depending on how the spacing of the measures works out. Silent Picture - P.2 {9}

#### A Sx

Vln 1

Vln 2

& # & #

#

˙

w

# & #

˙

w B ##

Vc

˙

w

Vla

? ##

œ œ bœ œ ˙ ˙

˙

˙

˙

w

w

w

j œ. œ ˙

j œ . bœ ˙

w

j œ . bœ ˙

j œ . Nœ ˙

w

n˙ w

œ

w

w

Fig. 3.9.01 Sections beginning in the first measure of a score page

3

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Never have two-measure repeats split between two pages or begin a line or page with a two-measure repeat.

No Silent Picture - P.4 {42}

#### A Sx

&

[S\o\l\o]

G #-

#

’ P

G #maj7









G #-







’ ’

’ ’

G #maj7

G #-

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’





G #maj7

G #-

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’

’ ’

Vln 1

# & #

2 «

2 «

2 «

2 «

Vln 2

# & #

2 «

2 «

2 «

2 «

Fig. 3.9.02a A twomeasure repeat split between two pages

Yes Silent Picture - P.4 {42}

#### A Sx

&

[S\o\l\o]

G #-

#

’ P

G #maj7









G #-







’ ’

G #maj7

’ ’ ’ ’’ ’

G #-

’ ’ ’



G #maj7

G #-

’ ’’ ’

’ ’

G #maj7

’ ’ ’’’’

œ.

œ œ. J

#œ J

˙.

Vln 1

# & #

Œ

2 «

2 «

2 «

#œ .

j œ œ.

j #œ

˙.

Œ

Vln 2

# & #

2 «

2 «

2 «

Fig. 3.9.02b A two-measure repeat contained within a single page

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Be sure to check the last page of the score and adjust the final barline, if necessary, to have correctly sized measures. (See examples 2.3.8a and 8b in chapter 2.) It can be helpful to the conductor to indicate those items that continue from the previous page so that it isn’t necessary to flip back to an earlier page to see what’s going on. (These additions usually have to be deleted from the individual extracted parts.)

silent Picture - P.7

#### A Sx

3

Ó

#

Œ ‰ œ œ n˙ . P

œœœ 3

nw p

Cresc.

- - - bœ nœ œ bœ

## Vln 2

Solo continues from previous page

b˙ p



n˙ p

˙

˙ p

˙

Cresc.

- - - bœ œ œ nœ

## Vla

Vc

## (Solo Cont'd)

##

C\



’ ’ ’ ’

˙

Cresc.

- - - nœ œ œ œ

## Vln 1



Cresc.

- - - œ bœ œ #œ Cresc.

F 2/A

End Solo







’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

Pno

œ bœ œ #œ

‰ j‰ j≈ j œœ .. # œœ œœ b œœ n œœ .. œ . œ nœ œ œ . f ‰ œj ‰ # œj ≈ # œj . œ. œ

œ bœ œ #œ

œ. œ

bbn œœœ n œœ n œœ b œœ œ œnœ Cresc.

## C\ Bs

##



’ ’ ’ ’

F 2/A







’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

’ ’ ’ ’

Cresc.

Dr

’ ’ ’ ’ 88

’ ’ ’ ’ 89

’ ’ ’ ’ 90

^ - . . œ^ œ . J J . œ œ‰ œ ‰ ≈ J f - . . ^ œ^ . ‰ j‰ œ ≈ œ. œ œ J J f - . . ^ ^ ‰ j ‰ bœ ≈ nœ . œ . #œ œ J J f - . . n œ^ œ^ . ‰ j‰ ≈ J œ . œ nœ J f - . . ^ ^ ‰ j‰ j≈ j œ . œ œ #œ #œ . f

’ ’ ’ ’ 91

Û Û Û Û Cresc. 92

‰ j ‰ j ≈ # œj . œ #œ f

Û. Û ‰ Û ‰ Û ≈ Û. J J J 93 f

Fig. 3.9.03 Showing that a solo continues from the previous page

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PROOFREADING AND EDITING Once you’ve determined the final score layout, print another draft of the score for proofreading. Whether you’re preparing the score by hand or using notation software, proofread your score carefully. Here is a list of things to check:

104



If you have the right equipment, play the score via MIDI and check that all the notes are correct. It can take some time to get your equipment set up to play your score correctly, but this can be a great way to check for wrong notes.



Be sure that no words or music are cut off by any of the margins. The instrument names in the left margin are often too close to the edge of the paper—though they look fine on screen—and don’t print completely.



Make sure all bars contain complete measures of music. Notation software usually alerts you when you have too many beats in a bar but not when you have too few.



Scan the score for accidentals. See if any non-diatonic notes need to be respelled to make the direction of the line clear. See if any courtesy accidentals are needed. Also, check to see if the chords in the piano part are spelled correctly. Notation software often misspells non-diatonic pitches in chords.



Make sure score elements do not collide. You can do this quickly by scanning the score for dynamics, notes written with ledger lines, slurs, “hairpin” dynamic marks, words in the score, and articulations. These are the elements that most often collide with one another.



Check any staves with divisi parts. Software notation often misses collisions between elements in separate layers of the music, so look carefully at accidentals, notes, dots, and rests.



Check the initial entrances of each instrument (and any entrances after long rests) to be sure their dynamic level is indicated.



Check that all parts have the necessary articulations.



Check for changes of key signature and add courtesy key signatures as necessary. Also, check for changes in time signature and clef.

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COPYING, BINDING, AND TAPING Once you have a final draft of the score, decide how you want to “finish” it. Depending on how you’ll use the score, you have a number of options. Photocopies of the scores can be single or double sided. A double-sided photocopy can be extremely useful and uses less paper, and many conductors and producers prefer double-sided copies because there are fewer page turns. A number of inexpensive binding methods are easily available at most copy shops. Some writers, especially those who prepare a great many scores, go so far as to buy their own binding machines. After the initial purchase of the device, there is a great cost saving if you do it yourself. Some conductors, particularly when conducting recording sessions, feel that the spiral or plastic binders make too much noise when turning pages. They prefer taped scores instead because they make less noise when turning pages. If you’re preparing your score for a teacher, producer, or senior writer, ask how they want the score finished. If the score is for your use only, simply decide what works best for your particular situation.

10. Summary: Entering the Contents of the Score In preparing the score, entering the notes and other musical symbols can be extremely time-consuming. However tedious the work might be, it’s also important that the score is error free. You should develop a consistent approach to how you work with your scores so that you can work quickly and efficiently. Here are some suggestions for this process. 1. Decide whether to begin creating the score before the composition and orchestration of your work is complete. This critical decision affects how you will work with your score. If you have a completed sketch or rough draft from which to work, the process of creating the score can be very fast and relatively easy. If you’re writing while creating the score, the score will take shape much more slowly.

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If you’ve completed the writing process… 2. Create a blank score. Your blank score should have all the layout elements in place: page numbers, measure numbers, rehearsal marks, double barlines, etc. 3. Enter all the notes in the score. You can do this either page by page, section by section, or by following a single stave all the way through from beginning to end. 4. Add articulations and phrase markings. As in the note-entry stage, you can follow several possible schemes. 5. Add all dynamics. 6. Add all words in the score. 7. Proofread your score carefully. If you’re working with notation software, print a draft of your score and then proofread, marking errors and things that need changing with a colored pen (red is best—it’s easy to see when scanning the page). Then, enter all the changes in the score on screen, page by page. If you’re preparing your score by hand, make corrections as you go. 8. Proofread again. You need to keep checking the score until it’s error free. If you’re writing as you go—either orchestrating or composing—you’ll need to develop the skills to work on the score accurately and quickly. It’s essential that you don’t let the mechanical process of putting notes in the score interfere with the creative process of deciding what those notes should be. Here are some suggestions for working this way. 1. Don’t worry too much about details as you write. Only include as many elements as are necessary to get the idea down on paper. You can go back and add dynamics, articulations, and other score details later. 2. If you’re using notation software, don’t attempt to write while creating the score unless you know the software extremely well. It’s really frustrating to try to compose or orchestrate music, create a score, and learn a software program at the same time—especially if you’re working under a deadline.

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3. Don’t feel that you have to finish a section before you move on. This depends somewhat on your compositional technique, but it’s important not to get “stuck” in the score. Allow yourself to temporarily skip a place in the piece that’s causing problems and go on while the energy and inspiration are there. You can always go back later and work out the problem area. 4. Once the piece is written, go back and enter all the missing elements in the score. As described above, systematically go through the score and add the dynamics, articulations, performance directions, etc., in the score. 5. Proofread your score carefully.

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Chapter 4

CREATING PARTS

1. Choosing the Tools In today’s world, the majority of parts are created on computer. However, there are pros and cons to working this way, just as there are with the “older” method of creating parts by using pen and ink. USING A COMPUTER There are great advantages to using a computer to generate parts: •

Parts are extracted from the score (if the score has either been originally created with a computer or entered from a handwritten copy).



Transpositions can be automated.



Music can be copied and pasted.



Future edits can be made and the parts simply reprinted.



The composition or arrangement can be easily transposed to another key.



Printing computer-generated parts saves time and money, compared with creating parts by hand.



Templates can be created to further save time.



Notation software permits MIDI playback of your music.



Errors are less likely to occur when parts are generated by computer, compared with parts copied by hand.

There are several disadvantages to this method: •

Standard 8.5" x 11" paper is not good paper for parts.



Printing parts can be problematic. Parts normally have to be printed on 8 1/2" x 11" paper and then photocopied onto larger, heavyweight paper. (The industry standard size is 9.5" x 12.5", 70-lb. paper.) Alternatively, you can invest in a printer that will print to oversize paper, which adds expense and requires setup and preparation. Or, you can print on 11" x 17" paper and trim it to size.



Players tend to like the “written by hand” look (which is why there are fonts that emulate the handwritten style). 109

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If the score was originally done by hand, you have to create another computer score, which is redundant work unless the score is to be published.



The industry standard program (if there is one) is generally considered to be Finale, which has a steep learning curve and a significant investment in hardware, software, and time to learn the program.



A number of other programs are becoming popular, which means that several different file formats are commonly in use within the industry. This can make sharing electronic files difficult.

CREATING PARTS BY HAND The main advantages to creating parts by hand: •

The work can be done on industry-standard paper from the beginning.



If the score was originally done by hand, it is unnecessary to create a second version on the computer.



Players tend to respond better to the look and feel of the handwritten part.

Additionally, the work has a meditative, “Zen-like” quality—one sits in a quiet room using pen and ink to draw the notes and other musical characters—and is more of an art than using the computer to generate the parts. However, once a part has been created by hand, it is difficult to make changes to it. Music usually has to be erased or recopied entirely to make room for any edits or changes. Parts often must be patched (literally copied and pasted) to accommodate edits. If the entire score has to be transposed to another key (for a singer whose top range has diminished over time, for example), all the parts must be recopied, thus increasing costs and taking more time. In short, changes cannot be made easily.

2. Parts by Hand PAPER Finding the best paper may be problematic, depending on where you live and work. In New York and L.A., you can buy quality paper in many places, although the number of places is shrinking. The best paper is 70 lb. card stock, which is “golden” or “buff” in color to reduce glare and has a coating that enables a pen to glide over the surface, making copying fast and painless. This paper is normally

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folded so that two pages are already connected, making taping unnecessary until the music exceeds two pages. The paper is a standard size (9.5" x 12.5") and normally has eight staves on the title page and ten staves on the continuation page. If the part requires more pages, you simply use additional continuation pages, called “10 x 10” (ten staves on each page). Additionally, there are specialty papers for almost every conceivable situation: lead sheets (6" x 8"), piano vocal (threestave systems), etc. See appendix B for information about locations to find paper. EQUIPMENT Pens—This is where things get complicated, because few pens will work right out of the box. A good copyist normally customizes the pen points to their particular specifications and for different types of parts. Several pens are necessary for copying a part. One pen is used for general music writing, another for directions (often called “English on parts,” although Italian, French, and other languages might be used), and yet another for other types of directions, all of which need to be different sizes so that they stand apart from one another. Some professional copyists use up to a dozen different pens to write different types of parts. Conductor and piano/conductor parts require the most pens; a copyist may well use at least six different pens to more easily distinguish different directions from one another. •

Straight edges (most commonly triangles)—used to make stems, barlines, and other lines that must be perfectly straight



French curves and flexible curves—often used to make slurs and other curved lines consistent, particularly for work that might be published or for solos (like a piano concerto)



Correction fluid, correcting tape (tape with the staff lines printed on one side, for large errors), electric erasers—used to correct errors



Quality ink (black, India-type ink)—for a solid, opaque image, particularly waterproof ink, so that spills of water or other substances do not ruin the part



Photocopying machine—for making duplicates of parts for orchestra, most commonly for the string section

This is quite an array of equipment, but relatively cheap (except for the photocopying machine, which is readily available in commercial copy shops) compared to the cost of a fast computer with a large display and a good printer.

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3. Parts by Computer EQUIPMENT AND PAPER There is one big advantage to using 8.5" x 11" paper: it is the standard size used by printers and photocopy machines in North America. The paper is inexpensive and easy to find. Most printers and copiers are set by default to this size, so it’s easy to print your 8.5" x 11" documents. However, the standard 8.5" x 11" white copy paper is poor paper for parts. Its bright white color can be hard on the players’ eyes and its reflective quality can make it hard to read. This paper has a relatively light weight so it wears quickly, is difficult to tape together, and easily slips off the music stand. The 8.5" x 11" white copy paper is a poor substitute for the 9.5" x 12.5" professional part paper described earlier in this chapter. There are several options for the writer who wants to avoid 8.5" x 11" copy paper. First, parts can be printed from the computer on standard 8.5" x 11" paper and then enlarged and photocopied onto standard professional part paper. Obviously, this paper can’t have pre-printed staves on it and most music stores don’t stock it, so you will probably have to buy it on the Internet or by mail order (see appendix B). Most retail copy shops can enlarge 8.5" x 11" documents relatively easily. It only takes a little trial and error to find the right settings on the copy machine that can be used to create parts on 9.5" x 12.5" paper. One drawback to this method is that the pages of the parts usually need to be copied to single sheets of part paper rather than to the folded paper (since folded paper will create jams in most copy machines). The individual pages of the part are then taped together. Alternatively, you can use a printer that accommodates oversize paper. A number of inexpensive ink-jet printers print on paper up to 11" x 17" in size. There are also laser printers that print on oversize paper, but they tend to be expensive. Having an oversize printer is a good option because it will print 11" x 17" scores and 9.5" x 12.5" parts, as well as 8.5" x 11" documents. Most of these printers can also print on folded paper, reducing the number of pages needing to be taped together. However, ink-jet printers don’t print images as sharply as laser printers, so the music doesn’t look quite as crisp and clean. In addition, even though the printers themselves have a relatively low cost, their ink cartridges are fairly expensive. Another option is to buy professional part paper in the 8.5" x 11" size. Like the 9.5" x 12.5" paper, this paper can be bought in either single sheets or two folded pages. This size is often more convenient for the players because it fits conveniently into common folders and notebooks. 112

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

THE “PARTS SCORE” When creating the score and parts by computer, it can save a great deal of time to make a “parts score” to be used only as a source from which to extract parts. Certain items can appear differently in the score than they appear in the parts. Here are a few differences: • • • •

Some font sizes that look fine on the score are too big on the parts, particularly if the score is large, with lots of instruments. Staff names shouldn’t appear on the parts. While clefs appear at the beginning of every system in the score, they usually appear only in the first line of each page of the parts (see below). The position of the measure numbers in the parts often differs from their position in the score.

After you’ve created the final draft of the score, save the file under another name. Make all the necessary changes to this score and then extract the parts from it. When you’re done, you can delete this score since you won’t need it anymore.

4. Laying Out the Parts GENERAL GUIDELINES Here are some general guidelines to follow when laying out parts: •



• •



Because most music is in even-numbered phrases (2-, 4-, and 8-bar phrases are extremely common), 4 bars per line is the generally accepted way of laying out parts. In addition, most professional copyists compute their price per page based on four measures per line. On average, a title page has 32 bars and continuation pages have 40 bars. Obviously, multi-measure rests will affect the total number of measures per page. Information regarding tempo, articulations, changes of instruments (for players who double on another instrument), mutes (for brass), brackets for tuplets, rehearsal marks, and information pertaining to the ensemble as a whole usually goes above the staff. Dynamics (except for vocal parts), individual bar numbers, and information pertaining to an individual player generally go below the staff. Generally, a large multi-measure rest—eight bars or larger—takes up a whole line. This is in case more music might be added after the parts have been copied or printed, and to allow the maximum amount of white space so that the part is visually accessible. Even when parts are printed from a computer program, last-minute fixes are often done by hand. Multi-measure rests of less than eight bars can take up whatever amount of space is necessary in order to help visually “balance” the part. The part is balanced when phrases and sections start at the left in the first measure of a line and end at the right in the last measure of a line. 113

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PAGE HEADERS The top part of the page is called the “header.” The header of the title page should have the space of two staves (or lines, as they are generally referred to). This leaves plenty of room to insert the title information without crowding. As in the page layout of the score, the part should have as much white space as possible to allow the music to be visually accessible. Referring to the example at right, notice the following information on the title page:

114



At the top left of the page, aligned with the end of the staff and about a half inch from the top, is the instrument name, either spelled in full or abbreviated. The type size should be large enough to easily read, but not as large as the title.



At the top right, aligned with the end of the staff about a half inch from the top, is the name of the artist or the production, aligned with the instrument name. This type size should be comparable to the size of the instrument name. Whether or not you have this line of information depends on how your score will be used.



Below these, put the name of the piece, in the largest type, centered on the page. A subtitle is centered underneath. In hand copying, a marker pen or rubber stamp is used. In computer copying, the title is in 24-point (or larger) type; the subtitle font is smaller.



Just below the title, and justified right, put the name(s) of the composer, arranger(s), and/or lyricist in the smallest type. It is not always necessary to indicate the composer’s name, especially if it is well-known.



Tempo and style information are placed just over the staff, above the time signature. The size is smaller than the instrument name but larger than the name(s) of the composer/arranger.



Clef, key signature, and meter are at the left, on what is now the first staff. If there is no title paper available when preparing the part by hand, use the first two staves to write in the title information. If you’re preparing the score by computer, you may indent the first staff slightly.



On single-line parts, it is common practice to show the clef only on the first line of each page. Since few instruments read more than one clef, only the key signature is shown on the remaining staves of the page. However, on piano parts and other multi-stave parts, the clefs and the key signatures must be on every system. Omit the left barline of single-line parts when the clef is present.

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Piano

Street Scene Matthew Nicholl Funk, å=92

3

4 & b 4

^ œ^ ^ ≈ bb œœ œœ ≈ bb œœœ ... bœ J f ^ b œœ œ^ n œ^ . ≈ œ œœ ≈ bb œœ .. J

ı

3 ? b 44 ı 1-3

Œ

> r œœ œ F

‰.

Ó

Fig. 4.4.01 The title page header

4

As in score layout, the continuation pages of a part have a standard format. The header of the continuation page has the following elements: •

An abbreviated form of the instrument name at the top left



The page number centered at the top in large type



The title at the right in small type in case the pages become separated



The clef of the single-line part shown only on the first line of the page



Omission of the left barline when the clef is shown

Voc.

Ld.

b Cm &bb œ œ

Bb6

b 21 &bb

A bMA7

‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ. œ œ œœ

bell - o

BG

La Rosa...

2

y su pañ - uel - o



22

‰ œ œ œ

se a - ca - ri - cia-ban



23

gracias al



Bb6

œ œ

‰ œ œ œ

vi - en - to. 24

E - sa i -



Fig. 4.4.02 The continuation page header

REHEARSAL MARKS, MEASURE NUMBERS, AND MULTI-MEASURE RESTS The rehearsal marks in the score and parts must match exactly. Every rehearsal mark that appears in the score must appear in all the parts. This is extremely important. It is currently common for writers to number every bar, from the beginning to the end, with no double numbering of repeated sections. The numbers are placed just under the barlines. Be sure that they do not interfere with musical information. 115

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If you are using measure numbers as rehearsal marks, the number of the measure goes in a box just above the staff at the beginning of each section and the number under the staff is eliminated.

{25}

###

œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ 26 F

œ. œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ

˙. 27

œ. œ Fig. 4.4.03 Each measure is numbered

28

Some writers prefer to number only the measures that begin a line of music. This practice eliminates some of the visual clutter created by numbering every measure, but makes locating specific measures a bit more difficult.

{25}

###

œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ F

### œ œ . œ . œœ

œ. œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ. ˙.

œ œ œ.

œ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ

˙.

œ œ J œ œ. œ œ

œ. œ œ.

œ. œ

œœ

Fig. 4.4.04 Only the first measure of the line is numbered

29

Whenever two or more rests occur, use a multi-measure rest. This makes it much easier for the player to keep track of the part when not playing. No

{38}

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˙.

Œ



### œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

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Fig. 4.4.05a Two measures of rest not grouped into a multimeasure rest

Yes

{38}

116

2 ı

Fig. 4.4.05b The correct use of a multimeasure rest

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

A multi-measure rest should never include measures containing rehearsal marks and double bars. The multi-measure rest should be divided in two parts to show the double bar and rehearsal mark. No

{38}

7

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Fig. 4.4.06a Double bar and rehearsal mark not shown

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49

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Fig. 4.4.06b Multimeasure rest divided by double bar and rehearsal mark

Many writers prefer that the numbers of the measures included in the multi-measure rest be shown as a range of numbers below the staff, at the beginning of the rest. Fig. 4.4.07 Measure range of the multimeasure rest shown beneath the staff

117

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

PAGE TURNS If the part is longer than three pages, players need some period of rest in order to turn the page. Usually one to two bars at a slow tempo, or two or more at a fast tempo, will suffice. If necessary, a page of the part can be incomplete, ending after a few measures of rest in what would normally be the middle of the page, to give the player time to turn the page. V.S. (an abbreviation of volti subito, meaning turn suddenly) is used to tell the player that there isn’t any more music to play on that page and to turn the page. While there may be enough time for the player to leisurely turn the page, the use of V.S. to indicate page turns has become common practice. The next section of this chapter shows an example of this in a sample part. Following page 3, there will be page turns on every odd page—5, 7, 9, etc. This is because the player generally opens the first three pages (which fit comfortably on a music stand), but then flips the pages after page 3 and can only see two pages at a time—4 and 5, 6 and 7, etc.

5. Sample Parts The next several pages show excerpts of several different parts, prepared both by hand and by computer. The parts, shown on the right-hand pages, have obviously been reduced to fit it on the page. Comments about the parts are shown in the left-hand pages.

Chan Chan, page 1

118



Notice the format of the header on the title page.



Note that there are only eight staves (lines) on the title page, but that the continuation pages have ten.



Note how the 7-bar rest in the first line and the 3-bar rest in the sixth line help to balance the part.

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119

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Chan Chan, page 2

120



Notice the format of the header on the continuation page.



Notice how the 4- and 8-bar multi-measure rests are used to balance the part.

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

121

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Chan Chan, page 3

122



Notice how the page turn is handled on this page.



This page of the part is incomplete. The 3-bar multi-measure rest is the only rest long enough before the end of the part to give the player time to turn the page. The part then continues on page 4 (not shown here) and the player plays to the end without any measures of rest.



V.S. is placed below the staff to tell the player to turn the page.



Note how the 3-bar rest on this page helps balance the first line.



Also notice how the 5- and 3-bar multi-measure rests are used to balance the 12-bar section beginning with rehearsal mark 97.

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123

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Street Scene, piano, page 1

124



In this computer-generated part, notice that the two staves are joined by barlines, which go through the staves to form a system.



At the left are the brace, clefs, and key signatures. These must be on every system of all 2-stave parts, even when copied by hand. It is considered unprofessional to leave off the clefs, braces, and key signatures of a 2-stave part, as it makes reading the part difficult.



Notice how the 3-bar multi-measure rest is used to balance the part so that the first section begins at the start of the second system.



Notice how the last line of the first page only has three measures of music. Since this is a 6-bar phrase, this line and the first line of the second page each consist of three measures. The end of page 2 also uses this distribution of measures.

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

Piano

Street Scene Matthew Nicholl Funk, å=92

3

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^ ^ ^. œ b œ b œ œ ≈ b œ œ ≈ b œœ .. bœ J f ^ b œœ œ^ n œœ^ ... b œ œ ≈ œ ≈ bœ J

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∑ 15

125

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Street Scene, piano, page 2

126



Notice how using three measures per line balances the 6-bar phrase beginning in measure 19.



Notice how each of the three sections on this page (19, 25, and 29) begin a system.

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

2

B !/E !

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& b œ œ b˙ w ?b w w 30

‰ j Œ œœ œœœ b œœ œœœ œ œ ∑ 31

127

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Street Scene, piano, page 7

128



Notice how the numbered repeats are used on this page. In general, first and second endings should be shown on different systems to help with readability.



Note how the second ending in the second system is short, which allows the next system to begin at the left.



Also notice that the repeated sections are kept on one page. This is done whenever possible to eliminate page turns during a repeat and to avoid making the player’s eyes travel too far while reading the part.

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

7

{1§09}

Street Scene 1

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113

{1§14}

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r œœ ‰b œœj œœ ‰ . œœr œœ œœ ‰b œœj œœ ‰ . œœr œœ b œœ ‰ b œœj œœ ‰ . # œœ œœ .. n œœ œœ ..n œœœ œœœ b... b œœ œœ . œœ .œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ b œ b œ œ # œ œ .n œ œ . j. . œ œ b œ œ r ∑ ∑ Ó Œ ‰ . œ œ . b œ œ . œ œ . b œ œ .≈

118

119

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123

129

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

Street Scene, piano, page 8

130



To keep the measures the correct width, the last system doesn’t extend all the way across the page.



Rhythm section parts are often a challenge to lay out properly, because there aren’t always rests. These players often have to turn the page with one hand while continuing to play with the other. Obviously, some of the notes will not be played unless the player has a “page turner.” Page turners are generally only used in classical music or during a recording session when all of the notes have to be played. Drummers often use two music stands to spread out the music so that they don’t have to turn the page.

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

8

Pno

{1§24} > .

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& b .. bb œœ .. œ ‰ œj ˙ œ . œœ œœ ˙˙ > . ? b .. œ . b œ ‰ œj ˙ œ . bœ œ ˙ . b & b œ .. œ œ b œœ œœ . œ œ b œ œ œ . ? b œ. œ . œœ œœ œ œ 127

Street Scene

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{1§33}

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∑ 134

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135

b œœ^ b ‰ œ Œ J b œ^ ‰ J Œ

Ó

Ó

137

131

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

La Rosa de Las Terrenas, vocals, page 1

132



Vocal parts are more like vocal scores in that separate parts are not copied for soprano, alto, tenor, etc. Singers must be able to see (and hear) what the other singers are doing in order to orient their pitch and enunciation of the lyric. Because this part is more like a score, the instrument names and abbreviations are used throughout to clarify who is singing each line of music.



Notice where the bar numbers are placed to avoid collision with the lyric. The bar numbers are placed on top of the system, whether it’s a solo or a group part.



The systems are joined only at the left, and barlines are not drawn through the system in order to avoid collision with the lyric.



In this example, the measures are in groups of four to the line—a happy coincidence. At other times, it is advisable to lay out the lines using three and sometimes two bars to the line to accommodate the lyric, particularly if the music is complex rhythmically or there are long words and syllables. This will throw the part off balance, but you can make it conform to the standard as much as possible using the techniques illustrated in the piano part.



Notice how the 7-bar multi-measure rest is used to balance the first system.



Examine how word extensions and slur marks are used with the text. This aspect of vocal notation often requires careful attention to detail.



Notice that chord symbols appear on the part. It’s very common to include chord symbols in vocal parts as an aid during rehearsal.

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

Vocals

La Rosa de Las Terrenas Musica-Richard Grudzinski Letra-R. Grudzinski, Jose Rojas & Ben DeRoubaix Bachata/Son Montuno

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133

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La Rosa de Las Terrenas, vocals, page 2

134



Notice how all three background vocal parts are written in the bottom staff.



Notice how an abbreviation of the title is used on the continuation pages. Because the title is relatively long, a shortened form of it avoids visual clutter.

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

Voc.

Ld.

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135

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MUSIC NOTATION: PREPARING SCORES AND PARTS

La Rosa de Las Terrenas, vocals, page 3 •

Notice how the two multi-measure rests are used to balance the part.

Remember, whether parts are copied by hand or generated from a computer program, design and layout are critical to the readability of the part. Although some composers and arrangers may use different methods than those presented here, these examples conform with the industry standard practiced by music preparation professionals in the music business.

6. Proofreading and Editing When the parts are done, it is advisable to have an independent proofreader check for mistakes. In the world of professional music copying, the proofreader compares the parts to the score and makes any necessary corrections with a pen. The original copyist will usually never see the parts again unless he or she is also the librarian (the person who delivers the parts to the venue, makes sure that everything is in order, etc.). For many writing situations, no independent proofreader will be available. Because it is difficult to proof your own work, particularly when it is fresh in your mind, try to wait a day or so before proofing. Try to be fresh and clear of mind before proofing. It is vital that all details (accidentals, notes, dynamics, etc.) are correct. You are the last person to check the parts before the musicians see them, so if there are any mistakes, you take the blame. In some professional situations, the librarian may be called upon to make last-minute changes and/or fixes. These are normally done by hand, regardless of whether the parts were originally generated by hand or by computer. It is usually faster, and normally there is no computer and printer at the venue, unless the venue is a film scoring studio, which may well have a music preparation office on site. In particular, music prepared for recording studio sessions must be particularly carefully prepared, because there is often no rehearsal, when any mistakes could have been caught. The chart may be played once or twice to check for notes and to go over musical interpretation, after which tracking takes place. Recording is only interrupted to re-record a take (for various reasons) or to do overdubs. Whether the parts are done by hand or computer—and for whatever performance situation—it is extremely important that your scores and parts meet industry standards and be error free. 136

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CHAPTER 4: Creating Parts

Vocals

3

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137

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AFTERWORD This book provides a road map for the creation of scores and parts for most contemporary music styles in accordance with current industry standards. While some composers and arrangers may have slightly different ideas about some of the notation practices recommended here, all writers appreciate well-written scores and parts. Music notation is a language, a representation of the music. It’s not the music itself. However, it conveys the writer’s intentions and instructions and therefore should do so in the clearest, most accessible and artful way possible. Good soulful music deserves high-quality scores and parts, the better to communicate the ideas and emotions of the music. We have not included much in the way of music notation specific to “contemporary classical” or country music, although an in-depth reading of our book will certainly aid you in preparing scores and parts for those genres. While both modern classical and country music have developed unique notational practices, scores and parts in these styles must still exhibit the basic qualities of good music notation: accuracy, clarity, and attention to the visual requirements of the musicians reading the score and parts. While we have not included specific notation devices used in either of these styles, we have provided a resource guide in appendix B to aid the writer who wishes to go beyond the scope of this book. Writers who extend their art beyond musical sound to the written page through their scores and parts should not feel hindered by “industry standards,” but they owe it to the players and the listener to communicate their ideas as efficiently as possible. The beginning writer should embrace the information in this book and always feel that they can go beyond it. The emerging professional will gain the respect and good-will of the musicians, producers, conductors, and other music professionals with whom they work by following these recommendations. As stated in the I Ching—the world’s oldest book, itself a testament to the powers of man to communicate—perseverance furthers.

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APPENDIX A. Instrument Names and Abbreviations

APPENDIX A. INSTRUMENT NAMES AND ABBREVIATIONS Woodwinds

WW.

Piccolo Flute Oboe English Horn Clarinet Bass Clarinet Soprano Saxophone Alto Saxophone Tenor Saxophone Baritone Saxophone Bassoon

Picc. Fl. Ob. E. Hn. Cl. B. Cl. S. Sx. or S. Sax. A. Sx. T. Sx. Bar. Sx. Bsn.

Brass

Brs.

Horn Trumpet Cornet Flugelhorn Trombone Bass Trombone Baritone Tuba

Hn. Tpt. Cnt. Flghn. or Flgl. Tbn. B. Tbn. or Bs. Tbn. Bar. Tb.

Percussion (orchestral)

Perc.

Timpani Bass Drum Snare Drum Cymbals Suspended Cymbals Gong Chimes Finger Cymbals Crash Cymbals Glockenspiel Bells

Timp. B. Dr. S. Dr. Cym. or Cyms. Sus. Cym. G. Ch. Fing. Cym. Cr. Cym. Glock. Bells

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Xylophone Vibraphone Marimba Temple Blocks Wood Block

Xyl. Vib. Mar. Temp. Bl. Wd. Bl.

Harp and Keyboard

Hp. and Kbd.

Harp Celeste Harpsichord Organ Piano Synthesizer

Hp. Cel. Hpscd. Org. Pno. Syn.

Strings

Str.

Violin Viola Cello or Violoncello Double Bass Contrabass

Vln. Vla. Vc. Db. Cb.

Voices Soprano Alto Tenor Baritone Bass

S. A. T. Bar. B.

Lead Vocalist(s) Background Vocalist(s) Voice Female Vocalist(s) Male Vocalist(s)

Ld. Voc. Bg. Voc. Vox Fem. Vox Male Vox

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APPENDIX A. Instrument Names and Abbreviations

Rhythm section

R. Sec.

Guitar Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar Nylon String Guitar Steel String Guitar Piano Acoustic Piano Electric Piano Synthesizer Clavinet Organ Keyboard Bass Electric Bass Acoustic Bass String Bass Drums Drum Set Auxiliary Percussion Bongos Claves Conga Cowbell Guiro Maracas Tambourine Timbales Wood Block Mallets Shaker Sticks

Gtr. E. Gtr. A. Gtr. Nyl. Gtr. Steel Str. Gtr. Pno. A. Pno. E. Pno. Syn. Clav. Org. Kbd. Bs. E. Bs. A. Bs. St. Bs. Dr. or Drs. Dr. or D.S. Aux. Perc.

Cb. Mar. Tamb. Timb. Wd. Bl. Mlts. Sh. Stks.

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APPENDIX B. RESOURCES Books about music notation: Giese, Gayle and Pick Edmondson. Guidelines for Manuscript Preparation. CPP Belwin. Inc. McGrain, Mark. Music Notation: Theory and Technique for Music Notation. Boston, MA: Berklee Press, 1986. Music Preparation Guidelines for Orchestral Music. Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association, Online Publication, 2004. Read, Gardner. Modern Rhythmic Notation. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978. Roemer, Clinton. The Art of Music Copying: The Preparation of Music for Performance. Sherman Oaks, CA: Roerick Music Co., 1973. Rosecrans, Glen. A Music Notation Primer: How to Write the Symbols of Music: Music Calligraphy, 2nd Edition. Woodland Hills, CA.: A Pen Pusher Publication, 1976. Stone, Kurt. Music Notation in the Twentieth Century: A Practical Guidebook. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1980. Warfield, Gerald. How to Write Manuscript (in Pencil): A Workbook in the Basics of Music Notation. New York: David McKay Co., 1973. Williams, Ken. Music Preparation: A Guide to Music Copying. New York: Ken J. Williams Publications, 1980. Where to find paper: Judy Green Music Papers All Print USA Toll Free 877-685-6397 Fax: 877-685-2378 e-mail: [email protected]

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INDEX

INDEX 1-bar repeats. See One-measure repeats 2-bar repeats. See Two-measure repeats A cappella music, 26, 27 AABA, 45 Accidentals, 55–56, 62 collision of, 67 courtesy, 66 Ad lib notation. See Melody ad lib Alignment, 60–61 Articulations, 62–64 “As I Roved Out,” 42 “Avenue Brazil” (Nicholl), 9, 30, 31, 34, 40 Background vocals, 25–26, 134–135 Barlines, 4, 11, 23 double, 51, 52 final, 51, 52 single, 51 through staves, 13–14 three types of, 51 used in orchestral score, 16 in vocal scores, 14 Bowing, 64 Braces, 11, 13 Bracketing guitars, 15 Bracketing horns, 12 Brackets, 11–13 guitars joined by, 15 horns joined by, 12 used in orchestral score, 12, 16 Chamber group, 18 “Chan Chan,” 118–123 format of header, 118–121 multi-measure rests in, 120–121 page turn in, 122–123 score, 119, 121, 123 Changes, 88–91, 96 of clef, 53–54 of key signature, 55–56 of style/tempo, 73 of time signature, 57

Choir(s), 20 instrument, 11 multiple, in score system, 79 orchestral score with, 20 with separate solo staff, 27 Clef, 48, 49, 51 changing, 53–54 courtesy, 54 placement, 53 Closed vocal score, 21 Coda, 83–85 Col, 75–78, 91 Computer, 5 advantages/disadvantages to using, 109–110 paper size/quality, 6, 110–112 parts by, 112–113 preparing score by hand v., 1 Computer-generated score equipment for, 5–6 pros and cons of, 1 steps for, 48–50 “Street Scene” as, 124–125, 127, 129, 131 Concert score, 28–29, 49 Continuation page header, 115 layout, 31 Copyright notice, 30 Courtesy accidentals, 66 clef, 54 key signature, 56 time signature, 57 Credits, 30 Cues, 93–94 Da Capo. See D.C. Dal Segno. See D.S. D.C. (Da Capo), 82, 84, 85 “December Samba,” 78, 82 Directions, 71, 73, 87 Divisi parts, 67 stem direction in, 68–69 unison in, 68 for vocal/string music, 69 143

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Double barline, 43, 44, 51, 52, 57, 117 Drumset part, 93–95 D.S. (Dal Segno), 82, 85 Dynamic(s), 62–63 in vocal music, 99 wedges, 63 Editing, 104, 136 Ensemble, 9, 15–21, 22 Equipment, 5–6, 111 Fills, 95–96 Final barline, 51, 52 Finale, 5, 110 Fine, 86 Form markings, 74 Grudzinski, R., 81, 119, 121, 123, 144 Guitar, 15 “Harbour Island” (Nicholl), 10, 35 Hits over time, 93–94 Horns bracketing, 12 mixed, 24 Hyphens, 99–100 Instrument choirs, 11 Jazz ensemble, 22 Key signature, 28, 48, 49, 51 changing, 55–56 courtesy, 56 placement, 53 Keyboard controller, 5 Kick drum, 94 Kicks over time, 94 “La Rosa De Las Terrenas” background vocals in, 134–135 multi-measure rests in, 136–137 score, 133, 135, 137 vocal parts in, 132–136 Landscape, 7–8, 36–37 Large-scale repeat schemes, 78

144

Layout, 31, 34, 113–118 score page, 29, 49 of seven stave score, 36, 37 Lead vocal(s) with background vocals, 25–26 in small group chart, 24 two, 25 Lib passages, 95–96 Lyrics, 14, 97–99 Margins, 33–35, 38, 50 Materials. See Tools Measure numbers, 4, 41, 115–117 below score, 42 in blank stave of score, 4 creating, 49 as rehearsal marking, 44 above system, 43 Measure repeats, 90. See also One-measure repeats; Two-measure repeats Measures per page, 37–39, 49 Melody ad lib, 96 MIDI, 1, 5–6, 104 “Moliendo Cafe,” 80 Multi-chorus arrangement, 45 Multi-measure rests, 115–117, 120–122, 136–137 Multiple systems per page, 35 Multi-section arrangement, 45 Nicholl, Matthew, 9, 10, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 115, 124–131, 144 Notation as language, 138 repeat, 74, 78, 80–81 in rhythm section, 88, 91 software, 5, 6, 32, 49 Notes, 58–61 omitted, 74 repeated, 75 spacing/alignment of, 58–59 Octave doubling, 76 Omitted noteheads, 74 One-measure repeats, 74–75 Open vocal score, 21

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INDEX

Orchestral score barlines in, 16 brackets in, 12, 16 with choir, 20 closed/open score in, 21 order for, 16 paired woodwinds in, 67 sub-brackets in, 12 tempo/style marks for, 72 with vocal soloist, 19 Page continuation, 31, 115 headers, 114 measures per, 37–39, 49 multiple systems per, 35 orientation, 7–8, 36–37 score, layout, 29, 49 title, header, 115 title, layout, 29–30, 48, 49, 50 turns, 118, 122–123 Paper, 2, 6, 110–112 Parts by computer, 112–113 Parts by hand, 110–111 “Parts score,” 113 Performance directions, 73 Phrase marks, 64–65 Playing time, 88–91 Pop ensemble, 22 pop/commercial music, 22, 55–56 Portrait, 7–8, 36–37 Printer, 6 Proofreading, 104, 136 “R.C.T.” (Grudzinski), 81 Rehearsal letter, 43 Rehearsal markings, 41, 115–117 choosing scheme for, 48 formats for, 43 measure number as, 44 with section labels, 46 Rehearsal number, 44 Repeat directions, 81 Repeat notation, 74, 78 correct use of, 81 poor use of, 80

Repeated beats, 75 Rhythm section, 10, 14 Col notation in, 91 four piece, 23 notation/improvisation, 88, 91 slashes for, 88–90 in “Street Scene,” 130–131 Score as art, 138 barlines in, 14, 16 basic elements of, 9–15 big-band, 22 with blank staves/diagonal line, 3 braces in, with piano and harp, 13 for a cappella music, 26, 27 “Chan Chan,” 119, 121, 123 clef/key/time signature in, 53 concert v. transposed, 28–29, 49 double barlines in, 51, 52 ensemble, with single system, 9 entering contents of, 105–107 final barlines in, 52 final layout, 101–103 fine placement in, 86–87 finishing, 101–105 “La Rosa De Las Terrenas,” 133, 135, 137 in landscape format, 7 laying out, summary, 47 layout of seven-stave, 36, 37 with measure numbers in blank stave, 4 with multiple systems, 35 optimization, 40–41, 50 order, 15–21, 22 page layout, 29, 49 in portrait format, 7 preparing by hand v. computer, 1 rhythm section in, 14, 23 rhythm section, with two systems, 10 short/reduced, 40 “Street Scene,” 125, 127, 129, 131 system, 9–10, 35, 43, 49, 79, 126–127 vocal, 14, 26 words/performance direction in, 71–73 Score optimization, 40–41, 50

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Score order for common “classical” ensembles, 15–21 for common jazz and pop ensembles, 22 for concert band, 17 for mixed horns, 24 for small chamber group, 18 for standard orchestra, 16 Score page, layout, 29, 49 Score paper, 2 Score system(s), 9–10, 49 ensemble with single, 9 measure numbers above, 43 multiple, 35 rhythm section with two, 10 with several choirs, 79 of “Street Scene,” 126–127 Scoring by hand pros and cons of, 1 steps for, 47 tools for, 1–5 Sibelius, 5 “Silent Picture” (Nicholl), 36, 37, 38, 39 Simile, 89 Single barline, 51 Slash marks, 10, 35, 88–90 Slurs, 64–65, 100 Software. See Notation Solos, 19, 27, 95–96 Spacing, 58–59 Staves barlines through, 13–14 distance between, 32 layout in score with seven, 36, 37 measure numbers in blank, 4 number of, 3–4 piano parts with two, 93 score with diagonal line/blank, 3 size of, 3 slashes in, 90 in vocal music, 25–27 Stem direction, 65, 68–69 Stop-time, 92–93, 95 “Street Scene” (Nicholl), 115 computer-generated part, 124–125 repeated sections in, 128–129 rhythm section in, 130–131 score, 125, 127, 129, 131 systems of, 126–127 146

Style/tempo, 30 changing, 73 Sub-brackets, 12 Subtitle, 30 Syncopation, 4 Synthesizer, 5–6 Tempo/style marks, 71–72 Time signature, 4, 31, 48, 49, 51 changing, 57 common, 59 courtesy, 57 placement, 53 placement in score, 53 Time-keeping pattern, 89 Timeline, 45 Title, 30 Title page header, 115 Title page layout, 29–30, 48, 49, 50 Tools, 109–110 assembling, 1–8 for scoring by hand, 1–5 Top-note voicing, 91 Transposed score, 28–29 Transpositions, 77 “Two Trains,” 28 Two-measure repeats, 74–75, 102 Two-part music, 70 Two-stave piano parts, 93 Unison, 68 divisi parts containing, 68 doubling, 76 Vocal background, 25–26, 132–136 closed, score, 21 divisi parts for, 69 dynamics, 99 lead, 24–26 music, 27 open, score, 21 score, 14, 26 soloist, 19 staff, 24 staves in, music, 25–27 “White space,” 33–34 Word extensions, 100

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS Matthew Nicholl is Chair of the Contemporary Writing and Production Department at Berklee College of Music. He has composed sound tracks for films by the National Geographic Society, NASA, the US Postal Service, the Marriott Corporation, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and scored station ID and promotional packages for PBS as well as numerous local television and radio stations. He has provided music for the national advertising campaigns of Maybelline, Radio Shack, Subway Sub Shops, and United Way. He also composed scores to TV spots for the presidential campaigns of Bob Dole, Michael Dukakis, and George H.W. Bush. His music has appeared in a number of TV shows, including One Life to Live. Nicholl has released several CDs of original compositions, including Windborne, featuring the Dallas Brass, and From Here to There with Grammy-winning bassist Eliot Wadopian. He has performed, presented clinics, and taught in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Richard Grudzinski is an associate professor at the Berklee College of Music, where he has taught since 1985. He teaches arranging, music preparation, and music technology/production courses in the Contemporary Writing and Production Department. He is an active composer, arranger, and keyboardist. Grudzinski has worked in almost every facet of the music business, including performance, composition, arranging, music preparation, and publishing. Before coming to Berklee in 1985, he was busy working in Los Angeles, where he learned the art of music copying from music copyist Bill Hughes. Grudzinski has worked on many projects as a music copyist, including the 1983 Academy Awards show, several records for the New Kids on the Block, and many musicals such as Marty (music by Charles Strousse) and Seussical—The Musical. He also worked as MIDI editor/copyist for an audio book version of The Polar Express (music by Michael Moss), which was nominated for a Grammy in the spoken-word category, and was a copyist for jazz composer George Russell as well as others, including Berklee faculty and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Grudzinski has also worked as an orchestrator/copyist on many projects, including the Huntington Hartford Theatre’s production of The Mikado.

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