Questions tagged [notation]
For questions about understanding notation and the use of it. If the question is about a specific type of notation like tablature, that should also be tagged. Questions about how to input specific notation are best served with the engraving tag.
1
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4answers
77 views
How does the staff work above/below the main lines?
With a G clef the pattern seems to be A B C D E F G repeated. Does it repeat for all octaves above/below the main lines as well? Is it the same pattern of semitones added recursively or how does it ...
11
votes
2answers
694 views
What does this 'x' mean on the stem of the voice's note, above the notehead?
I was looking at the score for Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire (On Youtube), and on the voice staff none of the notes are connected with each other and they have this x or * on their stem:
What ...
0
votes
0answers
34 views
Which note voicings sound the best for guitar chords? [closed]
Obviously, you can't play most chords on the guitar without severely stretching your hand or changing the voicings. So I'm wondering which voicings sound the best, or give the most distinguishable, "...
7
votes
2answers
783 views
What's the name for when you write multiple voices on same staff? And are there any cons?
When I transcribe music for piano I always use the grand staff and notate the left hand (which often is the bass voice) on the lower staff, everything else on the upper one. When I do it for a guitar ...
1
vote
2answers
48 views
Guiro part notation using cross notes
Here's a picture of a Guiro part in drum notation:
In a Guiro part, what does it mean when there are cross notes? I've seen other Guiro parts elsewhere that use the same line placement but with ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Should these notes be played as a chord or one after another?
A fairly basic sight reading question coming up... Are these notes (highlighted) intended to be played as a single chord or one after the other? They are so close together that they could be played as ...
1
vote
3answers
89 views
Quick conversion between concert pitch and written notes
I've always been intrigued/annoyed/interested by the nature of transposing instruments, and specifically, recently I've been getting into discussions with my saxophonist friends. Lately, I've found ...
4
votes
1answer
105 views
Is it common to combine multiple voices in one piano staff, even if they don't fit the time signature?
I'm a beginner/intermediate sheet reader and struggling a bit with a current piano piece ("He sleeps" from Pretty Woman). The only arrangement I could find uses a notation which makes it hard to ...
3
votes
2answers
158 views
Understanding ties
I'm rather new to playing the piano and reading sheet music. Because of this fact I want make sure that I understand this correctly and have been doing it right.
Does the tie in the second measure ...
2
votes
1answer
40 views
Is there a naming convention for open chords?
I am studying a guitar piece where an F# minor chord is spelled as F# / C# / A (R / P5 / m3) over strings 5, 3 and 2.
I found out that chords spanning over more than a octave are called open chords (...
15
votes
1answer
2k views
What does this wavy downward arrow preceding a piano chord mean?
I started to play this piece today, & I came across this symbol (wavy arrow pointing downwards in treble clef). I have never seen it before in any piece, nor did I read about it in music theory so ...
0
votes
2answers
94 views
How to read rhythm when note stems and beams are used to indicate fingering [closed]
In Georg Anton Benda's keyboard sonatas there are many examples of beaming used NOT to show rhythm but to show which hand to use. This was how my problem with the notation was explained to me by an ...
2
votes
2answers
69 views
What does ben tenuto il basso mean?
In the second theme of the recapitulation of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata where the bass line goes into the treble clef and the bass register becomes part of the melody, I see the marking ben tenuto ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
Sibelius Time Signature notes before line
I attach a picture where I have a time signature of 2/4. As you see in the first notes there are the equivalent of 1/4 group of notes then a bar line and then the normal bars with 2/4 begin. Why are ...
5
votes
1answer
91 views
was the 12/16 measure usual in the time of Bach?
We met today this work by Bach with this strange time - strange to me as I've never met before this meter. Of course it is possible ... but I ask if someone knows another composition with this meter, ...
4
votes
1answer
61 views
Is it OK to use 3rd/4th line C clef for euphonium?
If I write a Euphonium part that implies more melodic stuff that is more high in the register, can I use a 3rd or 4th line C clef for this Euphonium instead of using the bass clef or should I always ...
15
votes
3answers
2k views
What does a straight horizontal line above a few notes, after a changed tempo mean?
The piece is for playing guitar using plectrum:
I am guessing the horizontal line represents the stretch of notes to be played at the changed tempo, and begin playing at the initial tempo after that.
0
votes
1answer
40 views
App for playing music from notation [closed]
I'm looking for an app (hopefully an Android one) which takes notation in text (such as cdefg; the exact syntax shouldn't matter) as input and plays the music that it represents. I haven't been able ...
3
votes
3answers
330 views
Understanding note stems as written in Mozart's K.331 Andante Grazioso
I have difficulties in interpreting two peculiar notes in Mozart's K.331 Andante Grazioso. I hope you can help in improving my performance.
First question is about the D note evidenced with the arrow:...
0
votes
3answers
122 views
What is the scale of A # Minor / B flat minor? What does it look like in tab? [closed]
What is the Guitar chord - lead scale of A# Minor / B flat minor? I'd like to see what this scale looks like in tablature.
How do I play it?
3
votes
1answer
72 views
Turn above an X symbol in Chopin’s prelude in E minor
I am a self-taught pianist and thought I would pick this piece up relatively easily and quickly, but being self-taught I often run into unknown signs, symbols, and other things like that, that give me ...
2
votes
1answer
37 views
Are these Bansuri Notes all on the Low Octave (to me they are on Low and Middle)
As a newbie I am trying to play these notes of O RE PIYA
http://sargamnote.blogspot.com/
To my ear, all the notes belong in the Low and Middle Octave of this beginner Bansuri Fingering Chart (as ...
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Alto saxophone fingering for notes written below the staff
I am a beginner on the alto saxophone. I understand the fingering for playing notes on the staff but I do not understand the fingering for playing notes below the staff. Sometimes there are two extra ...
2
votes
4answers
78 views
Arpeggio Markings for Chord symbols
Is it common to denote a chord symbol with an arpeggio marking? How else would you indicate that the chord is to be played arpeggio?
6
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2answers
236 views
What are the diatonic extended chords of C major?
I saw this question about 9ths, but I'd like to know what the diatonic chords of 11ths and 13ths as well. This isn't strictly for jazz, I just want to know what the basic diatonic chords are.
I'm ...
2
votes
1answer
40 views
Scriabin Op.8, No.4: typo in measure #12?
From this score available on IMSLP, IMSLP69176-PMLP07375:
Editor: Konstantin Igumnov (1873-1948), Yakov Milstein (1911-1981)
Publisher Info: A.N. Skryabin: Polnoe sobranie sochinenii dlia fortepiano, ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Equivalency between Indian Classical Saptak and Western Notes
Can anyone tell me the equivalency between Indian Classical Saptak, i.e. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa and Western Notes, C D E F G A B
It is Sa ~ C, Re ~ D, Ga ~ E, etc, or is it something else.
Please ...
1
vote
1answer
100 views
Why does this note have two stems? [duplicate]
I think this is a normal note but I'm not sure. Why is this note like this? Can you explain it please?
15
votes
4answers
3k views
How to notate time signature switching consistently every measure
It seems my musical journey's always pushing me into left field territory when it comes to notation ... So this time I'd like to know what would be a good way to notate a consistent switching of time ...
8
votes
1answer
133 views
What does an arrow pointing up inside the staff mean?
This was in my audition music, and I can’t ask the person I got it from. It was written by the director at my high school.
Edit: Here’s the full music:
I’m not sure what style.
Also, I can ask my ...
0
votes
1answer
41 views
Secondary dominants/slash notation in Elton John
Please see the section labelled "chorus" in the screenshot below:
My textbook labels these same chords as follows:
I V(2-4)/IV vi7 V(6-5) I(6-4) V11 V I
I have questions regarding the second and ...
2
votes
1answer
338 views
Piano - What is the notation for two notes played simultaneously, where both notes are different lengths?
I was improvising on my piano, when I played a two notes simultaneously where one of the notes in it was longer than the other. I liked it, and wanted to implement it in the sheet music I write; The ...
4
votes
2answers
378 views
Arthur Somervell: 1000 Exercises - Meaning of this notation
Arthur Somervell's uses the following notation on his One Thousand Exercises
Is it a standard notation? What's the meaning?
5
votes
2answers
566 views
What do three bars across the stem of a note mean?
I am wondering how are to be understood the following notes and how to play them on the violin.
There is no indication of tremolo on the score. Nevertheless, should I understand this as tremolo on ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
Violin - Notation for writing sliding fingers? [duplicate]
On the violin, you slide your fingers forward on a string (the D string as an example), and make a noise that sound something like this. What would be sheet music notation for writing that?
4
votes
1answer
39 views
Am I intepreting the repeat signs correctly?
So this is a pretty simple question, but I haven't found anything that looks exactly like the piece of music I'm trying to learn, so I have to ask. Am I interpreting the repeat signs in this image ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
What is a clear way to write a bar that has an extra beat?
If I have a simple 4/4 piece and at some point, for some reason, I delay the rhythm by 1 beat. How do I notate that particular irregularity on the staff?
I think having a bar with 5/4 without writing ...
4
votes
1answer
85 views
How writing a dominant 7 sus4 chord in RNA ( Vsus7 chord in the 1st inversion)
Maybe I’ve just a black out. But I wanted to notate a V7sus (inversion 1) writing a dominant 7 without the suspension of the 4th in RNA. No idea ...
g,c,d,f => c,d,f,g
7
votes
1answer
45 views
Duration of lexical directives like “dolce,” “espress.,” and “marcato?”
What is the duration of lexical directives like "dolce," "espress.," (espressivo) and "marcato" when they appear in a written score beneath a bar?
Is it until the end of the bar, for the remainder of ...
2
votes
5answers
145 views
Does this song have a tempo or time signature?
Does this song have a tempo or time signature ?
How do you write and play this kind of music ?
11
votes
1answer
387 views
Bartok - Syncopation (1): Meaning of notes in between Grand Staff
Bartok - Mikrokosmos Book 1 - 91)* Syncopation(1)
What's the meaning of the notes in between the Grand Staff?
2
votes
1answer
68 views
What is the name of the practice of rhythm being written as series of 2's and 3's?
I remember some time ago learning about traditional Irish music and how a lot of the music wasn't written with our modern time signature structure, but was instead written as a series of 2 beat / 3 ...
16
votes
1answer
1k views
What does this shorthand mean?
I was reading an article on the Internet and saw this notation:
3*3*3*3* – 4331 – tmp+3 – hp – cel/pno – cds (14/12/10/8/6)
Then, searching on Google, I could see that this is a shorthand for ...
18
votes
6answers
3k views
Why does standard notation not preserve intervals (visually)
(Disclaimer: I don't know much about music theory but ...)
The notes A, B are a whole step apart, and B, C are a semitone apart, yet their distance in standard notation is the same visually (from a ...
5
votes
2answers
349 views
Irrational meter - why the mark of a triplet in 4 half notes
Can someone please explain to me why the mark of a triplet in this 4 half notes? I understood how to play it but from what i read you can only write triplets on 3 notes like 3 eighths 3 quarters etc......
3
votes
1answer
501 views
What's the meaning of this extra rest? [duplicate]
This is the first bar of F. W. Mecham Op 92 - American Patrol
Semiquaver triplet + quaver + quaver rest + quarter rest
1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8 + 1/4 = 2/4 + 1/8
...
17
votes
1answer
2k views
What does this 7 mean above the f flat
It seems to look like a fingering number but I don’t have 7 fingers and the note is already marked with a fingering number.
1
vote
4answers
279 views
Music terminology - why are seven letters used to name scale tones [duplicate]
Since the scale is logarithmic with each interval (half-step) being a constant multiple of the previous frequency, why didn't they just name the pitches A to F with each note having a half-step #/b in ...
6
votes
1answer
2k views
What does this horizontal bar at the first measure mean?
I was looking at some sheet music when I came across something I am seeing for the first time. It looked like a horizontal bar on the first measure. Here is an image:
What does this bar tell you? ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
What is this type of notehead called?
I was looking through some sheet music when I came across a notehead that looked very odd. It looks like a whole note with two lines on both its sides. Here is an image of the notehead:
What is this ...
