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1 vote

Confusion on modes

It's common to describe modes (or any seven-note scales) by how they compare to the major scale- major is sort of the "default" scale in western music and music theory. Lydian has one sharp ...
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0 votes

Confusion on modes

The thing I'm confused about, lydian always have 1# in it? or dorian two b. Dosent this depend upon which major scale and mode? Or is the fixed amount of flats and sharps only applying if all modes ...
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2 votes

What pickup time signature is this

The underlying beat is most likely a beat of 3/8 base. If the excerpt makes up a whole measure I propose that would be 6/8: Based on the head alignment and the beaming it looks to me like the last ...
  • 12.8k
0 votes

Ties for Chords

For the sake of tied-iness, those tie marks are pretty well as you describe. Top notes an upside down smile, bottom notes a smile. Reference Elaine Gould. However, why you'd tie two crotchets in a bar,...
  • 184k
6 votes

How should I read the timing on this measure of Rachmaninoff 32 10?

@Aaron beat me to the punch on this one (+1) but I will share this image I created that shows how the notes line up in the original image. You can see that the alignment is very good between the ...
7 votes
Accepted

How should I read the timing on this measure of Rachmaninoff 32 10?

The time signature changes to 3/4 two measures before the one in question. The left-hand part is in sextuplets per quarter note, and the left hand is in sextuplets per eighth note. Thus, there is a ...
  • 71.5k
0 votes

Ties for Chords

All notes within a chord should be tied, provided that all notes are intended to be held. In the notation given in the question, both notes would be held for the length of two quarter notes. In a case ...
  • 71.5k
3 votes
Accepted

15 tongue steel drum sheet music symbol meanings

I think I found an example of what you are describing, and will answer based on that. Let us know if this is what you meant. Example from here: https://www.mymusicsheet.com/aprilyangkalimba/22285 ...
2 votes

Eighth-note missing from score?

There are three musical 'voices' going on here. The bass line, the mid-range melody and the 8th-note accompaniment in the upper stave. Ideally, this would be played by three instruments. A cello or ...
  • 85.4k
3 votes

Eighth-note missing from score?

It appears that the typesetter took the upper section of the bass clef as a single part, and this part has a crotchet rest for the first beat of bar 42. The low B in the right hand is regarded as part ...
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2 votes

Eighth-note missing from score?

I would play the music as notated and not treat that "Voice Y" B in Bar 42 as a quarter note. That "Voice Y" B 8th note is immediately followed by another 8th note on the exact ...
  • 12.9k
7 votes

Eighth-note missing from score?

Treat the B in m. 42 beat 1 as though it is a quarter-note. Two alternative notations are given below. The first keeps "voice y" intact and uses left- and right-hand brackets to show how to ...
  • 71.5k
5 votes
Accepted

Were the correct enharmonics used here?

This looks quite reasonable to me. Each of the chords that would use enharmonics is notated in flats, and each of these chords seems to "slide" down to the final chord. The chord at the ...
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1 vote

Is there an error in the score of Luo Ni's "G Minor Bach"?

First, a minor ninth can be fun... but can also be a typo. I have no idea. About the fingering: I myself would try playing the Eb-Bb-Eb to have thumb on the top Eb, and cross over to get my second ...
4 votes

Notating Sheet Music with Strict Tempo for Accompaniment but Rubato for Vocalist

This happens all the time in popular music. Streisand rarely ever DOESN'T do it! If it's not obvious from the style, give plain text instructions. 'Maintain rhythm, vocalist may float'. Best not to ...
  • 85.4k
3 votes

Transposing Piano Accompaniment for Vocalist - When to Change Clefs

If you want a rule of thumb, 3 ledger lines are safe. When writing octaves, as long as one of the notes is in 'safe space', probably no need for octave lines. The only people who read 'Tenor Treble ...
  • 85.4k
4 votes

Transposing Piano Accompaniment for Vocalist - When to Change Clefs

Is there a general rule of thumb for when to use clef changes or ottava lines? Is there a maximum number of ledger lines, or a minimum number of notes within the staff or written without ledger lines? ...
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10 votes

Notating Sheet Music with Strict Tempo for Accompaniment but Rubato for Vocalist

I posted this as a comment but @Bob_Broadley suggested I post it as an answer so here goes: This is pretty wordy but sometimes using a verbal description is the best way to go. There is no rule that ...
6 votes

Notating Sheet Music with Strict Tempo for Accompaniment but Rubato for Vocalist

So often in cases like this, using words clears things up really easily. Why not use a marking for the tempo such as “Vocals - Rubato; Piano - Tempo Giusto”. It’s short and to the point. Alternatively,...
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2 votes

How to notate 3 quarters framed by eighths?

No, your score is fine. There is no actual need to have a note on each beat, because you have something like a "beat grouping". A 4/4 measure will have strong parts (1,3) and weak parts (2,4)...
  • 12.8k
21 votes
Accepted

How to notate 3 quarters framed by eighths?

Let's discuss the pros and cons of each version, albeit slightly out of order: Version 3 This one is mainly non-ideal because of the half note that crosses the midpoint of the first measure. A sight ...
  • 83.1k
9 votes
Accepted

What does this diagonal line in the drums sheet music mean?

That's a rather overzealous notation for a rim click, which is more typically notated as a regular note head with a diagonal line through it (among other options)1. It goes with the indication just ...
  • 71.5k
2 votes

Regarding the music notation symbol "simili"

The Dolmetsch music dictionary: Sf - Si, list simili as the plural form of simile: simile (s.), simili (pl.) (Italian, literally 'similar') an instruction to continue with some effect or technique
2 votes

Regarding the music notation symbol "simili"

In my 'bible' (Oxford Companion to Music), both simili and simile are quoted as plurals from Italian, so it seems either is acceptable.
  • 184k
4 votes

Spacing in tuplets (in sheet-music)

The spacing isn't the problem here, I think. The above image contains two bars: a simplified bar then the actual supplied bar. The first bar is playable - I can do 5 against 4 because I've practised ...
  • 10.4k
3 votes

Spacing in tuplets (in sheet-music)

There's no point in leaving spaces. The triplet is three equal notes, so don't leave a space between the of the dots, for the lower quaver to fit: just write the quaver where it should come. Likewise ...
  • 184k
1 vote

Changing the time signature so all notes fit in one bar

There are a few misunderstandings to clear up on a broader level than this particular song: The key misunderstanding might what time signatures are "good for." They don't have to squish the ...
  • 12.4k
0 votes
Accepted

Changing the time signature so all notes fit in one bar

The only thing you're missing is the use of ties. They allow a note duration to cross a bar line. Here is the 8/4 measure rewritten in 4/4. Notice that what was previously a quarter note is now two ...
  • 71.5k
11 votes
Accepted

Optional notes in baroque clavier score?

These are notes not present in the autograph, but suggested by the editor. The original score probably consisted only of the bass and the melody (with the melody having some chords at the end of ...
  • 12.8k
6 votes

Optional notes in baroque clavier score?

The small notes are the editor's realization of a figured bass. At the time John Blow was composing, it was common that keyboard parts would be written as a bass line with figures indicating how the ...
  • 71.5k

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