Clutter?
Posted: 08 Feb 2017, 18:33
Here are some items that I think clutter up scores and might be done away with for the good of all:
1. A simple 8---- over the notes indicates an octave higher. A simple 8--- under the notes indicates an octave lower. And the same for 15---
Why 8va, 8vb, 8bv, 8va bassa and all the rest?
2. Parentheses around (8)--- when the marking extends over to other systems. I've never seen this in the best editions, past and present, and for good reason. I think I recall A. Arnstein using them in the 1970's and Finale doesn't provide an option not to with the Octave Tool. (Yes, there is workaround.) They are redundant. An octave higher is an octave higher. Who needs the parentheses?
3. "loco" after an 8--- This goes back to the day when very high or low notes were comparatively rare, the way of expressing it was not yet standardized: the dashed lines varied considerably, a closing vertical was not used, hand written octave signs were sometimes not clearly written, so composers and editors felt that they had to do something special to show the ending. With precise engraving, modern editions of older music do away with these, fortunately. But the loco continues to be used for special cases, as we read in E. Gould. But I see no reason for the loco in any of the examples she gives. There may be occasions where it could be helpful, but nothing occurs to me.
4. I have never encountered a grace note or small group that was not to be played legato and connected to the main note. Why did slurs come into use for grace notes around the middle of the 19th century? (I think know.) You won't find them in the autographs and editions of composers before that time, because it was felt to be obvious. It is. And on the infinitely rare occasion that someone wants detached grace notes, it is easily indicated. (By "grace notes", I am, of course, referring only to free notes that are directly associated with a following large note.)
5. V.S. at the end of every page of a part. (This was a Arnstein pet peeve and may now be much rarer than in hand copying days.) It suggests that insufficient care was taken with page turns and the engraver thinks that the V. S. makes everything OK. It doesn't. Or it's a written tic. V.S. should only be used on the rarest occasions, because it represents desperation on the part of the engraver and is nothing to be proud of.
The following have appeared previously but are included for completeness:
6. 8's and such in combination with clefs. Everyone knows the standard transpositions, and in case of ambiguity, a simple footnote suffices.
7. Periods after titles, instruments, composers, markings that are not abbreviations, repeat ending numbers, etc. Why?
8. Ped. in conjunction with brackets. Ped. * or brackets, but not both. Both systems have strengths but their weaknesses are emphasized when they are combined.
1. A simple 8---- over the notes indicates an octave higher. A simple 8--- under the notes indicates an octave lower. And the same for 15---
Why 8va, 8vb, 8bv, 8va bassa and all the rest?
2. Parentheses around (8)--- when the marking extends over to other systems. I've never seen this in the best editions, past and present, and for good reason. I think I recall A. Arnstein using them in the 1970's and Finale doesn't provide an option not to with the Octave Tool. (Yes, there is workaround.) They are redundant. An octave higher is an octave higher. Who needs the parentheses?
3. "loco" after an 8--- This goes back to the day when very high or low notes were comparatively rare, the way of expressing it was not yet standardized: the dashed lines varied considerably, a closing vertical was not used, hand written octave signs were sometimes not clearly written, so composers and editors felt that they had to do something special to show the ending. With precise engraving, modern editions of older music do away with these, fortunately. But the loco continues to be used for special cases, as we read in E. Gould. But I see no reason for the loco in any of the examples she gives. There may be occasions where it could be helpful, but nothing occurs to me.
4. I have never encountered a grace note or small group that was not to be played legato and connected to the main note. Why did slurs come into use for grace notes around the middle of the 19th century? (I think know.) You won't find them in the autographs and editions of composers before that time, because it was felt to be obvious. It is. And on the infinitely rare occasion that someone wants detached grace notes, it is easily indicated. (By "grace notes", I am, of course, referring only to free notes that are directly associated with a following large note.)
5. V.S. at the end of every page of a part. (This was a Arnstein pet peeve and may now be much rarer than in hand copying days.) It suggests that insufficient care was taken with page turns and the engraver thinks that the V. S. makes everything OK. It doesn't. Or it's a written tic. V.S. should only be used on the rarest occasions, because it represents desperation on the part of the engraver and is nothing to be proud of.
The following have appeared previously but are included for completeness:
6. 8's and such in combination with clefs. Everyone knows the standard transpositions, and in case of ambiguity, a simple footnote suffices.
7. Periods after titles, instruments, composers, markings that are not abbreviations, repeat ending numbers, etc. Why?
8. Ped. in conjunction with brackets. Ped. * or brackets, but not both. Both systems have strengths but their weaknesses are emphasized when they are combined.