NOTATIO

I’ve used grey for a part to be played if another instrument isn’t present - so like cues - but they’re full sized notes just lighter than black, and “play if no contrabassoon available” or something like that.

I’ve also started using grey for text indications in situations like where a melodic ...

I only make ossia passages that are simpler than the written passages. Consider which version you really want to hear performed.

I bought an older version of the full Adobe Acrobat and haven't looked back. Got tired of the bloat creeping in.

benwiggy wrote: 31 Mar 2026, 09:19 Instrument changes can now be hidden in the Properties panel.

Oh blessed be!

It really comes down to how much agency you want your singers to have. In an opera house, all vocal dynamics are going to realistically be loud, loud, and louder... but knowing the composer's intention can truly inform their performance.

I will say that if you are too detailed, the signer might ...

I don't use any shortcuts where a player has to jump to another staff. As instructions for the copyist (or shorthand for the composer) it's fine, but it should never make it into a player's part.

The most I have had to play was 9, though the book is written for 8.

West Side Story reed 3 book, which had the following doubles: Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, English Horn, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, and Baritone Saxophone. I added Alto Flute to that as the flute part had a very low ...

As a professional doubler, it's doubling.

Depends on the nature of the piece for me. There is a visual flow to 4+4, but some pieces need 2+2+2+2 to keep things moving.

Hi folks, I was cleaning up final versions of three of my works for printing, and I began to question the value of presenting metronome markings (q=120, etc.) on player parts.

On one hand, it gives information for practice that some might find useful, and shows immediately what tempo changes should ...