centered beam or not?

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MichelRE
Posts: 386
Joined: 07 Aug 2021, 17:11

centered beam or not?

Post by MichelRE »

I'm a bit torn here.

normally, I'd use a centered beam, like in the first example, but I find that the stems often tend to be too short when using this option.

If I try and keep the beam direction in concordance with the direction of the notes, this means it has to slant downward.
But to get a longer and more attractive (normal) length of stem, I'd have to break this convention and have the beam slanted upward instead.

I chose the 2nd example as my default for this type of passage, but honestly, I don't find it as appealing, the stem of the cross-staffed note being far too long.

P.S. I'll move the hairpin ends apart a bit later, once I've settled on which version I want to use and upon your wisdom.
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RMK
Posts: 156
Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 12:12

Re: centered beam or not?

Post by RMK »

Why use cross-staffing at all? Wouldn't it be clearer to keep the E (and the F in the second example) in the lower staff? If you want those notes to be played by the right hand you could mark it as such, although in my experience pianists will do what is more natural for them regardless of what is notated.
MichelRE
Posts: 386
Joined: 07 Aug 2021, 17:11

Re: centered beam or not?

Post by MichelRE »

I did at one point have little horizontal brackets (there are spots where there were multiple notes) or just m.d. indications, but quite honestly, I find the extraneous text to be more distracting than anything.

I try to keep hands separated one to a staff, at least, where possible and logical.
Being a pianist myself, I'd definitely play the singled-out notes with the right hand, not the left. It means less hand position shifting, smoother performance.
John Ruggero
Posts: 2781
Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 14:25
Location: Raleigh, NC USA

Re: centered beam or not?

Post by John Ruggero »

I'd play both the E and D with the right hand in both cases and place both notes on the upper staff with stems down. This would ease the performance as well as the notation. Then add a half and quarter rest in the upper staff in the second part of the first example and a dotted half rest in the second half of the second example, since the right hand is resting.
M1 Mac mini (OS 12.4), Dorico 6, Finale 25.5, GPO 4, Affinity Publisher 2, SmartScore 64 Pro, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Keyboard maestro
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