We have a party talking all about part preparation. This is one of our most requested topics from listeners, and we’re happy to oblige in this first of a two-part episode. Philip Rothman and David MacDonald use the parts preparation chapter from Elaine Gould’s music notation reference book Behind Bars as a framework for discussing this essential step in making the best performance materials possible.

We start with the staff size, and what’s too small, too big and just right, and how it relates to page size and margins. Headers, page numbers and other labels are next in our discussion, and we explore the best conventions that have developed, and why you need to always have them present. On we go to page turns, multimeasure rests, clefs, and more, and how careful consideration of all those elements contribute to making a quality part.

We span the low-tech to the high-tech in this episode — everything from the weight and thickness of paper to where to find the crucial settings in your favorite notation software. You won’t want to part ways with this episode until it’s finished, so let’s get started.

Partying with parts, part 2

Behind Bars: The Definitive Guide to Music Notation, by Elaine Gould

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