We party on in our second installment about part preparation. Philip Rothman and David MacDonald turn again to Elaine Gould’s music notation reference book Behind Bars to help guide the discussion.

Last time we left off just when things got interesting, talking all about cues, so for today’s episode we pick up there. We review the different types of cues, what they do, when to put them in, and how to control the software to make them look just the way you want.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, we then cover that very subject — repeats — and when they can help or hinder a player reading a part. Percussion is also on our list, and you’ll want to hear the dos and don’ts of getting the music for that instrument section into the software and onto the page.

Speaking of software, this episode is full of tips on how the major notation applications differ, and how they’re alike with respect to part-making, and we close the episode with some low-tech but effective advice for the final step in the quest for parts perfection.

Partying with parts, part 1

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

More from Scoring Notes: