Darcy wrote: >Except in compound meters, I have no problem with dotted half rests. >(I might even consider using a dotted whole rest on beat 1 of a bar of >15/8.)
I would have to object to that one. I think whole rests should be reserved for a whole bar of rest--just what the name implies--in any meter (except for 4/2, but that's another episode...). Using a whole rest as a "4-beat" rest is clumsy to me as a performer because A) I'm used to seeing it as the only symbol in a measure, thereby causing my eye to automatically search for the next measure and missing any remaining symbols--notes, rests or otherwise; B) a "4-beat" rest in a bar of 5/4 (or a dotted 4-beat rest in 15/8 that Darcy mentioned) doesn't help divide the bar into the 2+3 or 3+2 groupings. Yes, I'm aware it can be 4+1, but I think even in those cases the majority of musicians will further divide up the "4" into "2" anyway, so you might as well decide on 2+3 or 3+2. (That's a topic for further discussion itself!) Anyway, I all I really came here to say is that [in the most frequently used meters] whole rests should only be used to signify silence for entire measure. Yes, there are exceptions, like 4/2, or 3/1. But we all know those meters are as fussy as the composers who use them! Up too late, Ryan _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
