On May 21, 2008, at 4:10 PM, John Howell wrote:
At 4:06 AM -0400 5/21/08, dhbailey wrote:
Christopher Smith wrote:
On May 20, 2008, at 9:29 PM, Ryan Beard wrote:
How do you all feel about using dotted quarters in
6/8, 9/8, 12/8 and dotted halves in 12/8?
As for whether they're advisable or not, that's a different story.
I personally don't have any problem with dotted quarter rests in
compound meter (provided they're used wisely and started on the
beat divisions, not used in any syncopated manner) but I do know
that there are people who adhere strictly to the "No dotted
rests!" mantra.
Possibly so, but I just check in Clinton Roemer's book, and he
shows how dotted rests should be drawn without any comment
whatsoever that they should not be used. What's the authority for
banning them?
Hmm, not much authority for BANNING them (which Darcy wasn't arguing
for in any case), but here are some citations for usage.
Roemer, starting page 103. He NEVER uses dotted rests in any of his
examples, except for some compound metres, particularly 12/8, 6/4 and
some composite metres. Pg 105 at the bottom he actually uses a dotted
whole rest for a full bar's rest in 6/4. Later he says that a whole
rest is a proper full bar's rest in any metre, which makes me think
that the pg 105 example was a mistake. A half-bar is a dotted half rest.
Page 108 he disallows dotted quarter rests in 6/8. (but allows them
in 12/8!)
Page 109 he suggests dotted half and whole rests(!) in 12/8, as an
exception to the general rule. He also has dotted quarter rests in
his example.
Heusenstamm, Norton Manual Of Music Notation, pages 35-39.
Whole rests should never be dotted (he only allows whole rests as
part of a measure in 4/2, otherwise they always serve as a full
measure's rest). Modern notation allows dotted rests much more than
traditional notation did (especially in compound metre) then he goes
on to show a bunch of modern examples that are acceptable, including
a few I would never accept, like a sixteenth note followed by a
dotted eighth rest in 4/4. This seems to go against his later
admonition against syncopated (crossing a stronger beat) rests (which
I have always agreed with.)
Kurt Stone , Music Notation in the Twentieth Century, pp 133-134,
accepts Heusenstamm's last example I cited as an exception to the
syncopated rest rule. But he rejects ANY syncopated rests longer than
a dotted quarter rest. In ternary metres he says each of the three
beats MUST have its own rest, then uses as an example a bar of 9/16
with a dotted eighth note and two dotted eighth rests.
He has a curious opinion on dotted rests in binary metres. He will
not accept a dotted quarter rest starting on beat 1 or 2 in 4/4, but
he WILL accept it starting on beat 3. He will also accept a dotted
quarter rest starting beat 2 in 3/4, but not starting beat 1. Of
course other positions are unacceptable because of the ban on
syncopated rests. I don't think I would follow this myself in my own
music.
He supports dotted rests in composite metres conforming to the metric
pattern; each pulse with its own rest. His example is quarter rest,
dotted quarter rest in 5/8, or the reverse, depending on the
subdivision.
Interesting what a bit of reading will turn up.
Christopher
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