On 7-Oct-08, at 7-Oct-08 8:33 AM, David W. Fenton wrote:
Notation + oral tradition has done a pretty good job over the years, seems to me. The failure is almost always in conveying the oral tradition, though, and the weakness is that oral traditions are so easily lost. The other problem in our time is that one basic notational system is being used along with numerous oral traditions, and the performer has to be smart enough to know which of the latter to apply in any particular situation.
The biggest problem with our music notation system is that it was originally devised to communicate rhythms and pitches that were relatively uncomplicated. Whole notes, half notes and quarter notes were mostly the rhythms used at the time of inception, and sets of six or seven pitches at a time. To communicate a relatively simple (to hear and perform) syncopation in notation requires advanced powers of coding and decoding. Any grade 7 child I have ever been in contact with was able to hear and sing back by ear the syncopated rhythms I played for him that would have had any but the most seasoned pro stuttering at the notation.
I was very impressed with the Nashville notation system, used mostly for country music. While simple and elegant, it communicates a powerful array of common harmonic patterns, and there are little symbols included to indicate ornamentations like a "push" (anticipation by an eighth note) or a pickup in the bass, drums, or guitar. Obviously, a knowledge of the performance practice is required, but I was able to pick it up a lot more quickly than I picked up Baroque figured bass, let me tell you!
A single sheet of paper with Nashville notation and a quick runthrough are all that is needed by the entire band to turn out an impressive performance of a song. The singer, of course, has more work to do! (and that was the point of this thread, if I remember that far back...)
Christopher _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
