> On 11/4/2012 6:34 AM, John Howell wrote: > [snip of discussion of fermatas and "railroad tracks", which John and I both > agree should be in the same location in all parts regardless of rests] >> But in the specific case you mention, I would >> have to think about it very carefully before >> deciding. One way to make it clear would be to >> tie into a cutoff note, but I can picture >> situations in which even that would be ambiguous. >> But simply as a reminder about the cutoff, I >> might be tempted to insert it in the parts that >> do NOT continue playing. >> >> Of course musicianship SHOULD provide the answer, >> but perhaps not for sightreading. > > If an exact cutoff were desired by the composer, then either, as John said, > tying to a cutoff note would be best, or adding an "articulation" to the > final note such as a staccato dot should suffice. > > Of course, as John says, musicianship should provide the answer, and the > leader of whatever group should be able to get his/her musicians to provide > uniform cutoffs regardless of how those cutoffs are notated. > > But, speaking as a brass player, were I to see a breath mark at the end of a > phrase just before a multi-measure rest I would immediately realize that the > composer had no clue what he/she was doing and I would still have no clue > what was intended, since a breath mark only indicates shortening the > preceding note *if* there are notes following it. With a multi-measure rest > in which to breathe, I would not automatically shorten the note preceding the > breath mark. And that would be true whether it were a comma or a check-mark. > And I can't think of any good brass players I know who would do it any > differently than I do.
But what about the scenario when the brass are playing, for instance with a choir and the choir take a breath at this point, then continue singing on into what is the MM rest for the brass players (or any wind for that matter). The choir would need to breath at this point and therefore shorten their notes slightly to accommodate this - the brass would need to do likewise or it would sound as though one or the other were overhanging. I mention this because I'm in rehearsal at this very moment for a show with a 50 piece chorus and 30 piece orchestra and the MD asked the brass to mark in a breath just at the end of their entry to effect a similar phrase ending as the choir were making. A good idea and it worked well. Jonathan _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
