>No one ever explained it to me, and I got it right away. ymmv

sure, but you intuited it, it wasn't a logical extension of the 
notation.  it isn't something one can "figure out", but can deduce, 
that is what i meant.  and i don't think either of us would accept 
the idea that the norms of (this sort of) notation should be anything 
but logical.


>Crumb only uses it to fill whole "bars" (though sometimes without 
>barlines, as you see).
>
>>in your ex1 why is the end of the 1st measure in the upper piano not
>a dotted 8th?
>
>While not relevant to the question at hand, I would guess it is because he
>want to show a 3+2 feel.

ah, but i think it is, because pno II is the only player that could 
give a 3+2 feel, and that would more effectively be shown by 
connecting the 8th beam in beats 4-5.  he doesn'tnotate it that way, 
and i really don't believe (based of course only on my reading of 
this small excerpt and my memory of the pieces i have heard of his) 
that he intends that.  so the idea of using a single (compound) 
symbol for duration is not used consistently.  he doesn't use a 
dotted 8th where one is clearly warranted (or at least certainly 
justified) and then invents a new notation in a place where it is 
perhaps not needed/warranted.


>  >but a stemless quarter head with lv ties would do just as well.
>
>But then it might require rests, and the whole point of this 
>notation is to show the duration.

yeah, true in this case.


>If you carried this notation to its pedantic extreme, I suppose you 
>could fill a 9/4 bar with a double whole dotted on the right and 
>double-dotted on the left. But Crumb does not do that. He fills 9/4 
>bars conventionally with dotted whole tied to dotted half. It seems 
>like this notation is reserved for filling 5-beat bars.

exactly my point.  if you are going to invent new notations it has to 
be done consistently.  inventing a new notation that can only be used 
in one situation is common in new music, but crumb's notation is 
*very* traditional, so i would still argue that tied notes is the way 
to go.

your proposal of course works:
1) right dots augment by a value that is 1/2 the value of the main 
note; each subsequent dot augments by a further 1/2 the previous dot 
value
2) left dots reduce by a value that is 1/4 the value of the main 
note; each subsequent dot reduces by a further 1/2 the previous dot 
value

and i could write "this is not a typo" over something i notate but 
the fact of me doing it doesn't make it the unquestionably cleverest 
solution :-)

the discrepancy of the first dot beside the notehead representing 1/2 
vs 1/4 is not explained anywhere.  why is the left dot 1/4?  just 
because (george decided) it is.  again, yeah we figured it out, but 
it isn't logical or inherently intuitive.

that said... as i say early on in probably all the seminars on 
notation i have given: some aspects of notation make it inherently 
contradictory but we need to reduce as much as possible within a 
given context the redundancies and inconsistencies to help the 
musician gain quicker and more informative access to the music.  or 
something to that effect.

i am still completely unconvinced about this notation for 5/4, at 
least in this context.  i don't think so much more is gained by 
inventing this new notation that makes a strong enough case for it to 
replace tied values.

PROS
- one duration, one notehead (indeed a strong argument)
- largely based on existing notation, with an alteration

CONS
- new notation
- is not intuitive and needs to be explained, or the musician has to deduce it
- does not show conductor subdivisions (a conductor will beat in 3+2 
or 2+3 and we don't see it here)
- is used in a unique context
- cannot be extended to similar "problems" (9/4) without involving 
unfortunate convolutions (1 vs. 2 dots)
- creates more spacing issues on the left side (horizontal spacing is 
a serious issue in new music notation; you found a solution, but 
there is no need for a "solution" with tied notes)

discussion on deck: what is wrong with his (piano) harmonic notation... ;-)

-- 

neueweise -- fonts for new music (and traditional) notation
http://newmusicnotation.com/fonts.html

shirling & neueweise | http://newmusicnotation.com
new music notation  +  arts management  +  translation
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