On Wednesday, Oct 18, 2006, at 13:21 America/Los_Angeles, Stewart McCoy wrote:
> A transcription involves copying music from one notation > note-for-note to another, for example, re-writing lute tablature as > staff notation. For the most part, it is a mechanical job, because > the notes stay the same. (Let's not fuss about whether a > transcription into staff notation reflects things like octave > stringing, or whether it is a literal or polyphonic transcription.) > > An arrangement is when you take a piece written in one medium, and > adapt it to suit another, for example, turning a 4-part chanson into > a lute trio. This requires some thought, because, unlike a > transcription where the notes stay the same, you have to judge what > fits the new medium best, and add notes or take them away. This is a thoughtful set of definitions, but unfortunately not the way the terms are commonly used. Brahms piano somethingorothers thinned out to be playable on the guitar are typically called transcriptions, as are Stokowski's orchestral versions of Bach. Google "Stokowski Bach transcription" (without the quotes), for example and you'll get 15,400 hits. HP To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
