Re: Reading Staff Notation

From: Dan Gutwein (dfgutw@wm.edu)
Date: Tue Oct 08 2002 - 14:16:04 PDT

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--=====================_22719949==_.ALT

James,

The ties between the dotted quarter-notes would normally mean that you
would not articulate each note; rather, you would sustain a tone the length
of 4 dotted quarters - 4 beats in 12/8. For a note this long, I would
expect to see two dotted half notes, or even a dotted whole note; however,
some people prefer the 4 tied dotted quarters because your eye can more
easily see the beats and therefore it would be easier to "sight-read". The
only other explanation is that the transcriber "heard" a long note that
lasted 4 beats in 12/8 and found it easier to tie 4 beats together than to
figure out the proper notation for longer notes. I have no idea how
composers of new shakuhachi music notate all of the effects produced by the
various fingerings for certain tones (U for example). I've been in the
process of composing a piece for computer and shakuhachi and I'm using
staff notation and adding shakuhachi notation as graphical symbols above
each note. Of course, then you have to read the shakuhachi notation left
to right while reading the staff notation. This is not a problem since my
piece is not intended to be sight-read.

At 10:27 AM 10/8/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>>James,
>
>
>I don't know the answers to your questions. I could look at it, but I'm
>not really familiar with this stuff.
>
>Peter
>
>>I'm currently learning a shakuhachi and koto piece called "Ryuuka" by
>>Miyashita Shin. The shakuhachi part is in western staff notation, which
>>mostly isn't a problem for me, but there are some odd things about it
>>that I can't figure out.
>>
>>In particular, there are two levels of ties. The first set of ties look
>>like phrasing marks, indicating where you breath more than anything else.
>>The second set of ties are inside the first set, and I can't figure out
>>what they're supposed to signify. Sometimes it looks like they should
>>simply be tieing together notes to make notes of unusual duration, like a
>>quarter note plus a sixteenth, say, or holding a note across a measure
>>line. Other times that would make no sense, either because they tie notes
>>of different pitches, or the durations are two simple, like two quarter notes.
>>
>>For example, there's a measure in 12/8 time, with four dotted quarter
>>notes (one beat each, the way I'm counting it), all the same pitch (high
>>Ro), and all tied together. Am I supposed to hold the note or articulate it?
>>
>>A more general question is, are there conventions for writing shakuhachi
>>music in western staff notation? Or do different composers and/or
>>publishers generally do different things?
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>James
>>____________________________________________________
>>
>><a
>
>
>--
>Peter Ross
>http://www.cloudhandsmusic.com
>P.O. Box 55055
>Seattle, WA 98155
>206-587-7262
>206-364-2341 FAX
>____________________________________________________
>

Dan Gutwein, Associate Professor
Department of Music
College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, VA 23185-8795
office: (757) 221-1077, cell: (240) 481-2787
fax. (757) 221-3171, email: dfgutw@wm.edu or dfgutw@prodigy.net
homepage - http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein
Introduction to Tonal Theory (MUS 101) -
http:///www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/mus101.htm
Introduction to Electro-acoustic Music (MUS181) -
http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/mus181.htm
Shakuhachi Links by Category -
http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/Shakuhachi/links.htm
Zen Flute for Beginners -
http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/Shakuhachi/WMshakuhachi.htm
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<html>
James, 
The ties between the dotted quarter-notes would normally mean that you
would not articulate each note; rather, you would sustain a tone the
length of 4 dotted quarters - 4 beats in 12/8.  For a note this
long, I would expect to see two dotted half notes, or even a dotted whole
note; however, some people prefer the 4 tied dotted quarters because your
eye can more easily see the beats and therefore it would be easier to
"sight-read".  The only other explanation is that the
transcriber "heard" a long note that lasted 4 beats in 12/8 and
found it easier to tie 4 beats together than to figure out the proper
notation for longer notes.  I have no idea how composers of new
shakuhachi music notate all of the effects produced by the various
fingerings for certain tones (U for example).  I've been in the
process of composing a piece for computer and shakuhachi and I'm using
staff notation and adding shakuhachi notation as graphical symbols above
each note.  Of course, then you have to read the shakuhachi notation
left to right while reading the staff notation.  This is not a
problem since my piece is not intended to be sight-read. 
DG 
 
At 10:27 AM 10/8/2002 -0700, you wrote: 
<blockquote type=3Dcite class=3Dcite cite><blockquote type=3Dcite class=3Dci=
te cite>James,</blockquote> 
I don't know the answers to your questions.  I could look at it, but
I'm not really familiar with this stuff. 
Peter 
<blockquote type=3Dcite class=3Dcite cite>I'm currently learning a shakuhach=
i
and koto piece called "Ryuuka" by Miyashita Shin. The
shakuhachi part is in western staff notation, which mostly isn't a
problem for me, but there are some odd things about it that I can't
figure out. 
In particular, there are two levels of ties. The first set of ties look
like phrasing marks, indicating where you breath more than anything else.
The second set of ties are inside the first set, and I can't figure out
what they're supposed to signify. Sometimes it looks like they should
simply be tieing together notes to make notes of unusual duration, like a
quarter note plus a sixteenth, say, or holding a note across a measure
line. Other times that would make no sense, either because they tie notes
of different pitches, or the durations are two simple, like two quarter
notes. 
For example, there's a measure in 12/8 time, with four dotted quarter
notes (one beat each, the way I'm counting it), all the same pitch (high
Ro), and all tied together. Am I supposed to hold the note or articulate
it? 
A more general question is, are there conventions for writing shakuhachi
music in western staff notation? Or do different composers and/or
publishers generally do different things? 
Thanks. 
James 
____________________________________________________ 
<a
achi"> 
<a=
"=
/shakuhachi</a></a></blockquote> 
-- 
Peter Ross 
<a href=3D"http://www.cloudhandsmusic.com/"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.cloudhandsmusic.com> 
P.O. Box 55055 
Seattle, WA 98155 
206-587-7262 
206-364-2341  FAX 
____________________________________________________ 
<a
achi"> 
<a=
"=
/shakuhachi</a></a></blockquote>
<x-sigsep></x-sigsep>
Dan Gutwein, Associate Professor 
Department of
Music     
College of William and Mary 
Williamsburg, VA 23185-8795  
office: 
(757) 221-1077,  cell: (240) 481-2787 
fax.
(757) 221-3171,   
email:
dfgutw@wm.edu   or  dfgutw@prodigy.net 
homepage -
<a href=3D"http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein" eudora=3D"autourl">http:=
//www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein</a>
 
Introduction to Tonal
Theory (MUS 101) -
<a href=3D"http:///www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/mus101.htm"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http:///www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/mus101.htm> 
Introduction to Electro-acoustic Music (MUS181) -
<a href=3D"http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/mus181.htm"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/mus181.htm> 
Shakuhachi Links by
Category -
<a href=3D"http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/Shakuhachi/links.htm"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/Shakuhachi/links.htm=
</a>
 
Zen Flute for Beginners - <a=
href=3D"http://www.wm.edu/CAS/music/gutwein/Shakuhachi/WMshakuhachi.htm"=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.wm.edu/=
CAS/music/gutwein/Shakuhachi/WMshakuhachi.htm</a></html>

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____________________________________________________

Next message: Philip Gelb: "Gavin Bryars piece?"
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