Music Notation and Terminology Part 3

Thus _e.g._, "great G" (written simply G), is the G represented by the first line of the ba.s.s staff. Small A (written a), is represented by the fifth line of the ba.s.s staff. Two-lined G, (written [2-lined g symbol]), is represented by the s.p.a.ce above the fifth line, treble staff.

Three-lined C, (written [3-lined c symbol]), is represented by the second added line above the treble staff, etc. The _one-lined octave_ may be described as the octave from _middle C_ to the B represented by the third line of the treble staff, and any tone within that octave is referred to as "one-lined." Thus--_one-lined_ D, _one-lined_ G, etc.

In scientific works on acoustics, etc., the pitches in the sub octave (or sub-contra octave as it is often called) are referred to as C_2, D_2, E_2, etc.; those in the contra octave as C_1, D_1, etc.; in the great octave, as c^1, d^1, etc.; in the small octave as c^2, d^2, etc.

CHAPTER V

ABBREVIATIONS, SIGNS, ETC., (_Continued_)

49. _A dot after a note_ shows that the value of the note is to be half again as great as it would be without the dot, _i.e._, the value is to be three-halves that of the original note.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

50. _When two dots follow the note_ the second dot adds half as much as the first dot has added, _i.e._, the entire value is seven-fourths that of the original note.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

51. _When three dots follow the note_ the third dot adds one-half the value added by the second, _i.e._, the entire value of the triple-dotted note is fifteen-eighths that of the original note.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

52. _A dot over or under a note_ is called the _staccato mark_ and indicates that the tone is to be sounded and then instantly released.

[Ill.u.s.tration] In music for organ and for some other instruments the staccato note is sometimes interpreted differently, this depending on the character of the instrument.

On stringed instruments of the violin family the staccato effect is usually secured by a long, rapid stroke of the bow for each tone; in the case of harp and drum the hand is quickly brought in contact with the vibrating body, thus stopping the tone instantly. On the organ the tone is often prolonged to one-half the value of the printed note before the keys are released.

53. _The wedge-shaped dash over the note_ (staccatissimo) was formerly employed to indicate a tone still more detached than that indicated by the dot, but this sign is really superfluous, and is seldom used at present. [Ill.u.s.tration]

54. _A tie_ is a curved line connecting the heads of two notes that call for the same tone. It indicates that they are to be sounded as one tone having a duration equal to the combined value of both notes. _E.g._, a half-note tied to a quarter-note would indicate a tone equal in duration-length to that shown by a dotted half-note; two half-notes tied would indicate a tone equal in duration to that shown by a whole-note.

(See examples under Sections 49, 50, and 51).

Fig. 30 ill.u.s.trates the more common variety of tie, while Fig. 31 shows an example of the _enharmonic[10] tie_.

[Footnote 10: For definition of enharmonic see p. 10, Sec. 27.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 30.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 31.]

55. The _slur_ is used in so many different ways that it is impossible to give a general definition. It consists of a curved line, sometimes very short (in which case it looks like the tie), but sometimes very long, connecting ten, fifteen, or more notes. Some of the more common uses of the slur are:

A. _To indicate legato_ (sustained or connected) _tones_, as contrasted with staccato (detached) ones.

In violin music this implies playing all tones thus slurred in one bow; in music for the voice and for wind instruments it implies singing or playing them in one breath.

B. _As a phrase-mark_, in the interpretation of which the first tone of the phrase is often accented slightly, and the last one shortened in value.

This interpretation of the phrase is especially common when the phrase is short (as in the two-note phrase), and when the tones const.i.tuting the phrase are of short duration, _e.g._, the phrase given in Fig. 32 would be played approximately as written in Fig. 33.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 32.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 33.]

But if the notes are of greater value, especially in slow tempi, the slur merely indicates legato, _i.e._, sustained or connected rendition. Fig. 34 ill.u.s.trates such a case.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 34.]

This is a matter of such diverse usage that it is difficult to generalize regarding it. The tendency seems at present to be in the direction of using the slur (_in instrumental music_) as a phrase-mark exclusively, it being understood that unless there is some direction to the contrary, the tones are to be performed in a connected manner.

C. In vocal music, to show that two or more tones are to be sung to one syllable of text. See Fig. 35.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 35. MENDELSSOHN (_S. Paul_) re-mem-bers His chil-dren.]

In notes of small denomination (eighths and smaller) this same thing is often indicated by _stroking_ the stems together as in Fig. 36. This can only be done in cases where the natural grouping of notes in the measure will not be destroyed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 36. ev-er and ev-er, for ev-er and]

D. To mark special note-groups (triplets, etc.), in which case the slur is accompanied by a figure indicating the number of notes in the group.

See Fig. 37 (_a_)

The most common of these irregular note-groups is the _triplet_, which consists of three notes to be performed in the time ordinarily given to two of the same value. Sometimes the triplet consists of only two notes as in Fig. 37 (_b_). In such a case the first two of the three notes composing the triplet are considered to be tied.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 37.]

When the triplet form is perfectly obvious, the Fig. 3 (as well as the slur) may be omitted.

Other examples of irregular note-groups, together with the names commonly applied, follow.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Doublet. Quintuplet or Quintolet. s.e.xtuplet or s.e.xtolet. Septolet or Septimole.]

56. The _combination of slur or tie and dots_ over the notes indicates that the tones are to be somewhat detached, but not sharply so.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

This effect is sometimes erroneously termed _portamento_ (lit.

_carrying_), but this term is more properly reserved for an entirely different effect, _viz._, when a singer, or player on a stringed instrument, pa.s.ses from a high tone to a low one (or vice versa) touching lightly on some or all of the diatonic tones between the two melody tones.

57. The horizontal _dash over a note_ [Ill.u.s.tration] indicates that the tone is to be slightly accented, and sustained. This mark is also sometimes used after a staccato pa.s.sage to show that the tones are no longer to be performed in detached fashion, but are to be sustained.

This latter use is especially common in music for stringed instruments.

58. The combination of _dash and dot over a note_ [Ill.u.s.tration]

indicates that the tone is to be slightly accented and separated from its neighboring tones.

59. _Accent marks_ are made in a variety of fashions. The most common forms follow. [horizontal accent symbol] [vertical accent symbol] _sf_ _fz_. All indicate that a certain tone or chord is to be differentiated from its neighboring tones or chords by receiving a certain relative amount of stress.

60. In music for keyboard instruments it is sometimes necessary to indicate that a certain part is to be played by a certain hand. The abbreviations r.h. (right hand), m.d. (mano destra, It.), and m.d. (main droite, Fr.), designate that a pa.s.sage or tone is to be played with the right hand, while l.h. (left hand), m.s. (mano sinistra, It.), and m.g.