NOTATIO

I’m starting a large collection of chord charts (lyrics and chord symbols) for a publisher, and we’re trying to establish a style guide that is practical, legible, and typographically beautiful.

For my charts, I’ve always done bold lyrics with italic chord symbols above in Word, but now that it needs to be done properly (flat glyph instead of a lowercase b!), I’m really hung up on the italicized or oblique glyphs for flats and sharps.

I’d like to hear from others about what they think about italicized flats and sharps from a typographical perspective. Valid? Quirky?

I vote Quirky. For me, the sharp, flat and natural symbols lose their essential character if not upright. But then I don't like treble clefs that lean forward either...

I have no desire to read italicized chord symbols. Once you add extensions they get hard to read.

I agree. It would be such as making staff "italic", or stems "italic". I would stick with exact roman for both accidentals AND note-names, the font should differ from the rest of music.

Thanks all!