NOTATIO

I like to put the one I'd prefer as regular notation and the modified version as the ossia. But if it's something exceptional that I know that most players would not be able to pull off, I put that in the ossia instead.

I've seen a coloratura soprano part in Tales of Hoffman where the aria had an ...

I've recently begun to wonder why it should be necessary, notwithstanding convention, to flip symbols upside down just because they pertain only to the lower voice of a two-part staff.

For example, on a divisi violins staff, up and down bow marks for the lower voice are usually flipped upside down ...

Thanks for all the answers.

I tend to 4+4 but sometimes 2+2+2+2 seems to work better.

Agree about avoiding three to a beam, but as a thought experiment, if you were to do an arrangement or re-orchestration of Beethoven's 5th movement 1, I would feel compelled to beam those three 8ths like the ...

What do you guys prefer when beaming 8ths in 4/4?

4 + 4 or 2 + 2 + 2 + 2

Thanks, Shinianqi and John Ruggero. Much appreciated!

I'm stumped on what's the best place for the half note in the bass staff. After or before?

Magnus Johansson wrote: 10 Feb 2026, 10:05

Wescott wrote: 09 Feb 2026, 19:47 I'm trying to arrive at a good point of departure for how tall capitalized letters should be with respect to staff space size. I've been measuring but finding no consistency. Any opinions?

Would you give a few examples of the good, bad and ugly?

I would have to scan them.

I'm trying to arrive at a good point of departure for how tall capitalized letters should be with respect to staff space size. I've been measuring but finding no consistency. Any opinions?

Those are editorial suggested fingerings. You're not bound to those.

The two dots on A & C in the treble or C & E in the bass plus the thick barline is an end repeat when the dots are to the left of the thick barline. That tells you to go back either to the beginning of the piece or else to the ...

A new edition of an old score ought to use the modern approach, but since it's a 19th century piece just put a note at the beginning that says all bass clef notes are written a fifth higher than the sounding pitch.