9/8 measure question

[Hector Pascal]

Hi all,

In my 9/8 bar, should I change my 2 tied dotted crotchets to a dotted minim? I hope to do the most "correct" way from a notation / publishing point of view.

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Thanks again!
HP.

[John Ruggero]

Yes, change it to a dotted half note (minim). It would be analogous to a half note in 3/4. Only half rests are forbidden in 3/4, not half notes. Similarly dotted half rests are forbidden in 9/8, not dotted half notes.

[Hector Pascal]

Thanks for the reply, John! The corrections look great. I will also check for any forbidden rests! I found also that Debussy's Clair de Lune seems to be a handy reference for 9/8 music notation conventions.
Cheers,
HP.

[John Ruggero]

You are welcome, Hector. Clair de Lune has some very interesting features with its duplets and even sextuplets. But what about the dotted half note chords in the bass in many of the measures. Do you think he forgot to tie on some of the dotted quarter notes? Or was he thinking of the bass part being in 3/4 meter and therefore holding for all three beats of the measure? There is little doubt that the pedal is supposed to hold through the whole measure. Don't think I've ever heard anyone lift the pedal on the third dotted quarter note beat.

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[Hector Pascal]

Hmmm, my first thought is that Debussy might want the sound of those dotted half notes in the bass to blend into the following tones, or somehow taper or sort of evaporate using judicious pedaling ... Being un-dotted, the low Bb half note in the left hand of the last bar of your excerpt seems like a clue to his system.... Interesting! I am looking forward to playing through it tonight

Thanks again
HP.