Beams in Singing Voice with Text

[DePaule]

on each of this 1/8 Notes is one syllable. What is the correct setting of the Beams?
Is there any difference with the Beams in Instruments?

I have used 3 different software default and I have 3 Results...

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Thank you very much for your Input

[Fred G. Unn]

1) Top example is fine, but I personally never beam 3 eighths together to avoid any possible confusion with a triplet. Many publishers may think this is ok, but I usually wouldn't do it.
2) Middle example is just wrong. If you are going to beam 2 together, you have to show the final beat of the pickup bar.
3) Bottom example is ok historically, but not by today's standards. This sort of flagged notation makes vocal music quite difficult to read, and regular instrumental beaming is now the norm for new music.

Flag, then two notes beamed together would be another option. Some house styles would say that once the pickup bar is half full it is correct to show the entire bar. I'm ok with half full, but once the pickup exceeds a half bar, I always show the entire bar.

[John Ruggero]

Fred, you might be interested to know that Arnstein also flagged the first note of three in 3/4 time in instrumental parts, for the same reason; and not just pickup measures.

But I strongly prefer all three beamed together.

[JJP]

1) Top example is fine, but I personally never beam 3 eighths together to avoid any possible confusion with a triplet. Many publishers may think this is ok, but I usually wouldn't do it.

I agree with Fred - flag followed by two beamed eighths.

[DePaule]

To make the beam starting with the main rhythm would best readable for me. But I have one professional against me. He likes to put the beam like the syllable are going. So he suggests the single flags is right for my example.

[John Ruggero]

I personally never beam 3 eighths together to avoid any possible confusion with a triplet. Many publishers may think this is ok, but I usually wouldn't do it.

Do you apply this also to 16th notes in 3/8 meter, as I think Arnstein did? And do you apply it only to instrumental parts? I find the following very strange:

Beethoven op 31 no 2.3.jpeg (40.33 KiB) Viewed 4696 times

[Fred G. Unn]

Do you apply this also to 16th notes in 3/8 meter, as I think Arnstein did? And do you apply it only to instrumental parts? I find the following very strange:

No, I wouldn't do it there, and I agree that looks odd. I'm not sure exactly how to explain the difference though. I wouldn't do it even if your example was 6/8. Perhaps it just comes down to the fact that groups of three 16ths are so common in 3/8 and 6/8 and tuplets less common. I've got end of semester grading deadlines to deal with, but I'll look up what a few sources say when I feel like procrastinating LOL.

[benwiggy]

To make the beam starting with the main rhythm would best readable for me. But I have one professional against me. He likes to put the beam like the syllable are going. So he suggests the single flags is right for my example.

I agree with Fred: beaming " to the syllables" is very old-fashioned and should not be done except in certain circumstances. The additional information provided by rhythmic grouping is often crucial, and modern engraving should make the position of syllables definite and unambiguous as it is.

[Fred G. Unn]

To make the beam starting with the main rhythm would best readable for me. But I have one professional against me. He likes to put the beam like the syllable are going. So he suggests the single flags is right for my example.

This is archaic notation that has been abandoned by almost every publisher, so I would only do this if you are re-engraving a historical work, or that's what this client really wants. Here are a couple quick sources, but virtually every current notation guide will state similarly.

Elaine Gould, Behind Bars (2011) pg 435


Kurt Stone, Music Notation in the Twentieth Century (1980) pg 293

[David Ward]

I've found that the old style can be quite useful in recitative, especially when a degree of freedom is anticipated. Otherwise, I agree it's best to give singers the same beams as one might an instrumentalist.