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Beam question: hanging, straddling, etc...

Posted: 23 Jul 2026, 15:45
by MichelRE
I am having difficulty learning the proper use of hanging, straddling, sitting beam ends.

I have an example here that I have NO idea what to do with.
I'm trying to avoid blocking the ledger lines as much as possible, I'm tempted to try and keep the same angle as the subsequent series of 16th notes, but I end up with those unattractive wedge spaces with everything I do.

Any recommendations?

Re: Beam question: hanging, straddling, etc...

Posted: 23 Jul 2026, 16:09
by RMK
Why not unbeam the first note?

Re: Beam question: haning, straddling, etc...

Posted: 23 Jul 2026, 16:14
by dircknagy
MichelRE wrote: 23 Jul 2026, 15:45..
Since the first 8th note is not grouped by the slur, can you just detatch the 8th note?
Screen Shot 2026-07-23 at 11.11.55 AM.png
Screen Shot 2026-07-23 at 11.11.55 AM.png (12.82 KiB) Viewed 910 times

Re: Beam question: hanging, straddling, etc...

Posted: 23 Jul 2026, 16:20
by Magnus Johansson
Hello! I think RMK and Dirck have asked the right question.

Re: Beam question: hanging, straddling, etc...

Posted: 23 Jul 2026, 16:29
by MichelRE
I hadn't thought of unbeaming them! even though I've actually done that elsewhere to clarify things.
thanks.

but just to stick to the topic, if I WERE to leave the beam, how would I handle those beam ends? straddling? hanging? sitting?

(and yes, I will change it to unbeamed in the score in question.)

Re: Beam question: hanging, straddling, etc...

Posted: 23 Jul 2026, 16:43
by Magnus Johansson
Ted Ross would probably have suggested something like Dirck did in his screenshot: f¹ should have beam ends hang (primary) and straddle (secondary), g¹ - straddle and sit. But then he would presumably have the same again: a♭¹ - hang and straddle, and b♭¹ - straddle and sit.

But with the beamed f³ like this:
Screenshot_20260723_184639.png
Screenshot_20260723_184639.png (1.61 KiB) Viewed 901 times

Re: Beam question: hanging, straddling, etc...

Posted: 23 Jul 2026, 17:23
by sugarfree
a traditional approach:

Screenshot 2026-07-23 at 11.14.34 AM.png
Screenshot 2026-07-23 at 11.14.34 AM.png (17.47 KiB) Viewed 887 times

Re: Beam question: hanging, straddling, etc...

Posted: 25 Jul 2026, 01:53
by LSL2026
MichelRE wrote: 23 Jul 2026, 15:45

Any recommendations?
My first thought was like what @sugarfree posted.