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Topic: Standard Scoring Rules (Read 3421 times) previous topic - next topic

Standard Scoring Rules

I've noticed that while I'm copying scores from American sheet music into NWC format I'll often get a series of four consecutive 8th notes all beamed together.  But when I use the NWC automatic beam command it usually splits them up into two sets of two.  Is this a standard rule everywhere or just a convenient American way to save space inside a measure by squeezing beamed notes closer together?

Re: Standard Scoring Rules

Reply #1 –
My piano teacher always said that you beam according to the beat. So in 4/4, you should get eight pairs ... unless you feel it in 2. Then you'd get four of them together. Seems like a good rule of thumb to me. But I don't have any official source to back that up!
Sincerely,
Francis Beaumier
Green Bay, WI

Re: Standard Scoring Rules

Reply #2 –
NoteWorthy will not automatically beam across a major beat. The time signature controls what a major beat is.
So we have this:
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|TimeSig|Signature:2/2
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Rest|Dur:Half
|Bar
|TimeSig|Signature:4/4
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Rest|Dur:Half
|Bar
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
This is a conservative approach. Some scores use this approach, some do not.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Standard Scoring Rules

Reply #3 –
According to Elaine Gould's "Behind Bars", p.153, the current practice should be:

Quote
  • Divisions of a [each single, H.M.] beat are beamed together in all metres.[see below for "beats"]
  • In 2/4 and 3/4, any number of quavers [eighths] can be beamed together ...  This is provided that groups in 3/4 do not give the appearance of 6/8 accentuation.
  • In 4/8 and in 4/4, groups of semiquavers [sixteenths] and quavers respectively may be beamed into half-bars.
  • ...
  • Beams joining two or three beats may also be separated to indicate a change of pitch pattern [an example is given which I have attached]

So ... both ways are correct. NWC does it always according to the first item; I often add an invisible 2/2 after a 4/4 to get the "half-bar pattern", because I like it more.

A "beat" is not the denominator of the time signature - rather, it is the "musically felt beat". Gould gives the following (obviously non-exhaustive) examples:
Quote
  • metres of 2 beats: 2/4, 6/8, 2/2
  • metres of 3 beats: 3/2, 9/16
  • metres of 4 beats: 4/4, 12/8

H.M.

Re: Standard Scoring Rules

Reply #4 –
Thank you gentlemen, you've provided a lot of information.  Just so I understand, are you saying by adding an invisible 2/2 signature after the 4/4 the NWC automatic beam command would give me one group of four 8th notes?  Ans if so, how do I make said time signature invisible?

Re: Standard Scoring Rules

Reply #5 –
Quote from: ItmightbeJB –
how do I make said time signature invisible?
Paste this:
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|TimeSig|Signature:2/2|Visibility:Never
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
Registered user since 1996

Re: Standard Scoring Rules

Reply #7 –
... and, you can make everything in NWC invisible by

  • highlighting it (keyboard: put cursor to the left of it, then press Shift-rightarrow)
  • opening its properties (keyboard: press Alt-Enter)
  • select tab "Visibility" (keyboard: press Ctrl-Tab until you see bold "Visibility")
  • select "Never" under "Show on printed" (keyboard: press downarrow until "Never" is highlighted, then press Enter)
  • close properties (keyboard: press Enter once more)

Pressing Alt-Enter is standard in windows to open any properties - you can do that for files, images, whatever ... NWC uses many Windows standards.

H.M.