And now, after all of that “sweat” has poured out of you, you can go into the non-music business area called “Desktop Publishing!” I say this because you are going to extract the parts from the score – either by hand or music notation software. Either way, you need to set up the individual pages in such a way as to be easily read. A couple of helpful hints:
1. You can extract (or “copy”) the parts from the score in any order you wish. It’s usually a good idea to check off each part on the score as you go, so as not to forget one (It wouldn’t look good for you if you got to the session/rehearsal and were missing a part).
2. Make sure that measure numbers, rehearsal information and double bar lines are all properly placed. When laying out the page, try to place all double bar lines on the far right. Conversely, new sections should start on the far left. These last two sentences simply make it easier for the player to read.
3. Check over each extracted part for missing accidentals, dynamics, note stems, articulation, wrong transpositions (even for one note), and missing beams. It sounds fundamental, but it is very easy to make a mistake at any time. So, whenever you check over a part, a copying mistake or left-out information is almost always found—even in professional work. It only makes sense then to take two minutes to check your work. This last step can be done after all parts have been copied or after each part is completed.
4. If multiple pages exist, be sure to tape each page (edge to edge). This will help insure that the pages won’t be falling off the music stand in the middle of a performance.
Until next time,
Jerry
