How do I score a 5/8th rest and a 7/8 note?

[Jeff Leites]

I'm trying to write the score of a tune, (well not write it, but the correct word is not coming to mind), and I'm having a timing problem.

 

First off, the first note starts after a 5/8th rest (an 1/8 rest followed by a half rest), is there anyway to show that with one rest?

 

Then I have a note that is 7/8th long. I could tie an eight note to a whole note, but it's more complicated, because the measure starts with a dotted quarter note (3/8) followed by this 7/8th note. So I have to finish the measure with a 5/8th note tied to a quarter note in the next measure. I guess I could follow the dotted quarter note with a half note tied to an eight note, then tie it to a quarter note in the next measure, but I'm looking for something cleaner. Maybe I need something other that 4/4 timing

[A. Einstein]

The note values, rests and modifier are exactly as you said.

 

 

half rest - eight rest - dotted quarter note tied to a half note over the bar line

 

 

that's the simplest and easiest readable notation.

[A. Einstein]

that would be the correct order in words.

 

half rest - eight rest - dotted quarter note tied over the bar line to a half note

[Jeff Leites]

Thanks!

[onelife]

sometimes it is easier to read if the written notes (tied or not) fall on the beat

 

for example

 

First off, the first note starts after a 5/8th rest (an 1/8 rest followed by a half rest)

 

 

I would notate that the other way around with the 1/2 rest followed by the 1/8 rest because the 1/8 rest lands on the third beat of the measure

 

 

Then I have a note that is 7/8th long. I could tie an eight note to a whole note

 

 

Einstein's "dotted quarter note tied over the bar line to a half note" works perfectly fine but it could also be a 1/8 note tied to a 1/4 so, visually, the 1/4 note starts right on beat four of the measure - this may not be the best way or even an accepted way of doing it but not being a very good sight reader, I find that having the written notes or rests start right on a beat makes it a lot easier for me to follow.

[Jon Chappell]

Einstein's "dotted quarter note tied over the bar line to a half note" works perfectly fine but it could also be a 1/8 note tied to a 1/4 so, visually, the 1/4 note starts right on beat four of the measure - this may not be the best way or even an accepted way of doing it but not being a very good sight reader, I find that having the written notes or rests start right on a beat makes it a lot easier for me to follow.

 

I know what you're saying about "showing the beat," even if the note is tied from a previous one, but A. Einstein is correct here with the 8th rest and dotted-quarter-note solution, because it occurs on the strong beat (beat 3, the second half of the measure in 4/4). In that case, it's okay to use an 8th/dotted-8th scheme (in any combination of notes and rests), rather than employing a tie for the note that's three 8ths long.

 

However, your way would be right, if, say, the rhythmic combination in question fell on beat 2. Then the use of the tie would show the strong beat (beat 3) on the second half of the bar.

 

In other words:

 

 

So for Jeff Leites's particular situation, A. Einstein's solution is the best.

[onelife]

 

However, your way would be right, if, say, the rhythmic combination in question fell on beat 2. Then the use of the tie would show the strong beat (beat 3) on the second half of the bar. So for Jeff Leites's particular situation, A. Einstein's solution is the best.

 

 

that makes sense and it looks a lot neater as well - less cluttered and easier to follow - even for me

[Jeff Leites]

This is the way I did it. I don't remember what the deal was on the 7/8 note. I must have counted wrong, or something. Looks like it turned out to be 11/8th

At any rate, I scored it with PowerTab, and I eventually got the entire tune scored with timing that matches the metronome when the midi is activated, and it passed the "score checker".

 

p.s. The word I couldn't think of in my original post was "transcribe".

 

1st 16 measures:

[Jon Chappell]

Jeff,

 

This is interesting to see. The rhythms are clear enough in their meaning for anyone used to notation and rhythm, but in bars 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, and 15, they are written incorrectly. The program should NOT be notating these figures this way, and Finale and Sibelius don't do it this way by default.

 

The correct way to notate the incorrect rhythms is as follows (measure numbers in circles):

 

 

Note that the redrawn rhythms show the strong rhythms and beats through ties (similar to what onelife was talking about earlier). Note too that the last three 8ths notes in a bar can be written as a flagged 8th + 2 beamed 8ths (m. 1), or three beamed 8ths (m. 2). Most pro publishing house styles (Hal Leonard, Alfred/Warner, Music Sales, Cherry Lane, etc.) opt for the latter, but I've shown it both ways as both are acceptable.

[Jeff Leites]

Jeff, This is interesting to see. The rhythms are clear enough in their meaning for anyone used to notation and rhythm, but in bars 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, and 15, they are written incorrectly. The program should NOT be notating these figures this way, and Finale and Sibelius don't do it this way by default.

 

The program didn't notate it that way. In PowerTab, the user (me) writes the tablature, and selects the notation for each note from a pallet for the timing. So any violations of score writing rules are on me But as I said, I had the program play it as a midi, and it came out the way I wanted it to. Besides, the guy in Holland that asked me for the tabs won't know the difference

[Goobers]

The program didn't notate it that way. In PowerTab, the user (me) writes the tablature, and selects the notation for each note from a pallet for the timing. So any violations of score writing rules are on me But as I said, I had the program play it as a midi, and it came out the way I wanted it to. Besides, the guy in Holland that asked me for the tabs won't know the difference

 

humans aren't MIDI. What Jon is talking about is what makes it legible to humans, by showing each beat.