Understanding the notation on a Zappa t-shirt
I went to watch a double-header performance in Nashville which consisted of "Zappa Plays Zappa" (Frank Zappa's son, playing both his own and his dad's equally-awesome material) followed by "Return To Forever IV" (Chick Corea and friends).
Interlude: O ... M ... G !!! :-O (If any tickets, anywhere, are still to be had for that show, buy them!!!!!!
Ahem. Now, back to my regularly-scheduled T-shirt, which I bought from the Zappa part of the show.
On this shirt is a single measure consisting of: two consecutive 5-tuplets, a 6-tuplet, and two consecutive 11-tuplets.
Neither a time-signature nor a key-signature is included.
Over the top of first three tuplets, but not the last two, I find an additional square bracket which reads: 3:2b, where the “b” that I have written here is, in fact, the symbol of a quarter-note.
Each of the three tuplets in question consist of sixteenth-notes. Five of them, five of them, then six of them. Just as they should be. Three tuplets in all, obviously the 3:, but what about the :2b
Is this, as I hazard to guess, meant to represent a change of time-signature for those notes only, i.e. within the compass of a single measure? That you are to play these three tuples in 3:2 time, but the remaining two 11-tuples in standard time (whatever that may be)?
Comments
If I get what you picture right I think it mean 3 quarters in the time of 2 and it's a 4/4 measure. See file attached to be opened with MuseScore 1.1. Forget about the melody :) it's random notes.
In reply to If I get what you picture by [DELETED] 5
No, that's not quite what the passage looks like. (I'm not sure that MuseScore can draw it.)
Where you have a square bracket, beneath the stave, the T-shirt has a square bracket of the same compass [i]above[/i] the stave. Where you have the label,3, the shirt has the label 3:2 b (where "b" is a quarter-note symbol as above).
My gut interpretation, as to what this symbology is most likely to mean, is that these three tuplets are to be played as though they were in "3/2 time" even though they do not encompass a single measure as-written. Of course, I have no practical way to equate this to an actual sound-bite. I have no "actual-performance reference" available.
In reply to No, that's not quite what the by mrobinson
I don't know why you want to mess with 3/2 time... :). This music is complex enough without time signature changes. It definately mean play 3 quarters in the time of two and then divide them it 5,5,6.
Your Tshirt is measure 29 of The Black Page #2. Even if this transcription does't have the 3:2b notation. I guess it's more arty on a tshirt. You are right about the fact that MuseScore can't do it (yet) but not because of the 3:2b stuff but only because of the second part of the measure and the subbeam (next version will solve this).
Source : http://www.zappa.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19683
See file attached.
In reply to I don't know why you want to by [DELETED] 5
:-D
I knew that there would be a "Zappa-head" lurking around these parts who would recognize it and be able to place it into a particular line of a particular song. The forum-post that you link to is quite interesting indeed.
I would very much if you could explain in some more detail what this would sound like, and when you refer to “the sub-beam,” exactly what portion of the phrase are you referring to? I see that you managed to produce a close rendition of the visual appearance within MuseScore ... can you please explain how you did that, even if it doesn't currently affect playback?
Would it be correct, as I think that it is, to say the following?
Is this the thing that will become available in an upcoming MuseScore version? If so: “Very Cool...”
Does Zappa ever discuss using technical aids such as these in scoring, planning, or realizing the very complicated music that he writes and performs?
In reply to Yup, that's it ... by mrobinson
The only missing feature in MuseScore to render this measure is sub beam on the beat 3 and 4 in the 11uplet. As you can see the 11 32nd notes are not joined together but with only grouped by 2,3,6 using only one beam.
All the rest is OK, and the playback should be pretty accurate now that the notes are in.
Whereas in ordinary triplet notation a 3 would mean that you are to play three things (whatever they are...) in the space of one beat, the notation 3:2 means that you are to play three things in the space of two beats.
That's wrong. The ordinary triplet notation 3 always mean 3 in the time of two. A triplet of 3 8th notes? 3 8th notes in the time of two. 3:2 or 3:2b is just a more fancy way of writing it or in this case, it's to make it more clear. As you can see in the other sheet music, they didn't bother.
The way to do it in MuseScore 1.1.
In reply to The only missing feature in by [DELETED] 5
(blink...)
(MuseScore can do that? I've never even heard of those opt...
Okay, that settles it.
The Implementors Of MuseScore (ommmm...) are “Gods Beyond All Mortal Ken.”
;-)
In reply to Yup, that's it ... by mrobinson
As for what it sounds like, the notation is actually pretty clear, in that you can see each beat quite clearly except for the 3:2 beats. Mostly, it sounds like a blur of notes: as many crammed into the beat as indicated. In the case of the 3:2 beats, just imagine all those notes crammed into two beats. In practice, there is virtually no way any human being could either play or hear the distinction between 5, 5, 6 played 3:2 - which works out to 16 notes played in two beats - versus just plain thirty-second notes. Except perhaps at incredibly slow tempos. But for the record, if it were to be pulled off accurately, it would sound like the first ten 32nd notes were dragged very slightly and then the next six rushed equally slightly.
In reply to As for what it sounds like, by Marc Sabatella
Yes, there is no question that what the musical score is actually describing would be heard only as "a blur of sound," not as a distinct succession of individual notes.
I have heard this described in other circles as "textured half-notes." In other words, a complex sound most closely correlating to "a longer note," but audibly consisting as a texture made up of shorter ones, often varying slightly in pitch.