Best way to notate a flourish of notes at end of song

• Jul 30, 2022 - 23:08

I need some advice please.

I'm transcribing a jazz guitar solo. The song ends on a sustained chord, followed by a flourish of notes that are out of time.

What's the best way to notate this? Is it simply to use a Caesura along with some text that says 'out of time'?

I was looking through my old copy of Music Notation by Mark McGrain (p112-113) and it says a fermata, caesura, or combination of both can be used.

Thanks in advance.


Comments

As far as I'm aware, the conventional way would be to use some combination of tuplets, grace notes, fermatas, or specific tempo instructions to approximate the actual timing. I know as a musician if I saw a series of notes with the instruction "out of time" and no other rhythmic information, I'd have no idea what to do with it.

The closest established thing I could think of to a "flourish," provided it's sufficiently quick and unbroken, would be a string of grace notes. Maybe someone else can be more helpful.

In reply to by Rose Egbert

The purpose of a jazz solo transcription is for study. I can't think of a situation where a guitarist would be asked to sight-read a note for note improvised solo. If one does wish to learn to play it, it's done both by studying a transcription as well as listening to a recording of the actual solo in order to capture the inflections which can never be accurately described with musical notation.

In reply to by dsw67

I agree, but you study the recording for the subtleties, not for the vaguest idea what to play in the first place. If I'm wishing the arranger had just left me a blank space on the staff to write down what's actually happening, then they didn't include enough information.

In reply to by Rose Egbert

I'm guessing English isn't your first language as I don't understand your reply.

I study recordings for many reasons. One being able to duplicate the performance on my instrument. Second, being able to capture the performance using notation to the best of my ability. There is no 'arranger' for a transcription for a jazz guitar solo. It's not meant to be handed out to a band to sight read.

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