Snare drum notation
I've run across a series of measures I don't know how to enter for a snare drum.
This measure is in 2/4 time and you are seeing 4 triplets that make up the measure. This is very clear from previous measures, but they are so messy they would be more difficult to read. The problem is how to make the stems alternate directions on each drum stroke. If this were a pitched instrument using voices would make this simple, but I don't think that's an option on a drum staff.
As a side note, I was rather surprised when I saw the edit drum set window. I thought I had clicked the wrong thing at first. I think the handbook probably needs some updating to document the improved drum features.
Comments
Old scores like that can be quite confusing, particularly with such a wide range of variation in notation styles.
Rather than being triplets, it is 4 1/16th notes, 8th note, 2 16th notes. The 16th notes are simply flammed in an alternating pattern.
The way the score is notated is a very old style where the composer was intending to communicate which hand the notes should be played on - stems down indicate it should be played on the right hand, notes with stems up should be played on the left hand.
Here are 3 variants:
![Screen Shot 2018-07-04 at 4.30.25 PM.png]( "Screen Shot 2018-07-04 at 4.30.25 PM.png")
1 - As written in the original score (no longer commonly used)
2 - As should be notated without sticking
3 - As should be notated with sticking
I am curious about the context of the original score, is it for a military band or something similar? The reason I ask is that sticking definitions are most common in marching and military bands where there are multiple performers on the same instrument and the definitions provide both a uniform look and consistent tone.
More common is that composers of works intended for the professional level leave sticking up to the discretion of the performer, unless there is a highly specific sound they are looking for.
One last point about the percussion staff. The original was a 5 line staff and example in MuseScore is on a single line. Both are considered correct.
A single line is used for purposes of efficiency, in terms of both vertical space used in the score and simplification of part. Single line is used in MuseScore by default.
5 line staff for snare drum is used for 2 reasons.
Historically it was often used because of methods where printing of the staff lines on paper was separate from the printing or writing of the notation. All staffs were 5 lines, so you used them.
Presently they are used more for marching percussion where there is a wider range of possible articulations, accessories, etc. that can make good use of a full staff.
In reply to Old scores like that can be… by Daniel
This is taken from Movement III of the Caucasian Sketches by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. As I stated in my initial post, this is absolutely triplets and not some sort of grace notes. The measure before shows the triplet markings with the identical notes, it's just so messy that it is difficult to read. Here's a link to the IMSLP page.
I'm very familiar with the workings of MuseScore and would normally be the person answering this question if it were not on a percussion staff. I know that older classical music always uses 5 lines staves and they even use pitched clefs, on the other hand single instrument percussion staves in MuseScore default to a single line staff as in your example.
If I could define the same instrument to two different notes on the staff, this would be easy to notate, but I don't know if or how this can be done. I have the option of notating it in a more straightforward manner (3 notes beamed together) but I prefer to keep the original notation if possible.
In reply to This is taken from Movement… by mike320
Made in 2.3; should be possible in all 2.x versions:
![273967_snare_drum_two_voices_sticking.png]( "273967_snare_drum_two_voices_sticking.png")
It takes some effort to get it right, but afterwards copy-paste can be of use to minimize the workload involved.
See attached file for step-by-step instructions and example.
In reply to Made in 2.3; should be… by jeetee
I didn't think about something as simple as swapping voices. This is what I would have done if it was on a pitched staff.
Thank you!
Ok, now after looking at the full score in context, it is MUCH clearer.
Firstly, I see exactly why it would be assumed that it was a snare drum in quickly glancing at it. I was confused at first until I went back in the score.
This score is mixing languages all over the place - French, Russian, Italian, even Polonized names. So, while the markings in that section look like the would say "Tambour" when looking at them, which would mean snare drum, it is actually "Tamb. or", short for "Tamburo orientale" and also "Taburino orientale Daira". Super confusing. There is also a reason in notation why this distinction is important. Will get to that in a minute.
So, jumping back to the beginning of the movement, it lists the percussion instruments as:
Timpani E.H. = Timpani in E and B
Tamburo orientale = Chinese drum
Timpani piccolo orientale = timplipito
Tamburino orientale Daira = Dayreh
Here is the example in MuseScore sort of close to the original.
For this, I added a Chinese Tom-Tom for the Chinese Drum and modified (limitations here made actually understand some additional areas and ways we can improve percussion).
So, this is sort of close.
About the distinction in stem direction and playing technique, considering how they would correspond with left and right, there is a pretty cool realization. In the case of the Dayreh, there is not only the sound that is made from striking the dum, but there are jingles on the drum that articulate with the movement required to alternate between striking the drum with the different hand. This articulates in the spaces between, which is a pretty cool effect. I'm not familiar with this piece and haven't heard a recording, but trying to understand the intent here is pretty interesting.
Anyway, hope that is helpful in some way.
In reply to Ok, now after looking at the… by Daniel
While entering the score, my first concern is notation with some consideration for sound on playback. I wonder if I should actually assign a different sound to the voice 2 notes on both of the oriental drums. The measure I was asking about with the most notes is the Chinese Drum, which seems to have only one sound, so I'm left to believe the notation in this piece indicates which hand is used. The dayreh with the two sounds only has one measure with that notation then most of the notes after that are all the same, at least through about 90 measures. Of course with the multitude of other editorial mistakes it possible the two instruments lines are switched.
I did notice the different languages used throughout the piece and continually have to do a double take to assure I am working with the correct instrument. I now have two concerns. 1. should I use one voice to to sound like a struck tamburine, which is the closest to the sound of the dayreh with the bells and the other to sound like a tenor drum, which is probably the closest to the drums with no jingle. 2. Do I need to switch the instrument lines since they seem to be switched on the score?
I've run across the oriental piccolo timpani before and a high pitched timpani sound is close enough to work for playback.