Chord Symbols in Jazz Band Arrangements
I'm arranging a song for a jazz band, and is it better for read/playability to have both staves of piano, one notated with the notes that make up the chords and one with the melody, or have just the melody stave, and write chord symbols on top of it? Occasionally the piano is just playing chords, so I assume I'd have to put in slashes, what is that like for read/playability?
Comments
There is usually little benefit in showing two staves on a piano part in a jazz arrangement if you aren't actually writing out music to be played in full. There's nothing wrong with switching back and forth between single staff with either melodic line and chord symbols or slashes and chord symbols, and then other places that are fully notated. Having two staves where one has melodic material and the other has just slashes is certainly possible, but no real advantage usually - it usually just makes the chart takes more pages. If you can do that and still keep it to three pages or four pages, no real harm. But if it's the difference between the music fitting on the stand without needing to turn pages versus not, definitely, go with the single staff where possible.
See the Handbook section on "Tools" to learn how to enter slash notation. Assuming you write it in ways musicians are accustomed to reading, it's quite readable & playable for musicians experienced in that style.
To have the part go to a single staff where appropriate, use Staff/Part Properties to set "Hide when empty" to "Always".
In reply to There is usually little… by Marc Sabatella
Wow, thank you so much for such a detailed answer! It was really helpful!