[ddots-l] FW: How to write four part vocal arrangement where some voices move and some don't
- From: "Kevin Gibbs" <kevjazz@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:03:34 -0500
For all my friends at ddots-l, here is the answer from a sighted guy who
really knows his stuff. Read all the way down.
K.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jimmy Lockett [mailto:poppajol@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 3:25 PM
To: Kevin Gibbs
Subject: Re: How to write four part vocal arrangement where some voices move
and some don't
Kevin:
If understand the figure correctly, I don't really think you need to add
extra staves for a chorus to be able to read what you said. If a syllable
has a quarter note in one voice and two eighth notes in a second voice then
all you have to do is write the syllable once under the figure and the
singers will know what you mean.
If I see eighth notes in voice two under quarter notes in voice one, and
that figure is written for beats one and two, then both voices have quarter
notes on beats three and four, this is a familiar figure to choral singers.
They won't even hesitate over it. You just align the syllables with the
quarter notes and make sure the stems are pointed correctly (voice one stems
up and voice two stems down) the voice two singers will automatically hold
that syllable through the note changes. This is basic mellisma and all
choral singers have been seeing that since the Renaissance. Your figures
would need to be a lot more complicated than this before you need to add
staves or anything like that.
Hope this is what you mean.
Be Well,
Jimmy
On 10/24/07, Kevin Gibbs <kevjazz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Jimmy,
I kind of suspected most of what you said. However, it doesn't
completely explain what I should do in the case where the soprano has four
quarter notes on four syllables and the other three parts have two eighths
on the first syllable two eighths on the second syllable and a quarter for
each of the third and fourth syllables in a bar. This is consistent for the
same measure in all three verses.
Thanks,
Kevin
-----Original Message-----
From: Jimmy Lockett [mailto: poppajol@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:poppajol@xxxxxxxxx>
]
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 5:51 PM
To: Kevin Gibbs
Subject: Re: How to write four part vocal arrangement where some voices move
and some don't
Kevin:
There are several acceptable options depending on the music. Most of the
time in choral music people are given the full chorus part for everybody.
(Maybe you already know this, if so, pardon the explanation). It's not like
musicians who get individual parts for each instrument. The chorus usually
sees all the parts. In the Musical theater this will usually be without the
keyboard part but in formal chorale and classical music, there will often be
some sort of keyboard part - maybe a reduction of the orchestra score. In
your case, it's an organ part so it would be included (except in the
theatre).
Having the full chorus part is actually very helpful in rehearsal since, in
a choir section, there is almost always at least one person who is a good
sight singer (sometimes several - a lot of choristers are good sight
singers). By the time the director has finished teaching the soprano part,
the others are well on the way to having theirs down. Choir directors are
used to this and, depending on how well s/he knows the group, will often say
to the Basses (usually taught last), "OK you guys got it?" without even
teaching the part. S/He can hear them working on it softly while teaching
the others. This is considered quite acceptable in a chorus and, to some
degree is even expected. I can tell you from lots of experience that this is
much easier to do when you can see all the voices. In fact, I don't ever
remember seeing individual vocal parts with only the single line of that
voice. To a chorister that would be pretty weird and it would be hard to
follow where you are. Choral singes don't think like regular musicians at
all in that regard (again, maybe you know all this).
Choruses are also used to the parts splitting in the score so that part of
the time there are two voices on one line and then they split into larger
systems when the parts get complicated. Choral parts often explode from four
staves to six or eight if the part will be easier to read that way. So you
could have each staff with the verses below, then split when needed with
verses below each new and old staff. Also, you will sometimes see, for
example the Tenor and Bass sharing lyrics when the vocal parts are
rhythmically similar. So, the lyrics are actually between the two staves.
This looks quite clear and is easy to read but it doesn't sound like it will
apply in your case.
Hope that's clear and gets to your actual question.
Be Well,
Jimmy
On 10/24/07, Kevin Gibbs <kevjazz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Jimmy,
What should the parts look like? If you're doing an SATB and organ
score, should the individual vocal parts have only one melodic line per
system and three verses below?
Thanks,
Kevin
-----Original Message-----
From: Jimmy Lockett [mailto: poppajol@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:poppajol@xxxxxxxxx>
]
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 12:53 PM
To: Kevin Gibbs
Subject: Re: How to write four part vocal arrangement where some voices move
and some don't
Kevin:
In my opinion, the best way to do that is to split the voices onto two
staves, especially if there is more than one verse. It is entirely proper to
write text above and below the same staff for clarity when there is one
verse but it makes no sense to do that with three verses. You can
temporarily split the staves if you think it will be more convenient but the
ultimate determinant is always clarity for the reader. Whatever choice you
make must be from that basis. If the template doesn't work, you have to
change it or create a new one.
Hope this helps.
Be well,
Jimmy
On 10/23/07, Kevin Gibbs <kevjazz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear All,
I want to write a four part choral arrangement where some of the
voices move while singing the same syllable and others sing a single note
over that same syllable. If you're writing an SATB arrangement and you
choose the choir template so that each of the choir staves has voice one and
voice two, how do you write the verses under the text if one voice per staff
is moving where the other is stationary? Do you solve the problem by
writing the upper voice above the staff and the lower voice below the staff?
If that's the case, what happens if you have three verses to the song?
Any help would be appreciated.
Kevin
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