Music Preparation Guidelines

for Orchestral M

usic

Prepared by theM

ajor Orchestra Librarians’ Association Publication Com

mittee

Music Preparation G

uidelinesfor O

rchestral Music

Prepared by theM

ajor Orchestra Librarians’ Association Publication Com

mittee

1993 EditionClin

ton F. N

ieweg, P

hilad

elphia O

rchestra •

David

Barto

lotta, San

Francisco

Ballet •

Peter C

onover, H

ousto

n Sym

phony •

Gary C

orrin

,To

ronto

Symphony •

Marcia Farab

ee, Natio

nal Sym

phony •

JohnG

rande, Metrop

olitan Opera •

Robert M

. Gro

ssman

, Philad

elphia

Orch

estra • P

aul G

unth

er, Min

neso

ta Orch

estra • Jam

es Kortz, St.

Pau

l Cham

ber O

rchestra •

Mary C

. Plain

e, Baltim

ore Sym

phony •

Rosem

ary Sum

mers, M

etropolitan

Opera •

Lawren

ce Tarlo

w, N

ewYork P

hilh

armonic •

John V

an W

inkle, San

Francisco

Symphony

Revised in 2001Jo

hn C

ampbell, San

Francisco

Symphony •

Russ G

irsberger, N

ewEnglan

d C

onservato

ry • M

argo H

odgso

n, N

ational A

rts Cen

treO

rchestra •

Caro

l Lasley, Florid

a Philh

armonic •

Cath

y Miller, T

he

U.S. A

rmy Field

Ban

d •

Patrick

Zw

ick, U

tah Sym

phony

Revised in 2006Step

hen

Biagin

i, Los A

ngeles P

hilh

armonic •

Russ G

irsberger, N

ewEnglan

d C

onservato

ry • K

azue M

cGrego

r, Los A

ngeles P

hilh

armonic

• C

linton F. Niew

eg, Philadelphia O

rchestra (retired) • G

regory Vaught,San

Anto

nio

Symphony •

Justin

Vib

bard

, Florid

a West C

oast Sym

phony

Additional PublicationsThe p

ublicatio

ns co

mm

ittee of M

OLA

has p

repared

two o

ther

bro

chures en

titled:

What is M

OLA? A G

uide tothe M

ajor Orchestra Librarians’ Association

and

The Orchestra Librarian: A Career Introduction

For Fu

rther In

form

ation ab

out M

OLA

visit our w

ebsite at:

ww

w.m

ola-inc.org

The Major O

rchestraLibrarians’ Association

The primary goals of the M

ajor Orchestra Librarians’ Association (MOLA)

are to improve com

munication am

ong orchestra librarians, to provide supportand inform

ation to the orchestra administrations, to present a unified voice in

publisher relations, and to assist fellow librarians in providing better service totheir orchestras.

MOLA is an international organization that includes libraries from

symphony orchestras, opera and ballet com

panies, professional bands andensem

bles, and educational institutions. Our mem

bership includes musical

organizations in North, Central, and South America, Europe, the M

iddle East,Africa, Asia, and Australia.

MOLA periodically invites representatives from

music publishers to its

annual conferences in order to address the publication and condition ofprinted m

usical materials. This collaborative effort has led to the form

ation ofthe M

OLA/Publisher Comm

ittee.

MOLA is represented on the M

LA (Music Library Association) / M

PA(M

usic Publishers’ Association) / MOLA Joint Com

mittee. In addition, M

OLAhas cultivated relationships with other m

usic service organizations. Theseinclude the International Association of M

usic Librarians, the American

Symphony Orchestra League, the Am

erican Federation of Musicians, the

International Conference of Symphony and Opera M

usicians, and theRegional Orchestra Players’ Association

For further information, contact the orchestra librarian at your local

symphony, opera, or ballet orchestra or visit the M

OLA website at:w

ww

.mola-inc.org

ProofreadingIt is m

andatory that prior to repro-duction the parts be proofread by aqualified professional proofreader andNOT only the com

poser or the copyist whoprepared the parts. Please do not expectorchestra librarians to provide additionalproofreading services.

Formatting and Binding

In North America, the parts should be

prepared within an image area of no less

than 8 x 11 inches on paper at least 9.5 x12.5 inches. These m

inimum

require-m

ents leave a 0.75 inch margin sur-

rounding the image area. A com

mon

page size among m

any publishers is 10 x13 inches. Parts larger than 11 x 14inches are inconvenient and unwieldy.

If using the ISO A and B series paperform

ats, parts should be prepared withinan im

age area of 170mm

x 257mm

onpaper no sm

aller than A4. These mini-

mum

requirements leave a 40m

m m

arginsurrounding the im

age area. Comm

onpage sizes am

ong publishers who use theISO paper sizes are A4 and B4. W

hile A4parts are considered the m

inimum

, paperlarger than A4, such as B4, is preferredand recom

mended am

ong librarians.Likewise, parts larger than B4 areinconvenient and unwieldy.

Regardless of what paper size is used,parts should be reproduced with m

usicprinted on both sides of the page.

Parts and scores should be bound sothat they lie flat on the stand. Plasticcom

b or coil binding may be used for

scores but not for parts. Multiple page

parts can be set into signatures and saddlestitched or stapled at the spine. Anotherm

ethod uses a single strip of flexible clothtape affixed to the left m

argin of the part.(Tape m

anufacturers include VitalPresentation Concepts Inc.[www.vpcinc.com

] and 3-M Corporation’s

Micropore surgical tape [www.3m

.com].)

All pages should be attached to the centerspine. Loose pages should be taped orattached to the center m

argin of the spine.Accordion fold parts (single-sided sheetstaped side-to-side) are not acceptable.

BibliographyPowell, Steven. M

usic EngravingToday: The Art and Practice of D

igitalN

otesetting. New York: Brichtmark M

usic,2002.Ross, Ted. The Art of M

usic Engrav-ing and Processing: A Com

pleteM

anual, Reference and Text Book onPreparing M

usic for Reproduction andPrint. 2nd ed., M

iami, Fla.: Charles

Hansen, 1970.Solom

on, Samuel Z. H

ow to W

ritefor Percussion: A Com

prehensive Guideto Percussion Com

position. New York:SZSolom

on, 2002.Stone, Kurt. M

usic Notation in the

Twentieth Century: A Practical Guide-

book. New York: W. W. Norton, 1980.

MO

LA Guidelinesfor M

usic Preparation

IntroductionThese guidelines for the preparation

of music scores and parts are the result of

many hours of discussion regarding the

creation and layout of performance

material that has com

e through ourlibraries. W

e realize that each music

publisher has its own set of guidelines form

usic engraving. We wish to encourage

music publishers to work together to

standardize those guidelines. In them

eantime, we would like to express our

thoughts regarding the preparation ofnew m

usic in the hope that an agreement

about format m

ay be reached.

Use of the Computer

Advantages and Disadvantages

With the advent of com

puter softwarefor com

posing and arranging music, it is

possible to produce clear and readablem

usic from a desktop printer. M

usicpublishers and professional com

posersand arrangers are creating scores andparts that are as functional and beautifulas traditionally engraved m

usic.The technology allows the com

poseror the copyist to enter the m

usic into thescore through various m

eans, includingelectronic (M

IDI) instruments. Once the

score is completed, individual parts are

extracted, transposed, formatted, and

printed, saving countless hours of work.This technology provides a great level offlexibility for editing, reproducing, andstoring m

usic.These advantages can com

e withhazards, however. For exam

ple, if theediting process of a new work continuesafter the parts have been prepared anddistributed to the m

usicians, this willrequire additional work by com

posers,copyists, and librarians to keep up withrevisions in the com

position and providean accurate and suitable set of parts. Also,as digital storage and distribution ofm

usic data files becomes m

ore comm

on,there is the danger that the librarian willbe obliged to assum

e the role of music

publisher, expected to print, duplicate,and bind all of the sheet m

usic. Not alllibraries have the facilities, staff, or tim

eto accom

modate these projects, and while

librarians can advise on the format and

layout of printed music, they should not

be expected to act as a surrogate pub-lisher.Nonetheless, whether a score ishandwritten or produced from

a desktopprinter, there are com

mon, specific

elements that m

ake this music readable,

and ultimately usable by m

usicians.

The ScoreCoverAlthough each m

usic publisher willhave its own publication guidelines and

Instrumental Part Readability

The most readable staff size for all

instruments is 8.5 m

m (m

easured fromthe bottom

to the top of the staff).Although 8.0 m

m is readable for winds, it is

less so for strings. Wind players can read

music from

staves that measure 7.5 m

m,

but this is very problematic for string

players. Anything smaller than 7.0 m

m is

unacceptable for orchestral parts. Anythinglarger than 8.5 m

m should be avoided, as it

is distracting to players.M

easure (bar) numbers should

appear at the beginning of the firstm

easure of each line. Numbering each

measure should be avoided, except in the

case of multiple m

easures rest, wherem

easure number ranges are helpful (e.g.,

“27–117”).In hand-copied parts it is recom

-m

ended that all stems, beam

s, and barlines be ruled with a straightedge,especially m

ultiple-staff harp andkeyboard parts.

Logical cues are expected duringlong period of rest, the cues beingtransposed to the reading key of theinstrum

ent. Cues must be audible to the

musician reading the part.

Tempo and m

eter changes must

shown on all parts, even during periods ofextended rest. The use of “Tacet until. . .”is not acceptable.

Specific Suggestions• Clefs and key signatures m

ust appear atthe beginning of each line.

• Parts for transposing instruments m

ustbe written in the proper key.

• Harp pedaling should be left to theperform

er.

• The Timpani part should NOT be

included in the percussion part.

• Percussion parts may be in score form

or individual instrumental parts. Each

has its advantages depending on therequirem

ents of the music. It is preferable

to consult with an experienced orchestralpercussionist. In the case of a work writtenon com

mission, consult with the principal

percussionist of that orchestra.

• Percussion instruments should be

notated on the staff from high to low,

according to their relative pitch. Thesepositions m

ust be maintained consistently

throughout the work. A notation keyprinted at the beginning of the part m

aybe helpful to the player.

• If any parts are reproduced with apopular transposition (for exam

ple, Hornin E-flat transposed for Horn in F), a partin the original key should also beincluded with the set.

• Care should be taken with the use of theabbreviations 8va and 8va basso, avoidingtheir use if possible.

style requirements, there is som

e informa-

tion that is important to see on the cover

of any score. The title of the work and thenam

e of the composer should be printed

prominently on the cover and spine of the

score. If applicable, the name of the

arranger should appear, but need not beas prom

inent as the title and composer.

Additionally, the name and address of the

publisher should be easily located.

Front Matter (Title Page,

Preface, etc.)There should be a page at the

beginning of the work that provides basicinform

ation about the composition. This

should include a list of the full instru-m

entation, identifying any doublings, thekeys of transposing instrum

ents (clari-nets, horns, and trum

pets), and allpercussion instrum

ents.An indication of how m

any percus-sionists will be required is helpful, thougheach orchestra m

ay or may not adhere to

that number. Any special equipm

ent,synthesizer settings, or other electronickeyboard requirem

ents should be notedhere, as well as on the cover page of theinstrum

ent’s part. These instructionsshould be as specific and understandableas possible. Any special instructions for“prepared instrum

ents” or other uncom-

mon instrum

ents should also be notedhere, as well as on the cover page of theinstrum

ent involved. Any special staginginstructions should also be m

entioned onthis or a subsequent page. Detailed

diagrams are helpful to illustrate particu-

larly complex staging. If there are

deviations from standard m

usicalnotation, an explanation should appearfollowing the instrum

entation page.The full title of the work should be

printed as it would appear in a formal

concert program, to include appropriate

capitalization and diacritical markings,

along with movem

ent titles in their properorder. There should be an approxim

ateduration given for each m

ovement and a

total duration for the work.

The Music

At the beginning of the musical score,

the full name of each instrum

ent should belisted to the left of the correspondingsystem

. On subsequent pages, abbreviationsof the instrum

ent names should be used.

All instructions for tempi and

dynamics should be in a conventional

language such as English, Italian,Germ

an, or French. All tempo indica-

tions should appear above the top staffand above the first violin line on eachscore page.

Each measure (bar) should be

numbered, beginning anew with each

movem

ent. Placement of m

easurenum

bers should be the same throughout

the work, i.e. above, below, or on a specialline of the grand staff, such as above thefirst violins. If rehearsal letters are used,they should correspond to landm

arks inthe m

usic and must be used in conjunc-

tion with measure num

bers.

Score ReadabilityIf traditional engraving or com

puteroutput is not possible, it is preferable toproduce a com

pleted score done in ink.(Pencil is acceptable, but the publisherm

ust provide some kind of quality

control for the final outcome of the

reproduction.) This should be done oneither vellum

or opaque paper andclearly reproduced, back to back on thepage. Right-hand pages m

ust be odd-num

bered and left-hand pages must be

even-numbered in the top right or left

corner of the page.The score should be proofread by the

composer and a professional proofreader

before it is presented for reproduction.

Instrumental Parts

General

Standard music notation practice

should be observed and any deviation fromthe standard should be clearly explainedprior to the first page of m

usic. The front ofeach part should clearly identify thecom

poser, title of the work, and instrument,

including doublings and key(s) oftransposing instrum

ents where appropri-ate. Percussion parts should include a listof the instrum

ents required.It is preferable to have com

pletecom

puter-generated parts, which shouldnot have any handwritten additions. If theparts are written by hand, they m

ust becopied legibly in black ink, using an italicor technical pen. Right-hand pages m

ust

be odd-numbered and left-hand pages

must be even-num

bered in the top rightor left corner of the page.

Avoid creating wind parts that havem

ultiple parts on a single stave (e.g.,Flutes 1 and 2 should be separate parts).String parts should be created with onepart per section. Com

plicated stringdivisions should be written on separatestaves. Avoid dividing the m

usic for thestring section into m

ultiple parts unlessnecessitated by m

ultiple and continuousdivision of the voices.

PaperThe paper for parts should be ofsubstantial quality to avoid show-through ofm

usic from the reverse side, to ensure

durability, and to stand up to on-stage windpatterns caused by ventilation system

s. Them

inimum

requirement is usually 60 or 70

lb. [100 gsm] offset paper.

The page layout should allowcom

fortable page turns. Fold out pagesshould be avoided or, if absolutely neces-sary, used sparingly.

Eight or ten-stave paper should beused for any instrum

ent that is subject tom

ultiple ledger lines. Twelve or fourteenstave paper m

ay be used as long assym

bols are not crowded and clarity of thenotational elem

ents is maintained.