Music Preparation Guidelinesfor Orchestral Music

Prepared by theMajor Orchestra Librarians’ Association

Publication Committee

Music Preparation Guidelinesfor Orchestral Music

Prepared by theMajor Orchestra Librarians’ Association

Publication Committee

1993 EditionClinton F. Nieweg, Philadelphia Orchestra • David Bartolotta, SanFrancisco Ballet • Peter Conover, Houston Symphony • Gary Corrin,Toronto Symphony • Marcia Farabee, National Symphony • JohnGrande, Metropolitan Opera • Robert M. Grossman, PhiladelphiaOrchestra • Paul Gunther, Minnesota Orchestra • James Kortz, St.Paul Chamber Orchestra • Mary C. Plaine, Baltimore Symphony •Rosemary Summers, Metropolitan Opera • Lawrence Tarlow, NewYork Philharmonic • John Van Winkle, San Francisco Symphony

Revised in 2001John Campbell, San Francisco Symphony • Russ Girsberger, NewEngland Conservatory • Margo Hodgson, National Arts CentreOrchestra • Carol Lasley, Florida Philharmonic • Cathy Miller, TheU.S. Army Field Band • Patrick Zwick, Utah Symphony

Revised in 2004Stephen Biagini, Los Angeles Philharmonic • Russ Girsberger, NewEngland Conservatory • Kazue McGregor, Los Angeles Philharmonic• Clinton F. Nieweg, Philadelphia Orchestra (retired) • Greg Vaught,San Antonio Symphony

Additional PublicationsThe publications committee of MOLA has prepared two other

brochures entitled:

What is MOLA? A Guide tothe Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association

andThe Orchestra Librarian: A Career Introduction

For Further Information about MOLA visit our website at:

www.mola-inc.org

The Major OrchestraLibrarians’ Association

The primary goals of the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association (MOLA)are to improve communication among orchestra librarians, to provide supportand information to the orchestra administrations, to present a unified voice inpublisher relations, and to assist fellow librarians in providing better service totheir orchestras.

MOLA is an international organization that includes libraries fromsymphony orchestras, opera and ballet companies, professional bands andensembles, and educational institutions. Our membership includes musicalorganizations in North, Central, and South America, Europe, the Middle East,Asia, and Australia.

MOLA periodically invites representatives from music publishers to itsannual conferences in order to address the publication and condition ofprinted musical materials. This collaborative effort has led to the formation ofthe MOLA/Publisher Committee.

MOLA is represented on the MLA (Music Library Association) / MPA(Music Publishers’ Association) / MOLA Joint Committee. In addition, MOLAhas cultivated relationships with other music service organizations. Theseinclude the International Association of Music Librarians, the AmericanSymphony Orchestra League, the American Federation of Musicians, theInternational Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, and theRegional Orchestra Players’ Association

For further information, contact the orchestra librarian at your localsymphony, opera, or ballet orchestra or visit the MOLA website at:

www.mola-inc.org

ProofreadingIt is mandatory that prior to repro-

duction the parts be proofread by aqualified professional proofreader andNOT only the composer or the copyist whoprepared the parts. Please do not expectorchestra librarians to provide additionalproofreading services.

Formatting and BindingThe parts should be prepared within

an image area of no less than 8 x 11inches on paper at least 9.5 x 12.5 inches.These minimum requirements leave a0.75 inch margin surrounding the imagearea. A common page size among manypublishers is 10 x 13 inches. Parts largerthan 11 x 14 inches are inconvenient andunwieldy. Parts should be reproduced withmusic printed on both sides of the page.

Parts and scores should be bound sothat they lay flat on the stand. Plasticcomb or coil binding may be used forscores but not for parts. Multiple pageparts can be set into signatures and saddlestitched or stapled at the spine. Anothermethod uses a single strip of flexible clothtape affixed to the left margin of the part.(Tape manufacturers include VitalPresentation Concepts Inc.[www.vpcinc.com] and 3-M Corporation’sMicropore surgical tape [www.3m.com].)Loose pages should be tipped in and tapedinto the center margin of the spine. Thereshould be no loose pages. Accordion foldparts (single-sided sheets taped side-to-side) are not acceptable.

BibliographyPowell, Steven. Music Engraving Today:

The Art and Practice of Digital Notesetting.New York: Brichtmark Music, 2002.

Ross, Ted. The Art of Music Engravingand Processing: A Complete Manual,Reference and Text Book on PreparingMusic for Reproduction and Print. 2nd ed.,Miami, Fla.: Charles Hansen, 1970.

Solomon, Samuel Z. How to Write forPercussion: A Comprehensive Guide toPercussion Composition. New York:SZSolomon, 2002.

Stone, Kurt. Music Notation in theTwentieth Century: A Practical Guidebook.New York: W. W. Norton, 1980.

MOLA Guidelinesfor Music Preparation

IntroductionThese guidelines for the preparation

of music scores and parts are the result ofmany hours of discussion regarding thecreation and layout of performancematerial that has come through ourlibraries. We realize that each musicpublisher has its own set of guidelines formusic engraving. We wish to encouragemusic publishers to work together tostandardize those guidelines. In themeantime, we would like to express ourthoughts regarding the preparation ofnew music in the hope that an agreementabout format may be reached.

Use of the ComputerAdvantages and Disadvantages

With the advent of computer softwarefor composing and arranging music, it ispossible to produce clear and readablemusic from a desktop printer. Musicpublishers and professional composersand arrangers are creating scores andparts that are as functional and beautifulas traditionally engraved music.

The technology allows the composeror the copyist to enter the music into thescore through various means, includingelectronic (MIDI) instruments. Once the

score is completed, individual parts areextracted, transposed, formatted, andprinted, saving countless hours of work.This technology provides a great level offlexibility for editing, reproducing, andstoring music.

These advantages can come withhazards, however. For example, if theediting process of a new work continuesafter the parts have been prepared anddistributed to the musicians, this willrequire additional work by composers,copyists, and librarians to keep up withrevisions in the composition and providean accurate and suitable set of parts.Also, as digital storage and distribution ofmusic data files becomes more common,there is the danger that the librarian willassume the role of music publisher,expected to print, duplicate, and bind allof the sheet music. Not all libraries havethe facilities, staff, or time to accommo-date these projects, and while librarianscan advise on the format and layout ofprinted music, they should not beexpected to act as a surrogate publisher.

Nonetheless, whether a score ishandwritten or produced from a desktopprinter, there are common, specificelements that make this music readable,and ultimately usable by musicians.

The ScoreCover

Although each music publisher willhave its own publication guidelines andstyle requirements, there is some

Instrumental Part Readability

The most readable staff size for allinstruments is 8.5 mm (measured fromthe bottom to the top of the staff).Although 8.0 mm is readable for winds, it isless so for strings. Wind players can readmusic from staves that measure 7.5 mm,but this is very problematic for stringplayers. Anything smaller than 7.0 mm isunacceptable for orchestral parts. Anythinglarger than 8.5 mm should be avoided, as itis distracting to players.

Measure (bar) numbers shouldappear at the beginning of the firstmeasure of each line. Numbering eachmeasure gets in the way and becomesconfusing in the parts. For multiplemeasures rest, measure number ranges arehelpful (e.g., “27–117” and so on).

In hand-copied parts it is recom-mended that all stems, beams, and barlines be ruled with a straightedge;especially multiple staff harp andkeyboard parts.

Logical cues are expected duringlong period of rest, the cues beingtransposed to the reading key of theinstrument. Cues must be audible to themusician reading the part.

Tempo and meter changes mustshown on all parts, even during periods ofextended rest. The use of “Tacet until. . .”is not acceptable.

Specific Suggestions• Clefs and key signatures must appear atthe beginning of each line.

• Parts for transposing instruments mustbe written in the proper key.

• Harp pedaling should be left to theperformer.

• The Timpani part should NOT beincluded in the percussion part.

• Percussion parts may be in score formor individual instrumental parts. Eachhas its advantages depending on therequirements of the music. It is preferableto consult with an experienced orchestralpercussionist. In the case of a work writtenon commission, consult with the principalpercussionist of that orchestra.

• Percussion instruments should benotated on the staff from high to low,according to their relative pitch. Thesepositions must be maintained consistentlythroughout the work. A notation keyprinted at the beginning of the part maybe helpful to the player.

• If any parts are reproduced with apopular transposition (for example, 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 8vb, avoiding theiruse if possible

information that is important to see onthe cover of any score. The title of thework and the name of the composershould be printed prominently on thecover and spine of the score. If applicable,the name of the arranger should appear,but need not be as prominent as the titleand composer. Additionally, the name andaddress of the publisher should be easilylocated.

Front Matter (Title Page,Preface, etc.)

There should be a page at thebeginning of the work that provides basicinformation about the composition. Thisshould include a list of the full instru-mentation, identifying any doublings, thekeys of transposing instruments (clari-nets, horns, and trumpets), and allpercussion instruments.

An indication of how many percus-sionists will be required is helpful, thougheach orchestra may or may not adhere tothat number. Any special equipment,synthesizer settings, or other electronickeyboard requirements should be notedhere, as well as on the cover page of theinstrument’s part. These instructionsshould be as specific and understandableas possible. Any special instructions for“prepared instruments” or other uncom-mon instruments should also be notedhere, as well as on the cover page of theinstrument involved. Any special staginginstructions should also be mentioned onthis or a subsequent page. Detailed

diagrams are helpful to illustrate particu-larly complex staging. If there aredeviations from standard musicalnotation, an explanation should appearfollowing the instrumentation page.

The full title of the work should beprinted as it would appear in a formalconcert program, to include appropriatecapitalization and diacritical markings,along with movement titles in their properorder. There should be an approximateduration given for each movement and atotal duration for the work.

The MusicAt the beginning of the musical score,

the full name of each instrument should belisted to the left of the correspondingsystem. On subsequent pages, abbreviationsof the instrument names should be used.

All instructions for tempi anddynamics should be in a conventionallanguage such as English, Italian,German, or French. All tempo indica-tions should appear above the top staffand above the first violin line on eachscore page.

Each measure (bar) should benumbered, beginning anew with eachmovement. Placement of measurenumbers should be the same throughoutthe 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 landmarks inthe music and must be used in conjunc-tion with measure numbers.

Score ReadabilityIf traditional engraving or computer

output is not possible, it is preferable toreceive a completed score done in ink.(Pencil is acceptable, but the publishershould provide some kind of qualitycontrol for the final outcome of thereproduction.) This should be done oneither vellum or opaque paper andclearly reproduced, back to back on thepage. Right-hand pages must be odd-numbered and left-hand pages must beeven-numbered in the top right or leftcorner of the page.

The score should be proofread by thecomposer and a professional proofreaderbefore it is presented for reproduction.

Instrumental PartsGeneral

Standard music notation practiceshould be observed and any deviation fromthe standard should be clearly explainedprior to the first page of music. The front ofeach part should clearly identify thecomposer, title of the work, and instrument,including doublings and key(s) oftransposing instruments where appropri-ate. Percussion parts should include a listof the instruments required.

It is preferable to have completecomputer-generated parts, which shouldnot have any handwritten additions. If theparts are written by hand, they must becopied legibly in black ink, using an italicor technical pen. Right-hand pages must

be odd-numbered and left-hand pagesmust be even-numbered in the top rightor left corner of the page.

Avoid creating wind parts that havemultiple parts on a single stave (e.g.,Flutes 1 and 2 should be separate parts).String parts should be created with onepart per section. Complicated stringdivisions should be written on separatestaves. Avoid dividing the music for thestring section into multiple parts unlessnecessitated by multiple and continuousdivision of the voices.

PaperThe paper for parts should be of

substantial quality to avoid show-throughof music from the reverse side, to ensuredurability, and to stand up to on-stage windpatterns caused by ventilation systems. Theminimum requirement is usually 60 or 70lb. [100 gsm] offset paper.

The page layout should allowcomfortable page turns. Fold out pagesshould be avoided or, if absolutelynecessary, used sparingly.

Eight or ten-stave paper should beused for any instrument that is subject tomultiple ledger lines. Twelve or fourteenstave paper may be used as long assymbols are not crowded and clarity ofthe notational elements is maintained.