Kathleen
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I don't think there is anything wrong with breaking a measure at a reasonable place to start a new segment on a new braille page.
Hi Anna,
I think your presentation is very clear. I know it takes up a lot of space, but this is how I generally do things, as well.
I use the braille music comma to show the grouping of eighth notes in 5/8 and 7/8 meters, unless they remain constant throughout and is specified by the meter - sometimes they'll show 3+2/8.
But if it changes, I find it's helpful to use the comma to show the division.
Kathleen
Hi Anna,
In the divisi chords, I would use full-measure in-accords, adding implied rests. Put the numbers before the notes with word sign indicators.
I would place the labels "tonic chord" "subdominant chord" etc as word expressions before the chords, as well.
In an example like #1, you could put a transcriber's note indicating there is no time signature. I don't know if it's necessary in an exercise like this to add a signature - especially with that first measure of nine stemless noteheads with fermatas on each one. There really is no rhythmic impetus in that bar. You could add a signature of 3/1 (with the dot 5 before it to indicate it's added by you) before the second measure but I don't know if it's entirely necessary. But that is certainly a possibility.
Hope that helps!
Kathleen
Good afternoon, Anna!
Thanks for your question! There really isn't a publication out there about formatting music books such as this. The Handbook for Music Transcribers is not updated to either UEB or Music Braille Code 2015 as of yet. It is helpful, but there are things that have changed. The best thing to do is study Formats and look up other music books (if you can) that have similar layouts and see what others have done.
As far as the example you've attached here, things look good for the most part! Code switch indicators are not really needed on the A) B) and C) letters before the rhythms. I think the list format and the context make it clear enough that the code switches. But the margins are fine and make it clear what's going on.
In the music heading, where you have three different tempos, I would treat the "Basic" "Advanced" etc as tempo markings and put a period after each and then the dotted quarter = 80. Start each one on a new line and you can omit the semicolon. If you feel its crucial to have them in there, you don't need the punctuation indicator before the semicolon, as you're not entirely in music braille code at that time. (The numbers are numbers, not notes.)
(Don't forget your key signature with your time signature. Also, each measure does not require an octave indicator in bar-over-bar format. See MBC2015 section 33.4. Also, has the customer requested uncontracted braille with this? In most method books I've done, I use contracted braille except for the text of the music heading and anything within the music.)
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions!
All the best,
Kathleen
Hi Anna!
Thanks for your questions.
I think you could go either way with the separate parts. Using bar-over-bar format is perfectly acceptable, labeling the parts a and b at the margin, as would be separating the parts completely and doing section-by-section for each individually.
When written on the same staff, you'll have to decide if they are separate enough to warrant separate parts instead of using in-accords. And again, utilizing bar-over-bar would be fine, as would separating them completely. I would remain consistent throughout the method book, though. Choose one way and stick to it! (And let the reader know which you are doing ahead of time.)
And yes, I would most likely write out the parts instead of using the parallel motion device, in order to help the student learn to read their music. The fewer complications in the early method books, the better, I'd say.
Hope that helps!
Kathleen
Hi Lindy!
Check out section 25.5.1 in the Music Braille Code 2015.
The left hand pizzicato is indicated by placing dots 456, 345 (left hand piano sign) before each note so marked. It can be doubled if four or more notes are affected. An octave indicator is required after this sign, as is a dot 3 if the next sign contains a dot 1, 2, or 3.
The words "LH pizz." or "m.g. pizz" are omitted unless you are doing a facsimile transcription. Likewise, the plus sign above the note is omitted (example 25.5.1-2 shows this).
You'll probably want to list this on your special symbols page.
Thanks for a great question!
Kathleen
Hi Christina!
Yes, of course. This looks just fine.
I think the only reservation that might be made is that both hands having run-overs can be a lot, but in cases like this, I don't see a way around it that makes it as clear as this is. I feel that dividing the measures would be more complicated than both hands having a run-over.
Good job!
Kathleen
Hi Christina!
You're not required to restate that flat on the second chord, as long as you haven't divided the measure. If you divide, restate it, but otherwise, the reader should remember that the A was flatted at the start of the measure.
Great question!
Kathleen
Hi Keith!
I think your solution of using the Nachschlag to show that "flip" ornament is fine, especially since it seems to be defined in the music! Be sure to identify it as such in your special symbols list.
The plus and circle above the notes are shown in Table 30 - the plus is dots 126, 12 and would precede the note, while the circle is dots 13 and follows the note. I know it's a bit odd to have one of them before and the other after - but that's how the Code lays it out!
Hope that helps!
Kathleen
Good morning!
Thank you for your great questions.
I would use music page change indicators, 5, 25, throughout. Notice that the Bluegrass piece does actually have page numbers at the bottom left corner. Even if it didn't, though, Music Code should be used throughout.
The FAS49 preceding the music is simply the catalog number for the publisher. In a transcription like this I generally leave that info out.
Repeats may be used if the repeated measure does not have any bowings - if the bowings are different, of course, you may not use a measure repeat.
In the first measures of Bluegrass, I read the curved lines as a tie between the A's and a slur between the F natural and F sharp. I would transcribe both: put the tie after the A and a slur after the interval of the 3rd.
What you've done with the in-accords to show the stems and rests is perfect. I just checked measures 65 and 66 quickly; look at m. 66 - don't forget the ascending curved lines before the 3rd beat. Also, there are some duplications in the second part of the in-accord that don't need to be there. Make sure you're not repeating notes unnecessarily.
I hope that helps and answers all of your questions!
Let me know if anything is unclear or you need anything else!
Kathleen
Hi Peggy!
Great question! Unfortunately, the Code doesn't really cover examples like this, so we have to use our musical creativity to make things like this clear for the braille reader.
Without seeing the context in which this example lives, I would probably do something like what I've attached: I'd omit the brackets and transcribe only the music first. Then I would braille the individual intervals separately in a list format, followed by the "formula" printed below the music. You'll need to be sure it's clear which way your intervals are to be read (I'm assuming upwards since this is probably a theory book) and you'll need to let the reader know you've omitted the brackets in the music.
Take a look and see what you think. It could be a place to start and give you some other ideas!
Hope that helps!
Kathleen
Thanks for your patience, Keith.
This kind of notation requires extensive transcriber's notes to explain what's going on.
In Figure 12-4 you could explain about the arrows attached to each note (something like "each right hand note has a downward pointing arrow above it..." and then omit them from the actual music transcription. The solid horizontal line following the notes in measure 3 could be represented by a different kind of slur - just define it before the example.
Figure 12-5 would require the same kind of descriptions. The dashed and dotted lines after the right hand notes could be represented by a slur, utilizing a transfer slur from one staff to the next to show the connection to the 2nd octave G-flat; the circled numbers 1-5 can be placed in the music line as word signs. Arrows, since they're not attached to specific notes this time, could be placed above the music line; the timings on a line above the arrows. The zigzag line in the 3rd (4th) measure would need to be described. I would also probably vertically align the musical elements, using special bar lines to delineate the measures, since there is no meter and the timing is visually indicated.
Use the same ideas for 12-6 - vertical alignment, extensive transcriber's notes, boxed stemless note heads within brackets or parentheses; Once you find your method of explaining these things, it becomes easier.
The clock diagram can be described as such. Use a TN to indicated the "events" at each "hour." I would just describe the visual images if they aren't actual music. You could set up your descriptions in a manner like:
1:00 forte-piano in a box, crescendo, circle with a line extending to the right, two accented staccato marks.
2:00 mezzo forte, horizontal line, zigzagging in a crescendo to the middle and decrescendo to a straight line at the end.
These are just rough ideas! I'm sure you can come up with better wording!
Hope that helps - let me know how it goes!
Kathleen
Hi Keith!
This is a great question! I've had to deal with a lot of stuff like this - let me spend a little bit of time contemplating and I'll get back to you! (I just wanted to be sure you knew I got your question!)
Kathleen
Excellent question, Lennie!
Using textbook formatting and pagination is appropriate for instructional textbooks and method books.
(While the Handbook for Braille Music Transcribers 3rd edition has not been updated to reflect UEB or the Music Code 2015, the revised Code does not address this issue, so I feel it is safe to follow those particular guidelines.)
Kathleen
Hi Christina!
Great question!
I would suggest mf; open bracket slur; 4oct C dotted half; straight line; slur; transfer slur.
I would like to be able to do the slur from the C to the 3rd octave F last, after the transfer slur, but I'm afraid that would look like a double slur instead.
Try this and see what you think.
