Re: simplifying chromatic scale notation

[David Kastrup]

Kieren MacMillan <address@hidden> writes:

> Hi musicus,
>
>> Of course a good musician needs to focus on every detail, but only
>> the "bad" ones neglect the bigger context. The key is to focus on
>> the "right" thing, which is in many cases NOT every single note of
>> an chromatic scale, IMO.
>
> I agree, 100%.
>
>> It was never my intention to question our well proven notation
>> system, but only to improve some awkward side effects of it.
>
> In that spirit, I have a question…
>
> In the jazz and musical theatre (MT) worlds — and, I would offer, most
> contemporary classical music — nobody spends the time anymore to write
> out glissandi when the exact notes are inconsequential. In the most
> obvious example, consider harp music: usually, the “pitch set” is
> indicated (either through pedalling, or the first few notes of the
> gliss/gesture, or both), and then graphic lines are used to indicate
> duration and direction of the glissandi [or whatever the gesture is];
> this is exactly the same in most MT scores, where the pianist is
> expected to gliss.
>
> And this is all done extremely effectively in the
> accepted/shared/codified Western notation system, without any changes
> to the fundamental way that notes themselves appear on the staff.
>
> Why is that concept not sufficient for your needs?

"when the exact notes are inconsequential".  In general, they are, and
so is their timing.

I repeat the suggestion to see how the reasoning here applies to Fučik's
"Entry of the Gladiators": in the first part we have rising chromatic
sequences which have their accents aligned with the harmonies (like in
the cadenza immediately before the repetition of the theme).  Both
timing and pitches are quite consequential and that leaves limited
leeway for glissando symbols or similar glossing over the details.  In
fact, I'd say that already the originally proposed notation for
chromatic scales does not do this alignment justice.

For the player of a chromatic instrument, some chromatic notation might
be helpful for the _execution_ since it might make it more obvious where
the very economically employed short turns or whole note steps have to
be played in order to keep the piece firmly in solid diatonic march band
tonality.  It's basically the musical equivalent of a slapstick
rendition of intoxication: to appreciate it, you need a steady camera
delivering the sober point of view and showing the steady ground.

-- 
David Kastrup