Sheet Music- Two part writing

[SisterCM]

I don't know if u know this or not, but the PDF file you have SisterCM looks like the music for the piano to play.  If a chorus was supposed to sing that, there would be an idication of it somewhere.  Also, there would be all 4 parts listed first with the piano stuff at the bottom.

Yes, I know.  The dynamics and foot pedal notations are listed on the sheet music this helps to identify that this sheet music is to be played on the keys.  Correct me if I am incorrect.

[T-Block]

Yes, I know.  The dynamics and foot pedal notations are listed on the sheet music this helps to identify that this sheet music is to be played on the keys.  Correct me if I am incorrect.

Dat's correct, just making sure u knew.

[SisterCM]

Dat's correct, just making sure u knew.

Today I realized that I have been practicing and learning to read the notes that I have missed learning the timing and measurements of the notes.  The songs that I am familiar with I can play with few mistakes.  The songs that I have never heard I have a harder time practicing and learning them.

I have finished my level 1 book and have started level 2.  With the level 2, I bought a CD with all of the songs that are in my book.  When I bought this CD, I thought this was a good ideal now I am not so sure.  If I can only play the songs that, I hear I feel I may be defeating the purpose of learning to play by sheet music.


Any suggestions or advice?

[teresac]

I happened to ask my piano teacher a similar question about a month ago.
I hope this helps.

Choral music type voicing can be applied to instrumental music. This is sometimes referred to as polyphonic voicing. When the voices reside in the same measure on the same staff, the voices are often distinguished by stem direction just as T-Block stated in a previous post.

Just as T-Block stated previously, there are many rules for notating “polyphonic” voices.  Usually the arranger wants to account for all of the beats in that measure for each voice. 

For example in the pdf , measure 8 , (Treble Clef) the first voice is a whole note.  The second voice consists of a quarter note rest, followed by a quarter note and a half note.  Both voices show the full 4 beats of the measure.

In Measure 17 (Bass Clef) there is an example of the same note with the two stems.  Just as T-Block said previously the two voices are playing the same note at the same time.  But you only play the note once.  Part 1 consists of 3 quarter notes, 2 eighth notes (1 beat) for a total of 4 beats.  Part 2 consists of a dotted half note (3 beats) plus the shared quarter note.  If you play Part 1 separately you would include the shared note.  If you play Part 2 separately you would include the shared note.  If the arranger did not want you to include the shared note for one of the parts, then that Part would have a rest there instead of the shared note. 

In Measure 1 and similar measures, Part 2 consists of 2 beats only.  Some notation programs will force you to add the two beat rest to Part 2 in measure 1.  But in reality the rest is implied and is omitted.

This is a very nice arrangement of “As the Deer”. 

[teresac]

Today I realized that I have been practicing and learning to read the notes that I have missed learning the timing and measurements of the notes.  The songs that I am familiar with I can play with few mistakes.  The songs that I have never heard I have a harder time practicing and learning them.

I have finished my level 1 book and have started level 2.  With the level 2, I bought a CD with all of the songs that are in my book.  When I bought this CD, I thought this was a good ideal now I am not so sure.  If I can only play the songs that, I hear I feel I may be defeating the purpose of learning to play by sheet music.


Any suggestions or advice?

Check out what was said in this post.  http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,56111.0.html
I especially liked what littlelamb said.  You must work at it.  If reading music was all about playing only what you never heard then why do so many publishers include CDs?  Since the composer or your teacher is not with you, how do you know that you played the song correctly?  Having the song on the CD is a great learning tool.  Play the song on the CD. Look at the sheet music.  Get all the information you can from the sheet music before you even play the first note. Since you just finished Level 1 you should now be ready for Level 2.  Just take it slow.  Don't try to play the whole song at first.  I like to look for the toughest measures.  Learn them first.  Look for patterns, measures that repeat themselves, and measures that may have different notes but same rhythms.

When you do play the entire song, play it at a slow tempo. Aim for accuracy.  Practice the parts that are not smooth. Once you get accuracy, then you slowly work your way up to tempo.

[SisterCM]

yes, for now.


I will post the other song later today or in the morning.

As stated yesterday.

[SisterCM]

I happened to ask my piano teacher a similar question about a month ago.
I hope this helps.

Choral music type voicing can be applied to instrumental music. This is sometimes referred to as polyphonic voicing. When the voices reside in the same measure on the same staff, the voices are often distinguished by stem direction just as T-Block stated in a previous post.

Just as T-Block stated previously, there are many rules for notating ?polyphonic? voices.  Usually the arranger wants to account for all of the beats in that measure for each voice. 

For example in the pdf , measure 8 , (Treble Clef) the first voice is a whole note.  The second voice consists of a quarter note rest, followed by a quarter note and a half note.  Both voices show the full 4 beats of the measure.

In Measure 17 (Bass Clef) there is an example of the same note with the two stems.  Just as T-Block said previously the two voices are playing the same note at the same time.  But you only play the note once.  Part 1 consists of 3 quarter notes, 2 eighth notes (1 beat) for a total of 4 beats.  Part 2 consists of a dotted half note (3 beats) plus the shared quarter note.  If you play Part 1 separately you would include the shared note.  If you play Part 2 separately you would include the shared note.  If the arranger did not want you to include the shared note for one of the parts, then that Part would have a rest there instead of the shared note. 

In Measure 1 and similar measures, Part 2 consists of 2 beats only.  Some notation programs will force you to add the two beat rest to Part 2 in measure 1.  But in reality the rest is implied and is omitted.

This is a very nice arrangement of ?As the Deer?. 

This is a good breakdown of these two measures.  I will print this and go over the measures once again to make sure that I understand.  Thank you.


Yes, I think this is a beautiful song.  I look forward to adding it to my collection of songs that I can play. 

[sjonathan02]

Ok, this PDF is saying what I've been saying. The two parts are indicated by the upper and lower stems.

Just because they may have the same note, at some point, you still have to indicate who is singing the note AND for how long.

For example, on the first page of the TW-PART WRITING paper (pg. 86) after the paragraph that starts, "When both parts are written on the same staff....", in the sixth measure you see the upper and lower melody playing/singing the same note. BUT, the lower melody is playing/singing the note for 2 beats, while the upper melody starts on that note but moves on.

And, in that same example, in measures 7 & 8, both melody parts are singing the same note for the same amount of time; BUT, it's still two parts. Without the stems, one would think it was simply one part.

Understand?

[SisterCM]

Ok, this PDF is saying what I've been saying. The two parts are indicated by the upper and lower stems.

Just because they may have the same note, at some point, you still have to indicate who is singing the note AND for how long.

For example, on the first page of the TW-PART WRITING paper (pg. 86) after the paragraph that starts, "When both parts are written on the same staff....", in the sixth measure you see the upper and lower melody playing/singing the same note. BUT, the lower melody is playing/singing the note for 2 beats, while the upper melody starts on that note but moves on.

And, in that same example, in measures 7 & 8, both melody parts are singing the same note for the same amount of time; BUT, it's still two parts. Without the stems, one would think it was simply one part.

Understand?

Yes, I do.  Thank you.

[sjonathan02]

Yes, I do.  Thank you.

Cool. I thought my explanation might've been too long.

[SisterCM]

Cool. I thought my explanation might've been too long.

 Naw, my attention span seems to be getting longer.

[SisterCM]

Check out what was said in this post.  http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,56111.0.html
I especially liked what littlelamb said.  You must work at it.  If reading music was all about playing only what you never heard then why do so many publishers include CDs?  Since the composer or your teacher is not with you, how do you know that you played the song correctly?  Having the song on the CD is a great learning tool.  Play the song on the CD. Look at the sheet music.  Get all the information you can from the sheet music before you even play the first note. Since you just finished Level 1 you should now be ready for Level 2.  Just take it slow.  Don't try to play the whole song at first.  I like to look for the toughest measures.  Learn them first.  Look for patterns, measures that repeat themselves, and measures that may have different notes but same rhythms.

When you do play the entire song, play it at a slow tempo. Aim for accuracy.  Practice the parts that are not smooth. Once you get accuracy, then you slowly work your way up to tempo.

Good advice.  Thank you.