Music Marking 101

Step 1: Circles
 Any dynamic marking
 Musical direction. Ex: to Coda
 Technique. Ex: Slide
 Tempo. Ex: metronome mark or, “allegro”
 Expression
 Trouble spot for your section OR you, personally
 Your note in a chord
 An accidental.  Ex:

Step 2: Draw
 Expressions that use pictures.  Ex: Crescendo
 Breath marks

o Dashed slur for no breath mark

NB

 Altered rhythms.  Ex:

  Next pitch before a page turn.  Ex:
 Draw liaison between consonants or to next word for pronunciation
 Crossing out:
o Changed notes
o Removed notes or sections
o Misprints
o Unpronounced letters to help difficult pronunciation
 Arrows
o When your pitch goes up or down unexpectedly
o When you split into a separate staff or rejoin a staff

Step 3: Underline
 Stressed syllable or important word of a phrase
 Consonants to emphasize good diction

Step 4: Write
 Measure #s
 IPA
 Pattern distinctions when one part of a song is a little different from
before.  Ex:

versus
 Pronunciation guides in your own sounded-out syllables
 Star/Highlight your part (the notes on the staff, not your words)
 Expression or technique given by director.  Ex: straight tone, bouncy
 Dynamic not specified by music
 Question mark by places that confused you so you can ask about
later
 Counts to remind you of difficult rhythms