Slash Notation
How do I group slash notation in pairs without stems for measures with chord changes every 2 beats? See attached example
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Slash Notation Grouping Example.JPG | 29.79 KB |
Do you still have an unanswered question? Please log in first to post your question.
Comments
By using a half note duration
I would strongly recommend against the notation shown in your picture, as it is quite confusing. Normally to show chords every two beats in 4/4, you'd still use four slashes. The only time you'd show only two is if the chords are meant to be literally played and held as half notes, and in those cases, you ab solutely need the stems to clarify this - so, use "rhythmic slash notation" rather than "fill with slashes". As it is, that passage appears to be neither of those two standard notations, which will cause some musicians to play it one way, other play it the other way, others still to simply scratch their heads.
In reply to I would strongly recommend… by Marc Sabatella
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I've been writing original jazz composisitions and arrangements for almost 50 years, and I have always grouped slashes in pairs in this way. I learned this at North Texas in 1972. I guess we'll agree to disagree.
In reply to Thank you for taking the… by dirigentkomponist
That's great you had that experience! And that might indeed have been in use in Texas in 1972. FWIW, though, none of the major jazz publishers do this currently, so most of today’s musicians have mostly never seen this and will be confused as I said. So if your goal is to produce professional-looking scores that are understood by musicians in 2022, it could be worth learning some new tricks :-)
In reply to It might indeed have been in… by Marc Sabatella
Well... Here's an example from Chuck Sher's New Real Book. I see clarity rather than confusion because it is immediately clear that the notation calls for 2 changes per bar each lasting 2 beats. Consider this comment a feature request.
In reply to Well... Here's an example… by dirigentkomponist
Select the first slash and change duration to half note (technically what you've shown is not "two connected slashes" but the slash notehead of a half note). Do the same to the third slash.
For fast replication, select that measure (before adding the chord symbols) and press R
Alternative approach, start by entering half notes (for example using rhythm input), then convert them to rhythmic slash notation (under Tools) and then select them and mark them as stemless.
In reply to Well... Here's an example… by dirigentkomponist
Right, this shows the standard method - one slash per beat, regardless of how many chords are in the measure. This is what MuseScore supports and what musicians today are accustomed to, which is why I was saying your previous example would be confusing. Your previous example isn't like this at all - it switches between one slash per beat and two, with no stem to clarify whether it means to actually play two half notes or simply that the chords lasts for two beats each but you can play any comping rhythm you like.