Evolution of musical notation?

[Derek Balonek]

Standard notation has been around for quite a long time, and things have been added to it over time for different techniques. They have a way to point out loud and quiet pedals on a piano. They notate times to breathe on wind instruments, and which way to bow on stringed instruments. It's not always necessary, but it helps to have it there.

Now, I know the electronic alteration of sound hasn't been around for very long, but do you think there will be addition to standard notation to allow for it? Like, what symbol would they add for a specific kind of EQ? Will there be symbols for shifting a wah from half-open to fully open? What would symbolise the addition of fuzz?

Or do you think there isn't a reason to add anything of that sort to standard notation? Is there a different kind of notation that is more effective for electronic music? Or would all those details limit one's ability to interpret a piece?

Quick version: Will music theory add symbols for electronic music? Does it need to?

 

[smeet]

I don't think much will be added. The things that are part of the standard are the basics that are common to most types of music: pitch (assuming 12 notes per octave), meter, tempo, dynamics.

Past that, things change too much over time and between genres. Many composers make up their own notation or simply write hints into the score.

 

[SMILEYSIXX]

A lot can be assumed. If it says "largo bosa nova" at the top, you probably want crank you treble, cut your bass and tremolo pick on it.

 

[WalterBush]

Theory already DID add notation for electronic alteration of sounds. Turns out, no, it's not needed much.

Check out (if you can find sheet music for them without paying; he's still alive) George Crumb's compositions, or if you can find some old copies of Guitar for the Practicing Musician you'll see some examples of wah and other effect notation.

 

[escaraBAJO]

Well, of course notation has the purpose of make music reproducible. I think you have to make a distinction between popular and "western concert" or "classical" music. In the former the variations can be very notorious and there is room for free interpretation while in the latter the variations are really subtle.

On the other side there is contemporary music (think Bartók, Boulez, Stockhausen). When you see sheets for this music it can get very wild.
Finally there is electroacustic music which of course have asked the question you are. And there are responses: check this abstract forma a journal dedicated to this subject
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I don't have access to the full text but you can see what it is about.

I don't know if there is a notation system for electronic "popular" music but I'm sure someone will come up with one soner or later.

 

[Derek Balonek]

All interesting responses so far, thanks. Especially the Electroacoustic Music link, it has quite a few other articles of interest. George Crumb seemed rather relevant as well, though I couldn't find very much sheet music for him. I found the fact that he specifically incorporated electric string instruments pretty cool too.

 

[uethanian]

(assuming 12 notes per octave),

IMO music outside of 12 equal is the only case in which a totally new notation might be necessary. for instance Sagittal A Microtonal Notation System (site is down unfortunately, so the real pdf with pictures is not there). but it depends on the situation; 19 equal, standard notation works without any extra symbols. non-equal systems pose a different set of problems that standard notation can't address

for everything else, western notation does a pretty good job. it sacrifices some melodic expression for the ability to convey harmony, meter, and rhythm simultaneously. i don't think we'll be adding extra 'timbral' symbols to standard notation...

when an orchestral violinist reads a part, they are reading it in the context of the instrument, the genre, the ensemble, the composer, etc. among violinists it's sort of an unspoken understanding that timbrally, such-and-such section sounds a certain way. more generally, it's understood among orchestral violinists that a sweet sound is more favorable to a screechy one or more favorable to throwing your violin across the stage. it would get kind of ridiculous to write specific timbral directions for every part on every instrument. most of the art in playing an instrument isn't in following directions, it's in interpretation.

 

[Shanannigan]

I've seen some additions to western notation to accommodate other systems. Such as Ezra Simms addition of 6 accidentals in order to express the 72-ET. Some modern Arabic music uses western notation as well, however with altered accidentals to express a 24 tone temperament, such as flats with lines through them, or backwards, sharps with only one vertical line, etc, to explain quarter steps.

 

[Buxtehude]

These have been around for a while. You can find the quarter tone symbols in the Sibelius program.

 

[fdeck]

Some examples of evolved musical notation:

LilyPond – Music notation for everyone: Examples

 

[fmoore200]

If you look through the study of orchestration book it will show you how, in classical music, the composer can be very specific in his/her requests; be it for instrumentation, effects, etc... popular music, on the other hand (standards) are left as a bare bones lead sheet so the artist is left with room for interpretations. IME of course

 

[Russell L]

Some things you suggest are not really notation, but are designed to be specific to certain instruments (e.g. bowing for strings, pedal marks for piano, various things for organ, etc.). In like manner some electronic composers use markings of their own design. I once had to analyze a piece by Kenneth Gaburo for a theory course in college. It was a hard to remember what all his symbols meant as it was to analyze the sounds and form of the piece.

Also, take a look at percussion music to see how different it can be to show markings for specific instruments.

 

[Buxtehude]

Standard notation has been around for quite a long time, and things have been added to it over time for different techniques. They have a way to point out loud and quiet pedals on a piano. They notate times to breathe on wind instruments, and which way to bow on stringed instruments. It's not always necessary, but it helps to have it there.

Now, I know the electronic alteration of sound hasn't been around for very long, but do you think there will be addition to standard notation to allow for it? Like, what symbol would they add for a specific kind of EQ? Will there be symbols for shifting a wah from half-open to fully open? What would symbolise the addition of fuzz?

Or do you think there isn't a reason to add anything of that sort to standard notation? Is there a different kind of notation that is more effective for electronic music? Or would all those details limit one's ability to interpret a piece?

Quick version: Will music theory add symbols for electronic music? Does it need to?

They do: they write the word fuzz, or envelope filter etc. in the notation in English or any other appropriate language. Just like indicating mutes on stringed instruments (though that's in Italian). Other specifics like eq, specifying fretless etc. can be added at the start of the piece. I am a professional arranger and that is pretty much how it's done. Detailed instructions can also be added as performance notes.

 

[BassChuck]

One thing to consider. Standard notation is all about pitch and note duration, with some volume considerations thrown in. Electronic music is all about timbre and tone, with some considerations for microtones thrown in. Standard music theory deals with specific tones, usually those that can be measured in Hz, and has taken centuries to develop and is still changing all the time (thank goodness!). Electronically altered sound is very, very new and has no real performance standard to draw on for 'rules'.

Standard notation and Music Theory exist as clear, elegant observations of years of practice. They are not rules, they are history. This is one of the beautiful things about composing and participating in Electronic music, the page is blank and your imagination is the only guiding light.