Score Preparation for Session Recording

Hi guys!

I write articles for a site called ComposerFocus and I wanted to share them here as well since the topics may pertain to all young composers, not just media folks. Feel free to leave comments here, or preferably right on the article.

Thankfully, despite the crippling budgets and restrictions of the modern media scoring climate, some composers still get the amazing privilege of working with a live orchestra to record their work. While the excitement and transcendental sound makes it completely worthwhile, the process also adds some steps to your workflow.

This article will take you through an outline of the process; highlighting some important considerations and helping you feel prepared for your session day

Read the rest: http://bit.ly/dqayYj

I hope you learn something! :happy:

Thanks for posting Marius, however if I may point out:

Bar numbers in full score:

Center them and make them bold. Print them at least on top of the page and repeat above the strings or above timpani.

Score markings and techniques:

If you're writing for English speaking musicians then by all means write in English, but over in Europe and the rest of the world musicians will probably be more familiar with the Italian terms. Do yourself a favor and get to know them. Not the German, not the French.

Cue notes in parts:

Don't cue 'prominent parts'. Cue the part first and foremost that is played by a musician close the one you are cueing for. The second trombone might not hear a harp melody, but will recognize a tuba entrance or timpani roll.

Layout:

Tape the score together accordion style, BUT add a tape to the overall back of the score to bind it like a book.

These are just additions to your article... I could write another one with everything you haven't mentioned, but thanks for sharing your experience!

Excellent points, Thomas, thanks for adding them! It's an outline of course so there are many details and area-specific things that could be discussed (as you pointed out, things in Europe may be completely different) but my intent especially with this article was to emphasize that even composers who don't get to work with live musicians should know what's involved in case they ever get the opportunity so they can make the best of it. :)

You're welcome, and as I couldn't fall asleep I thought of this:

Bar numbers for parts should be restricted to every 5. bar for the sake of clarity. Be sure to number the bars in multirests.

A couple little things to add:

Don't forget to mention how many clicks you'll be taking before the first downbeat. It's usually 4 for slow tempos, with a downbeat on bar two, and 8 free for bar three on 90% of tempos.

Also, timecode above the bar isn't really practical as it'll take too long to read on the stage. Not to mention that with streamers on the playback you won't need it. Streamers are much more accurate and easier to sync to than trying to line up a hit on 01:23:45:14 while conducting a fast passage at 150.

Booth scores, in my experience have always been 8.5x14 (legal size), for the onlookers, and tabloid for the orchestrators.

We had a tempo marking on Cats and Dogs 2 that was "Molto Espionagioso." hehehe

Ah I was hoping you'd chime in, Andy! Thank you very much for the points and lol @ the molto espionagioso xD

Yeah sync code only for technical operators.

Re paper size: Again in Europe: All scores in A3. Conductor, mixer, orchestrator in A3. Of course on lookers that are supposed to keep their mouth shut could get A4. Legal size for conductors is only convenient if the conductor has to travel with the music. If the music is only to be used by the conductor on the scoring stage all the advantages of legal size disappear. They rather (in my experience with conductors) prefer A3.