{"id":7408,"date":"2021-01-02T13:34:32","date_gmt":"2021-01-02T19:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/?p=7408"},"modified":"2021-05-05T12:53:38","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T18:53:38","slug":"music-composition-workflow-creation-editing-orchestration-and-sibelius-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/music-composition-workflow-creation-editing-orchestration-and-sibelius-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Music Composition Workflow: Creation, Editing, Orchestration and Sibelius Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/bg-portrait3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-6183\" src=\"http:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/bg-portrait3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"319\" height=\"221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/bg-portrait3.jpg 319w, https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/bg-portrait3-300x208.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 319px) 100vw, 319px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>For 2021 I&#8217;m revisiting my full-length musicals to update score layout and orchestrations. Here&#8217;s a compilation of workflow and tips from music composition sketches to final scores and parts for musical theater. An ongoing project.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Note: I use Sibelius for straight music notation for musical theater. For syncing to video, then Finale or Dorico are better options. (For track integration with live shows I use Ableton Live).<\/p>\n<p><strong>STORY BOARDING<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>From: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stephenschwartz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/SchwartzAdviceforSongwriters.pdf\">https:\/\/www.stephenschwartz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/SchwartzAdviceforSongwriters.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Get Clear on Story. Write prose outline. Basic order of events clear. Plot. What characters want. Obstacles.<\/li>\n<li>Large Bulletin Board with 3&#215;5 cards.<\/li>\n<li>Break story to specific scenes, essence of scene in one sentence.<\/li>\n<li>Put cards on board and look for repeated beats. If beats repeat then there&#8217;s a problem with structure. Look for story flow and plot holes. Each card should be active with what character is trying to do. Repeat until story is tight and forward-moving.<\/li>\n<li>Identify moments to musicalize. Use cards of different color (yellow or blue). Then you can see visually how songs space out, the musical flow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>MUSIC COMPOSITION WORKFLOW<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create music in notation software. Don&#8217;t fix collisions or score formatting<\/li>\n<li>Articulations, expressions and techniques.<\/li>\n<li>Proof-read.<\/li>\n<li>Score layout and part layout fixes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>PLAYBACK<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In addition to Garritan sound libraries, check out NotePerformer Wallander Instruments: https:\/\/www.noteperformer.com\/ &#8211; <em>*UPDATE* &#8211; NotePerformer from Wallander Instruments made my Sibelius unable to load. After a lost 4 hours of work-arounds I simply had to un-install NotePerformer and Sibelius works fine now.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>SCORE PREPARATION (GENERAL)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create Piano\/Vocal score.<\/li>\n<li>Layout score to standard horizontal 4 bars per page. Turn off &#8220;show rests in empty measures&#8221; for full horizontal score (except rehearsal piano and vocal). NOTE: This full horizontal score without rests in empty measures can be used to hand-write early orchestration ideas for later input into notation software. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finalemusic.com\/blog\/steven-m-alper-on-preparing-music-for-broadway\/\">https:\/\/www.finalemusic.com\/blog\/steven-m-alper-on-preparing-music-for-broadway\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Full Score &#8211; horizontal with system measure numbers bold at bottom of every measure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>SCORE PREPARATION (SIBELIUS SPECIFIC)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>List of Available Text Wildcards for Sibelius:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>From: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rpmseattle.com\/of_note\/sibelius-quick-tip-text-wildcards-list\/\">https:\/\/www.rpmseattle.com\/of_note\/sibelius-quick-tip-text-wildcards-list\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\\$PARTNAME\\ evaluates to a list of the instruments in the part, each instrument separated by a carriage return.<br \/>\n\\$HEADERPARTNAME\\ evaluates to a list of the instruments in the part, separated by a comma and all on the same line.<br \/>\n\\$TITLE\\<br \/>\n\\$COMPOSER\\<br \/>\n\\$COPYRIGHT\\<br \/>\n\\$ARRANGER\\<br \/>\n\\$PUBLISHER\\<br \/>\n\\$ARTIST\\<br \/>\n\\$InstrumentChanges\\<br \/>\n\\$MOREINFO\\<br \/>\n\\$USER\\ \u2013 current logged in user<br \/>\n\\$DATELONG\\ \u2013 full date in locale-specific format, e.g. \u201cMarch 4, 2005\u201d<br \/>\n\\$DATESHORT\\ \u2013 short date in locale-specific format, e.g. \u201c04\/03\/05\u201d<br \/>\n\\$FILEPATH\\ \u2013 full path to the current file<br \/>\n\\$FILENAME\\ \u2013 filename of the current file<br \/>\n\\$FILEDATE\\ \u2013 full date that the current file was last saved<br \/>\n\\$TIME\\ \u2013 current time (insert this, then zoom in and out every second!)<br \/>\n\\$PAGENUM\\ \u2013 current page number<\/p>\n<p>\\$YearOfComposition\\<br \/>\n\\$ComposerDates\\<br \/>\n\\$OpusNumber\\<br \/>\n\\$Subtitle\\<br \/>\n\\$Dedication\\<br \/>\n\\$Copyist\\<\/p>\n<p><strong>SIBELIUS TEXT WILDCARDS TO USE IN MASTER SCORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Title: \\$TITLE\\ &#8211; Academico Font &#8211; Bold &#8211; Italic &#8211; Size 25<\/li>\n<li>Subtitle: [\\$YEAROFCOMPOSITION\\] Example: Rev. 01\/03\/21<\/li>\n<li>Artist: \\$Artist\\ &#8211; PO52 Font &#8211; Bold &#8211; Size 12<\/li>\n<li>Opus Number: \\$OpusNumber\\ &#8211; PO52 Font &#8211; Bold &#8211; Size 35.4<\/li>\n<li>CUE: (No Wildcard) PO52 Font &#8211; Size 10 &#8211; Alignment Left &#8211; Sample:<br \/>\n<strong>[CUE:]<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(ACTOR walks into door)<\/em><br \/>\n<strong>ACTOR:<\/strong> What is going on? <strong>[MUSIC GO]<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>SCORE INSTRUMENT ORDER<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>(Strings can also be placed at top, or below the keyboards)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>WOODWINDS &#8211; Reed 1, Reed 2<\/li>\n<li>BRASS &#8211; Horn, Trumpet, Trombone<\/li>\n<li>VOCALS &#8211; Voc. 1, Voc. 2, Ensemble (Grand Staff, bottom staff Treble Clef 8vb)<\/li>\n<li>KEYBOARDS &#8211; K1\/Conductor, K2<\/li>\n<li>GUITARS<\/li>\n<li>BASS GUITAR<\/li>\n<li>DRUMS<\/li>\n<li>PERCUSSION<\/li>\n<li>LOOPS\/SFX &#8211; Ableton, Qlab. Can be single or Grand Staff.<\/li>\n<li>STRINGS &#8211; Violin, Viola, Cello<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>PARTS<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>8 staves first page. 10 staves following pages.<\/li>\n<li>Typically 4 bars per line. No more than 8.<\/li>\n<li>No more than 8 bars of rests without cues.<\/li>\n<li>Page turns always happen at a rest, even if you have to break one of the other rules. Every right-hand page must accommodate a page turn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>SIBELIUS EDITING:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Plugin: Position Rehearsal Marks. Sibelius puts rehearsal marks to right of chord symbols, when they should be left-justified. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scoringnotes.com\/tips\/new-plug-in-position-rehearsal-marks\/\">https:\/\/www.scoringnotes.com\/tips\/new-plug-in-position-rehearsal-marks\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>PRINTING<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Broadway shows use 9-1\/2 x 12-1\/2&#8243; heavy stock, taped accordion style, with each number taped seperately. Easier option for off-Broadway or short runs is 8-1\/2 x 11&#8243; letter size printed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>POST-SHOW CLEANING<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Musicians give scores to composer\/copyist to incorporate markings into updated score.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For 2021 I&#8217;m revisiting my full-length musicals to update score layout and orchestrations. Here&#8217;s a compilation of workflow and tips from music composition sketches to final scores and parts for musical theater. An ongoing project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3C0LX-1Vu","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7408"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7408"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7428,"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7408\/revisions\/7428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conradaskland.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}