Author Topic: CALL BOOK: Repeating music score - how do I mark cues?  (Read 6670 times)

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Dart

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I'm working a show that includes songs with repeating verses (example image linked below), where the music itself will repeat and my score numbers the lyrics. I'm not really sure of what the best approach is to mark where each cue goes. My scores are really crowded and I don't know if I could even fit a note on the lyrics, but I also don't want to put my notes on the piano part in case I call it in the wrong rep. I'm sure this is an issue you've all had to deal with before, and you might have some brilliant ways to deal with scores like this one.

Mind you, I'm not the best at reading music (I can follow it if it's playing, but I can't look at a score and tell you what it will sound like). Thankfully, my light designer for this show doesn't either and is lighting it like a dance show and taking cues off of choreography. So this isn't a pressing issue, but one I'd like some tips for so I know how to work it next time.

http://www.klemm-music.de/motu/software/dp7/i/highlights/notation_lead_sheet_xl.gif

kiwitechgirl

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Re: CALL BOOK: Repeating music score - how do I mark cues?
« Reply #1 on: Jan 19, 2014, 02:36 am »
I used to write "1XO" or "2XO" - meaning first or second time only - in front of the cue.  Having said that, I am a musician and that's fairly standard notation in parts.  Figure out a way which works for you and which is clear enough that someone else could call off it if they needed to...

babens

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Re: CALL BOOK: Repeating music score - how do I mark cues?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 19, 2014, 03:35 am »
The other option, if you are worried about confusion, would be to put the page in multiple times.  Using that PDF you linked as an example, you would copy the page into your book twice.  On the first page cross out (or cover with blank sheet when you are at the photocopier) the extra bars after the repeat section and indicate a page turn.  Then at the top of the second page just indicate in a way that is clear for you that you are now following the lyrics for the repeat and when you hit the end of that section you are good to go.  That is what I did many ages ago the first time I did The Magic Flute (the Schirmer printing of that score is big on the repeats for that one, especially, as I recall, on Papageno's songs).

Lizzie

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Re: CALL BOOK: Repeating music score - how do I mark cues?
« Reply #3 on: Jan 19, 2014, 06:02 am »
The other option, if you are worried about confusion, would be to put the page in multiple times.  Using that PDF you linked as an example, you would copy the page into your book twice.  On the first page cross out (or cover with blank sheet when you are at the photocopier) the extra bars after the repeat section and indicate a page turn.  Then at the top of the second page just indicate in a way that is clear for you that you are now following the lyrics for the repeat and when you hit the end of that section you are good to go. 

This is what I do if in doubt. For one song with a simple repeat, I mark the cues as 'First verse only' or whatever, but I'm currently working on a baroque opera which has repeats in virtually every aria (generally ABA, ie sing right through, go back to the beginning and sing again to such and such a point), and I've separated out and recopied all the repeats. It means there are a few odd half-pages  of music, but it works for me. I mark page numbers as 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 [half page] , 73 repeat, 74 repeat, 75 repeat, 77 after repeat [half page] etc

dance stage manager

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Re: CALL BOOK: Repeating music score - how do I mark cues?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 19, 2014, 12:14 pm »
I'm strongly in favour of "expanding" all repeated music in a stage management score (as explained by Babens and Lizzie) so that it is an accurate linear map of the music.  In the case of your example, copy the music notation for every instance of a repeat, and perhaps strike out the lyrics that are not being sung for the specific section.  If that doesn't appeal to you, I have sometimes chosen not to expand smaller repeats, but will follow a convention where cues marked above the musical notation are called the first time through, cues marked underneath are called the second time through.

If you expand repeats (da capos, codas, etc.), have a conversation with your music director so that you know how they will talk about navigating the music in rehearsal; bar numbers, 'first time' or 'second time' through, etc.

On a related topic, I know that following/relying on lyrics can be dangerous, as performers can occasionally skip to a different verse, but the musicians are not likely to adapt to unintentional spontaneous cuts.  I think that having repeats expanded in your score is safer.

Dart

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Re: CALL BOOK: Repeating music score - how do I mark cues?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 20, 2014, 10:42 pm »
Expanding the score makes lots of sense! Thank you, everyone. =)

smejs

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Re: CALL BOOK: Repeating music score - how do I mark cues?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 21, 2014, 11:28 pm »
Ditto on expanding the score. If it's only two lines or so repeated, I'm crunched for time, and fairly certain I won't be calling a cue during them, I'll sometimes write the blocking notation above the staff for verse one (with a #1 as well) and below for 2nd...but I still find it comes back to bite me when least expected.

 

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