This is an excerpt from my book, “The Useful Musician”. Available on Amazon
WHY IT MAKES YOU MORE USEFUL:
A clear music sheet eliminates wondering where you are in the song, and it reminds you of important things.
WHAT TO DO:
Circle all the signs, to start with. The D.S. signs, Coda signs, etc. Get a pencil and circle them. Darken anything you think you might miss. Draw big lines—anything that will catch your eye and remind you where you’re going. Also, make some kind of note that alerts you to tricky parts or things you really, really need to remember. It’s not amateurish to do this. It’s just the opposite. A professional does whatever is necessary to play the part right. Ask permission to photocopy the music, then toss it when you’re done.
THOUGHTS:
In high school I played trombone in the pit band for our school’s presentation of The Sound Of Music. In one spot on my music someone had drawn a little pair of eyeglasses with eyeballs looking down. I raised my hand and asked Mr. Bartman what those were for. He said, “We rented this music. This is the actual music you’d play if you were on Broadway. Someone used that same music in their own production, and they were setting an alert to themselves about something in that measure. It’s part of the rental agreement—you’re allowed to draw on the music in pencil if you erase it before you send it back. They obviously forgot to erase it.”
I was floored. I thought the big time musicians just remembered everything.
On my own music I often make the repeat signs huge with a pencil. They stick out way above and below the staff. If it says ‘repeat to bar 16’ in tiny little letters, I write, in big letters, ‘BACK TO BAR 16’. No one but you sees this stuff, but everyone hears you blow it. Don’t blow it. Write on your music.
My friend Steve told me his high school choir director always said, “I need two things from you: talent, and a pencil. If I can only get one of those, I’ll take the pencil.”
See #71—LAY YOUR CHARTS OUT LOGICALLY
theusefulmusician.com 