Music Preparation Guidelines for Orchestral Music - Prepared by the Major Orchestra Librarians' Association Publication Committee
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Music Preparation Guidelines
for Orchestral Music
Prepared by the
Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association
Publication CommitteeThe Major Orchestra
Librarians’ Association
The primary goals of the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association (MOLA)
are to improve communication among orchestra librarians, to provide support
and information to the orchestra administrations, to present a unified voice in
publisher relations, and to assist fellow librarians in providing better service to
their orchestras.
MOLA is an international organization that includes libraries from
symphony orchestras, opera and ballet companies, professional bands and
ensembles, and educational institutions. Our membership includes musical
organizations in North, Central, and South America, Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, Asia, and Australia.
MOLA periodically invites representatives from music publishers to its an-
nual conferences in order to address the publication and condition of printed
musical materials. This collaborative effort has led to the formation of the
MOLA/Publisher Committee.
MOLA is represented on the MLA (Music Library Association) / MPA (Mu-
sic Publishers’ Association) / MOLA Joint Committee. In addition, MOLA has
cultivated relationships with other music service organizations. These include
the International Association of Music Librarians, the American Symphony
Orchestra League, the American Federation of Musicians, the International
Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, and the Regional Orchestra
Players’ Association.
For further information, contact the orchestra librarian at your local
symphony, opera, or ballet orchestra or visit the MOLA website at:
www.mola-inc.org
2MOLA Guidelines score is completed, individual parts are
extracted, transposed, formatted, and
for Music Preparation printed, saving countless hours of work.
This technology provides a great level of
flexibility for editing, reproducing, and
storing music.
These advantages can come with
Introduction hazards, however. For example, if the edit-
These guidelines for the preparation ing process of a new work continues after
of music scores and parts are the result of the parts have been prepared and distrib-
many hours of discussion regarding the uted to the musicians, this will require
creation and layout of performance mate- additional work by composers, copyists,
rial that has come through our libraries. and librarians to keep up with revisions in
We realize that each music publisher has the composition and provide an accurate
its own set of guidelines for music engrav- and suitable set of parts. Also, as digital
ing. We wish to encourage music publish- storage and distribution of music data
ers to work together to standardize those files becomes more common, there is the
guidelines. In the meantime, we would danger that the librarian will be obliged
like to express our thoughts regarding to assume the role of music publisher, ex-
the preparation of new music in the hope pected to print, duplicate, and bind all of
that an agreement about format may be the sheet music. Not all libraries have the
reached. facilities, staff, or time to accommodate
these projects, and while librarians can
Use of the Computer advise on the format and layout of printed
Advantages and Disadvantages music, they should not be expected to act
With the advent of computer software as a surrogate publisher.
for composing and arranging music, it Nonetheless, whether a score is
is possible to produce clear and read- handwritten or produced from a desktop
able music from a desktop printer. Music printer, there are common, specific ele-
publishers and professional composers ments that make this music readable, and
and arrangers are creating scores and ultimately usable by musicians.
parts that are as functional and beautiful
as traditionally engraved music. The Score
The technology allows the composer Cover
or the copyist to enter the music into the Although each music publisher will
score through various means, including have its own publication guidelines and
electronic (MIDI) instruments. Once the style requirements, there is some informa-
3tion that is important to see on the cover complex staging. If there are deviations
of any score. The title of the work and the from standard musical notation, an
name of the composer should be printed explanation should appear following the
prominently on the cover and spine of instrumentation page.
the score. If applicable, the name of the The full title of the work should be
arranger should appear, but need not be printed as it would appear in a formal
as prominent as the title and composer. concert program, to include appropriate
Additionally, the name and address of the capitalization and diacritical markings,
publisher should be easily located. along with movement titles in their proper
order. There should be an approximate
Front Matter (Title Page, duration given for each movement and a
Preface, etc.) total duration for the work.
There should be a page at the
beginning of the work that provides basic The Music
information about the composition. This At the beginning of the musical score,
should include a list of the full instru- the full name of each instrument should
mentation, identifying any doublings, the be listed to the left of the corresponding sys-
keys of transposing instruments (clarinets, tem. On subsequent pages, abbreviations of
horns, and trumpets), and all percussion the instrument names should be used.
instruments. All instructions for tempi and dy-
An indication of how many percus- namics should be in a conventional lan-
sionists will be required is helpful, though guage such as English, Italian, German,
each orchestra may or may not adhere or French. All tempo indications should
to that number. Any special equipment, appear above the top staff and above the
synthesizer settings, or other electronic first violin line on each score page.
keyboard requirements should be noted Each measure (bar) should be num-
here, as well as on the cover page of the bered, beginning anew with each move-
instrument’s part. These instructions ment. Placement of measure numbers
should be as specific and understandable should be the same throughout the work,
as possible. Any special instructions for i.e. above, below, or on a special line of the
“prepared instruments” or other uncom- grand staff, such as above the first violins.
mon instruments should also be noted If rehearsal letters are used, they should
here, as well as on the cover page of the correspond to landmarks in the music and
instrument involved. Any special staging must be used in conjunction with measure
instructions should also be mentioned on numbers.
this or a subsequent page. Detailed dia-
grams are helpful to illustrate particularly
4Score Readability Avoid creating wind parts that have
If traditional engraving or computer multiple parts on a single stave (e.g.,
output is not possible, it is preferable to Flutes 1 and 2 should be separate parts).
produce a completed score done in ink. String parts should be created with one
(Pencil is acceptable, but the publisher part per section. Complicated string
must provide some kind of quality control divisions should be written on separate
for the final outcome of the reproduc- staves. Avoid dividing the music for the
tion.) This should be done on either string section into multiple parts unless
vellum or opaque paper and clearly repro- necessitated by multiple and continuous
duced, back to back on the page. Right- division of the voices.
hand pages must be odd-numbered and
left-hand pages must be even-numbered Paper
in the top right or left corner of the page. The paper for parts should be of
The score should be proofread by the substantial quality to avoid show-through
composer and a professional proofreader of music from the reverse side, to ensure
before it is presented for reproduction. durability, and to stand up to on-stage wind
patterns caused by ventilation systems. The
Instrumental Parts minimum requirement is usually 60 or 70
General lb. [100 gsm] offset paper.
Standard music notation practice should The page layout should allow com-
be observed and any deviation from the fortable page turns. Fold out pages should
standard should be clearly explained prior to be avoided or, if absolutely necessary, used
the first page of music. The front of each part sparingly.
should clearly identify the composer, title of Eight or ten-stave paper should be
the work, and instrument, including dou- used for any instrument that is subject to
blings and key(s) of transposing instruments multiple ledger lines. Twelve or four-
where appropriate. Percussion parts should teen stave paper may be used as long as
include a list of the instruments required. symbols are not crowded and clarity of the
It is preferable to have complete notational elements is maintained.
computer-generated parts, which should
not have any handwritten additions. If the Instrumental Part Readability
parts are written by hand, they must be The most readable staff size for all in-
copied legibly in black ink, using an italic struments is 8.5 mm (measured from the
or technical pen. Right-hand pages must bottom to the top of the staff). Although
be odd-numbered and left-hand pages 8.0 mm is readable for winds, it is less so
must be even-numbered in the top right for strings. Wind players can read music
or left corner of the page.
5from staves that measure 7.5 mm, but • The Timpani part should NOT be
this is very problematic for string players. included in the percussion part.
Anything smaller than 7.0 mm is unac- • Percussion parts may be in score form
ceptable for orchestral parts. Anything or individual instrumental parts. Each
larger than 8.5 mm should be avoided, as has its advantages depending on the
it is distracting to players. requirements of the music. It is preferable
Measure (bar) numbers should ap- to consult with an experienced orchestral
pear at the beginning of the first measure percussionist. In the case of a work written
of each line. Numbering each measure on commission, consult with the principal
should be avoided, except in the case percussionist of that orchestra.
of multiple measures rest, where mea-
• Percussion instruments should be
sure number ranges are helpful (e.g.,
notated on the staff from high to low,
“27–117”).
according to their relative pitch. These
In hand-copied parts it is recom-
positions must be maintained consistently
mended that all stems, beams, and bar
throughout the work. A notation key
lines be ruled with a straightedge, espe-
printed at the beginning of the part may
cially multiple-staff harp and keyboard
be helpful to the player.
parts.
Logical cues are expected during long • If any parts are reproduced with a popu-
period of rest, the cues being transposed lar transposition (for example, Horn in
to the reading key of the instrument. Cues E-flat transposed for Horn in F), a part in
must be audible to the musician reading the original key should also be included
the part. with the set.
Tempo and meter changes must • Care should be taken with the use of the
shown on all parts, even during periods of abbreviations 8va and 8va basso, avoiding
extended rest. The use of “Tacet until. . .” their use if possible.
is not acceptable.
Proofreading
Specific Suggestions It is mandatory that prior to re-
• Clefs and key signatures must appear at production the parts be proofread by a
the beginning of each line. qualified professional proofreader and
NOT only the composer or the copyist who
• Parts for transposing instruments must
prepared the parts. Please do not expect
be written in the proper key.
orchestra librarians to provide additional
• Harp pedaling should be left to the proofreading services.
performer.
6Formatting and Binding and 3-M Corporation’s Micropore surgical
In North America, the parts should tape [www.3m.com].) All pages should be
be prepared within an image area of attached to the center spine. Loose pages
no less than 8 x 11 inches on paper at should be taped or attached to the center
least 9.5 x 12.5 inches. These minimum margin of the spine. Accordion fold parts
requirements leave a 0.75 inch margin (single-sided sheets taped side-to-side) are
surrounding the image area. A common not acceptable.
page size among many publishers is 10
x 13 inches. Parts larger than 11 x 14 Bibliography
inches are inconvenient and unwieldy. Powell, Steven. Music Engraving
If using the ISO A and B series paper Today: The Art and Practice of Digital
formats, parts should be prepared within Notesetting. New York: Brichtmark Music,
an image area of 170mm x 257mm on 2002.
paper no smaller than A4. These mini- Ross, Ted. The Art of Music En-
mum requirements leave a 40mm margin graving and Processing: A Complete
surrounding the image area. Common Manual, Reference and Text Book on
page sizes among publishers who use the Preparing Music for Reproduction
ISO paper sizes are A4 and B4. While A4 and Print. 2nd ed., Miami, Fla.: Charles
parts are considered the minimum, paper Hansen, 1970.
larger than A4, such as B4, is preferred Solomon, Samuel Z. How to Write
and recommended among librarians. for Percussion: A Comprehensive Guide
Likewise, parts larger than B4 are incon- to Percussion Composition. New York:
venient and unwieldy. SZSolomon, 2002.
Regardless of what paper size is used, Stone, Kurt. Music Notation in the
parts should be reproduced with music Twentieth Century: A Practical Guide-
printed on both sides of the page. book. New York: W. W. Norton, 1980.
Parts and scores should be bound
so that they lie flat on the stand. Plastic
comb or coil binding may be used for
scores but not for parts. Multiple page
parts can be set into signatures and saddle
stitched or stapled at the spine. Another
method uses a single strip of flexible cloth
tape affixed to the left margin of the part.
(Tape manufacturers include Vital Presen-
tation Concepts Inc. [www.vpcinc.com]
7Music Preparation Guidelines
for Orchestral Music
Prepared by the
Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association
Publication Committee
1993 Edition
Clinton F. Nieweg, Philadelphia Orchestra • David Bartolotta, San
Francisco Ballet • Peter Conover, Houston Symphony • Gary Corrin,
Toronto Symphony • Marcia Farabee, National Symphony • John Grande,
Metropolitan Opera • Robert M. Grossman, Philadelphia Orchestra •
Paul Gunther, Minnesota Orchestra • James Kortz, St. Paul Chamber
Orchestra • Mary C. Plaine, Baltimore Symphony • Rosemary Summers,
Metropolitan Opera • Lawrence Tarlow, New York Philharmonic • John
Van Winkle, San Francisco Symphony
Revised in 2001
John Campbell, San Francisco Symphony • Russ Girsberger, New
England Conservatory • Margo Hodgson, National Arts Centre
Orchestra • Carol Lasley, Florida Philharmonic • Cathy Miller, The
U.S. Army Field Band • Patrick Zwick, Utah Symphony
Revised in 2006
Stephen Biagini, Los Angeles Philharmonic • Russ Girsberger, New
England Conservatory • Kazue McGregor, Los Angeles Philharmonic •
Clinton F. Nieweg, Philadelphia Orchestra (retired) • Gregory Vaught,
San Antonio Symphony • Justin Vibbard, Florida West Coast Symphony
Additional Publications
The publications committee of MOLA has prepared two other
brochures entitled:
What is MOLA? A Guide to
the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association
and
The Orchestra Librarian: A Career Introduction
For Further Information about MOLA visit our website at:
www.mola-inc.orgYou can also read
