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List: lilypond-user
Subject: Re: lyrics to music
From: Reinhold Kainhofer <reinhold () kainhofer ! com>
Date: 2012-11-20 15:41:38
Message-ID: 50ABA4B2.30505 () kainhofer ! com
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On 20/11/2012 16:25, Fr. Michael Gilmary, mma wrote:
> Hi everybody:
>
> Here's a general question that's bothered me for some time ... because
> I'm not a musician or composer ---
>
> when setting lyrics to music, is it ever acceptable to join eighth
> notes across syllables or even across words?
>
>
> I have been told by a reliable expert (hi Rembrandt!) that joining the
> eighth notes across syllables/words is never done ... but I have
> examples like the second one here from a very accomplished composer.
> Maybe he just isn't familiar with how to prevent his program from
> joining them. It certainly makes for difficult reading of the lyrics,
> IMHO.
In the 18th and 19th century, melismas were indicated by beams, so back
then the eights would never get beamed, unless they were a melisma (i.e.
belonged to the same syllable).
However, modern and contemporary notation will use the same beaming as
for instruments and instead indicate melismas with slurs.
So, it's basically a convention and your choice whether you want to use
the traditional way (never beam notes across syllables) or the modern
notation practice.
As a (classical) singer, I have to admit, I'm always confused by the
modern notation and sight-reading takes much more effort than with the
traditional notation. That might, however, also be due to me being used
only to the traditional notation.
Cheers,
Reinhold
--
------------------------------------------------------------------
Reinhold Kainhofer, reinhold@kainhofer.com, http://www.kainhofer.com
* Financial & Actuarial Math., Vienna Univ. of Technology, Austria
* http://www.fam.tuwien.ac.at/, DVR: 0005886
* Edition Kainhofer, Music Publisher, http://www.edition-kainhofer.com
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 20/11/2012 16:25, Fr. Michael
Gilmary, mma wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:96CED26A-9028-4BB1-984D-62A76D3958D6@maronitemonks.org"
type="cite">
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:
separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Geneva; font-size:
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<div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space;
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
<div>Hi everybody:</div>
<div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder">
</div>
<div>Here's a general question that's bothered me for some
time ... because I'm not a musician or composer ---</div>
<div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder">
</div>
<div>when setting lyrics to music, is it ever acceptable to
join eighth notes across syllables or even across words? <br>
</div>
<div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder">
</div>
<div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder">
</div>
<div>I have been told by a reliable expert (hi Rembrandt!)
that joining the eighth notes across syllables/words is
never done ... but I have examples like the second one
here from a very accomplished composer. Maybe he just
isn't familiar with how to prevent his program from
joining them. It certainly makes for difficult reading of
the lyrics, IMHO.</div>
</div>
</span></div>
</blockquote>
<br>
In the 18th and 19th century, melismas were indicated by beams, so
back then the eights would never get beamed, unless they were a
melisma (i.e. belonged to the same syllable). <br>
However, modern and contemporary notation will use the same beaming
as for instruments and instead indicate melismas with slurs.<br>
<br>
So, it's basically a convention and your choice whether you want to
use the traditional way (never beam notes across syllables) or the
modern notation practice.<br>
<br>
As a (classical) singer, I have to admit, I'm always confused by the
modern notation and sight-reading takes much more effort than with
the traditional notation. That might, however, also be due to me
being used only to the traditional notation.<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Reinhold<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
------------------------------------------------------------------
Reinhold Kainhofer, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" \
href="mailto:reinhold@kainhofer.com">reinhold@kainhofer.com</a>, <a \
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" \
href="http://www.kainhofer.com">http://www.kainhofer.com</a>
* Financial & Actuarial Math., Vienna Univ. of Technology, Austria
* <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" \
href="http://www.fam.tuwien.ac.at/">http://www.fam.tuwien.ac.at/</a>, \
DVR: 0005886
* Edition Kainhofer, Music Publisher, <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" \
href="http://www.edition-kainhofer.com">http://www.edition-kainhofer.com</a></pre> \
</body> </html>
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