I’m reading MOLA’s (Major orchestra librarian association) “MOLA guidelines for music preparation”, 2017 edition. Under the heading “Formatting” > “Parts” on page 5, it reads:
The most readable staff size for all instruments is 7.5 mm (measured from the bottom to the top of the staff). Although 7.0 mm may be readable for winds as they generally use their own stands, it is less so for strings because they share a stand. Anything smaller than 7.0 mm is unacceptable, and anything larger than 8.5 mm should be avoided.
To my eye, even 7.0 mm looks excessive even on a B4 page, particularly in wind and percussion parts. I still use this staff size, MOLA probably has good reason for recommending this. From my years as a performer I seem to recall that the music was set in a more economical size for the most part.
Do you find the 7.0 to 8.5 mm range to be the best, or am I not alone thinking even 7.0 is a bit on the large side?
(This is touched upon here, but the focus in that thread is on another aspect.)
Generally I would say that 7 is a very good compromise for orchestral parts. And to explain why, think that some players have their instrument between them and the music stand. Especially Double bass players are quite away from the music stand, and Brass players too…
As a reference the German WDR Big Band requirements are 8,5mm!!!:
Here also what Elaine Gould suggests in her wonderful Book Behind Bars:
As a pianist myself I am happy (for piano score, that is just in front of the eyes) with 6 or sometimes 5,5 if the piece is not too complicate, so there is also less page turning…
Interesting, thanks for this. Wow, 8.5 mm required in the WDR big band! Gould’s volume is indeed wonderful and I should have consulted it myself, the table you posted is very informative. Maybe I’ll allow myself to try out reducing some parts to 6.5 and do what one always should do, consult the reader and listen to their thoughts.
Here is some information in German - from the DOV (Deutsche Orchestervereinigung), they also recommend 8.5 staff size…
Rastral 0 (8,5 mm) oder Rastral 1 (8 mm) sind die angemessenen Größen für Streicher, Harfe, Pauker und Schlagzeuger. Für Bläser ist auch Rastral II (7,5 mm) noch empfehlenswert.
That’s 8.5 (or 8.0) for Strings, Harp, Timpani and Drums. For Wind Players 7.5 is still acceptable.
Didn’t know this resource, thanks for posting the link.
Skimming over the WDR guide, with regard to the original question there’s one observation that I find telling: at several points there is advice to the effect that one should take care to make things “large enough” – not once is there a request to “not make things too big, please”; and I think that tendency would be found in all the standard literature.
Very true.
I personally find some newer chamber music scores (for piano and one other instrument) that came out in the last couple of months/years by Schott or Bärenreiter for example, to be exaggerated big in the rastral size for the piano part: I feel I am reading a children book , and often are only 2 bars in a line (sometimes only 1!), and to less music on the two pages generally, so that I have to turn the pages more often…etc. Henle and Wiener are remaining more moderate in this aspect, (for what I could see).
(But for orchestral parts there are for sure other priorities…)
Just out of curiosity, what is your background as a performer, @Runter_vom_Sofa?
I was a trombonist for thirty years until dystonia forced me to quit. Classically trained, I played in symphony and opera orchestras, sinfoniettas and chamber groups, my longest tenure was in the Royal Norwegian navy band. I consider the trombone a magnificent solo instrument and commissioned and premiered works by a number of Norwegian composers.
, and often are only 2 bars in a line (sometimes only 1!), and to less music on the two pages generally, so that I have to turn the pages more often…etc.