Hello, I’m wondering for people out there who score for 3 part horns, what’s your process for the master score part where you decide on your chords and inversions etc. I’ve used a generic keyboard part and made three different voices, but it’s looking quite messy. I thought I’d ask what people out there are doing.
You can use separate voices (Shift-V to create the other voices, thereafter use V to switch between them.) This is assuming you want them on one stave and they may have different rhythms.
Or you can input Chords (Shift-Q) where each note for each horn is stacked on top of the others (same rhythm).
Personally I would create the 3 horns as separate instruments (meaning separate staves) so you can see each, at least as you are inputting, especially if they have different rhythms, but you are asking about a Master stave with all on, right? Have you input all the notes yet?
(Then Copy, Edit > Paste Special … into a different voice to create your master staff.)
You will probably have clarifications or more questions, someone will be able to help you further.
Yeah cool makes sense. I’m curious about if there’s people doing it day in day out, what they do. There’s a few different options I guess
Cal
Are you only scoring for the horns? No other instruments?
There is no real good reason at all to avoid using three individual instruments. If you need to get it on one staff later, that can be done with condensing.
I’m going by what my arranging teacher is teaching us. He says always work off a master stave, then explode out on to the individual parts. It’s so you can see your harmonys clearly together and the intervals between them. In this assignment I’m writing for three horns
Hi Calum, it looks messy because you actually put everything into one voice…
To make use of Dorico’s abilities, create three horn players additionally to your master keyboard. Input the music after extending your caret across the three horn staves. The voices will be automatically distributed onto those three staves.
In a second step use the Paste Special->Reduce function to paste the three horns into the keyboard staff. You will have a result of three voices.:
I understand. I don’t think I agree, but I understand. Part of me thinks that sort of sketchwork is best done with pencil and paper, as engraving software is aiming at a finished product, but I’m just opining here, not actually helping, so I’ll stop there.
Personally I would understand »master staff« as making use of the complete grand staff, thus placing the lower voice in the bass clef system. After this, you have only two voices left on the upper, which should make stem direction distribution easier.
In your example, it is mainly the two outer voices that are moving in the same rhythm with the middle voice being a rhythmical counterpoint (in the widest sense). Such a situation is always tricky when it comes to stem direction distribution on a single system.
Thanks for everyone’s input, interesting thoughts
Calum, have you watched this short clip? The example shows 4 horns:
Just to clarify my questions, even though you have excellent recommendations now:
This may or may not be relevant, perhaps it might help others coming here in the future, but here goes…
(I did not use Dorico’s condensing, just copy/paste, paste into voice for these examples.)
Example A
This shows the same rhythms for each. I suspect this is what your teacher is referring to.
Shows [1] on a single stave. You can see the 3rds, unisons, spread (or not) of the note range of them. You can see the 2nds, so it is very easy to see the harmony.
Example B
Almost the same as [Example A], you see rests and different note values here and there, but mostly the same. You can definitely see how having them separated on their own stave helps seeing horizontally, where you might add slurs, add breath marks (if needed somewhere in a long phrase) etc.
Then collapsed into one stave, similar to your original example. You can see much of what you see in [2], 2nds, 3rds, the range of the notes (meaning the last measure has a little more spread) and unison notes. As you see bar 2 has a tie, bar 3 there are no 8th (quaver) rests, just the notes missing.
An alternative to [4] above where Dorico is showing each voice, so you see 3 horns with their own rests, beaming etc. Definitely getting a little messy.
Example C
Complicated, nothing much similar comparing each horn to any other
and depicted with separate voices
If your class is arranging, harmony, then if the rhythms are similar, working from a master score as you call it, is probably best, as your teacher has recommended. Easy to see your harmonies. Then explode to individual staves for further developments if needed, etc.
If you created them using Chords, Filter > Notes in chords > top note (second note or whatever) to select, copy/cut then paste to its individual stave.
For myself as @JustinM suggested, I would simply use 3 staves but ease yourself into this (read on.)
For different rhythms, you can see it might not easily work. It depends if you know what the horns are to be doing (thinking of when orchestrating) either working as a section same rhythms or near) or as individual independent instruments (for whatever reasons.)
Having separate staves for them will help if you are doing conducting classes or working with orchestra scores or groups of players like strings because visually you would want to practice with expanding your vision to encompass a bunch of staves vertically and horizontally at the same time, spotting the harmonies, 3rds, 2nds etc. as you “collapse” them in your mind. If you can do this as you are inputting your harmonies with them on separate staves, then all you need to do is condense for the full score. In creating a real orchestration, normally you would have horns on separate staves so their part is there for its player, condense as needed for the conductor score.
I think I speak for everyone here, have fun with your classes, feel free to bring up any questions you have from your courses, either related to Dorico, or any other music matter.
What an epic reply, thanks for the Arco, it’s all making a lot of sense. I like you idea of keeping the horns as the same voice in the master stave when the rhythms are the same, as is common in jazz horn section writing, then changing after in the individual parts if I want more individual rhythms too.
Cheers
Yes, a lot depends on the counterpoint and voice leading involved. No one method is best in all circumstances.
Another visual example:
Just adding:
for many orchestral scores, there can be 4 horns, then on the conductor score, two staves, each with two horns, 1.2. and 3.4. or 1.3. and 2.4.
In this instance, you can condense to 2 on a stave and easily see what is happening (compared to three horns which was your question. I’m just filling out the answering here, a bit past it, that’s all.)
Again, normally write on four separate staves and condense pairs, or for a short score (as you are calling, a master score) where you might not necessarily need separate parts printed, (because it’s just for planning or your assignments etc.) simply input in two voices (for each of the two staves) up and down stem.
(Additionally Dorico adds some clarity automatically when condensing, where you see which horn is playing certain notes, e.g. last note is 4th horn. You don’t get this if you are simply inputting two voices into a staff, although it might not be important for what you are doing.)
For your jazz big band scores, a short score might have alto saxes on one stave, tenors on another and baritone on its own, as it is being planned (or sometimes all on one) especially if they doing the same rhythms so you can instantly see the harmonies, although typically as you probably know, each has its own staff in a conductor score, (not as many instruments as an orchestra might have so it takes up less vertical space anyway.)
You will be aware in Dorico you can create more than one layout, a conductor score, another as a short score (some condensing), just a section score (for example, just saxes or only the rhythm section) for whatever purposes. This might be useful for your assignments, handing in what is required in its own layout, even though you are working on something bigger around it.
Have fun! 
