I’m currently working on a piano score. A lot of newer editions of the classics in this genre mention “practical page turns” or similar. I know that Dorico has the means to accomplish page turns at any desired location by way of frame breaks. But how should one use them?
I suppose that much of the decision-making in this area is particular to each piece. Of course, complete optimization isn’t entirely possible for most lengthier works; rests aren’t “timed” around page turns. So, some compromises will need to be made, and there will be some subjectivity around them. The only general things that come to mind are
that the location of frame breaks is more critical for transitions from recto to verso than vice versa (because verso to recto doesn’t involve turning the page); and
that frames/systems should be broken in such a way as to avoid a final page that is not vertically justified. (A problem I’m currently dealing with, too.)
But even so, how does one decide to break a frame or system, say, at measure 100 rather than measure 101? And, for that matter, what makes a page turn (or frame break, or even a system break) practical or optimal?
And a slightly related question that I suppose might also be asked here - is staff size 3 or 4 more common for piano music? I’m not aware of any editions that mix staff sizes for piano music, so I probably have to just pick one. Unfortunately, both are giving me the dreaded orphaned final system right now. I haven’t experimented with breaks at all so far.
I don’t think the problem is as big as you think. Consider that I have not seen anybody play from paper for years now. All players now use a tablet and a bluetooth page turn pedal. It means page turns are instant and can be done anywhere really fast and you no longer need a page turner assistant. So this changes the picture a little bit. It means you can have the music break at locations maybe an old copper engrave would not use.
All players? Even if this were true, I would still want the copper engraver’s perspective in order to make the layout as good as possible for those who don’t use a tablet. I can count on one hand the number of musicians I’ve seen who use tablets regardless of discipline.
[I mean a question that isn’t so much “how does Dorico do this?” - because I already know that part - but rather how and when do I use the capability, which is more nuanced and based on the opinions and experience of users.]
This isn’t remotely true. Less than half my ensemble uses tablets, and I’ve seen zero tablet use for music in school settings. In fact, the current generation of students actually prefer paper over tablets because of the fear of battery life. They’ve grown up on smartphones and tablets, and they know exactly how long they will last, and they’ve learned better than to depend on that.
Paper scores and parts will be around for a long time to come.
By piano score I’m assuming a piece for solo piano, in which case the question of page turns is quite a bit different than for instrumental parts in an ensemble piece. Presumably, the piano will be playing more or less continuously, so there are no rests which can make for obvious page-turning points.
Of course if the pieces/movements are sufficiently short (e.g. Mikrokosmos, Schoenberg op. 19) you should try to have the page turns between pieces. For beginners, a page-turn in the middle of a piece might be a big hurdle so for educational material this is a higher priority.
If you can find a place where one hand is free for a bit, that makes for a good turn point. Pianists sit very close to their sheet music and don’t need to worry about dropping their instrument, so they can be quicker than most. And pianists are also generally good at reading ahead, so if this point occurs a bar or two before the actual page turn it might also be OK.
(By the way, size 3 aka 7mm is on the big side for piano music, as they’re sitting so close to it. Size 4 is probably the most common, size 5 would still be OK.)
With page breaks from verso to recto, the main priority is making the density (both horizontal & vertical) look balanced across the two-page spread rather than where to break off the music. Pianists will be reading ahead anyway.
Finally, the majority of piano repertoire doesn’t really concern itself with feasible page turns at all because doing so would be an impossible task. This is especially true in chamber music or vocal scores where you may only have two systems per page. That’s why page-turners exist, and also why some pianists are switching to tablets.
If you find yourself with orphaned staves at the end, try adjusting the Note Spacing, either in Layout Options or a local Note Spacing Change. Dorico’s default of 4 spaces/quarter is (IMO) excessively generous, I usually have it at 3 1/2 and often go down to 3. Tight spacing makes for a more old-fashioned look, and of course you can fit more notes on a page, in turn also giving you more freedom to choose comfortable page breaks. Local spacing changes are the least obtrusive when they happen at a page break, and they (obviously) have the most effect on how the end looks, the earlier in the score you apply them.
Now for instrumental parts, the practice is a bit different. With some exceptions, you do in fact need a (small) stretch of full rest for each (recto to verso) page turn, and this can and will put significant constraints on your layout. It depends on the instrument how much time is required: you can imagine the logistics involved in turning the page for a double bass, compared to an oboe. You also have to consider that a page turn creates a bit of noise and visual unrest, especially when done quickly. So if you have a 60-piece string section all rustling their papers simultaneously, it might distract from the delicate flute solo which afforded them the time to turn in the first place.
It may also happen that a page-turn constraint in one place (usually, a very full spread) can have layout repercussions many pages before or after it, for example forcing you to start the part on a verso instead of a recto. This needs to be decided on a per-layout basis. It helps to have a ‘title’ page template you can drop in at that point.
There is also no shame in leaving a page deliberately empty to facilitate page turns, as long as you unambiguously mark it as such. I have a custom page template for that, with simply a long arrow going from bottom left to top right. You have to include it in the page numbering as well, as not to disturb the holy rule of recto = odd, verso = even.
To let the player know that they have time to turn, show (at least some of) the rests before the actual page turn. However if the rest is long enough that there’s a cue for the next entrance, that’s better after the page turn. If the layout is so tight that it’s impossible to show the rests before the page turn, you can put the word (time) in the bottom right margin to assure the player that they have it.
With a string section playing 2 to a desk, you theoretically have a bit of leeway in all this, as the lower, ‘inside’ player can just drop out and turn the page while the other keeps playing. But that will still cause a bit of unrest, as well as a drop in sound, so it’s more of a last resort. Don’t do it in the middle of an exposed solo, and watch out for divisi. If the material right before the page turn is sufficiently repetitive, the turn can be staggered between the desks.
My last major project in Finale was a transcription of Resighi’s Church Windows for wind ensemble, and many parts ran to 8 pages (the Piano was ten, I think). Most of them I was able to balance the staves vs white space well enough to get good page turns, but a couple were just impossible. I reminded myself that Xerox is a thing, and let it go.
Sometimes, the best you can do is the best you can do…
Yes, I am referring mainly to solo piano - although for instrumental parts the question is even more critical, so I’m glad that you considered it as well. It’s nice to know that I can freely try one or even two staff sizes down. I wouldn’t have even thought of changing the note spacing, though. Given my predicament of staff size alone not helping, this is definitely a game-changer.
