Scores

Score preparation – from midi and audio to the notated score

Part 1: Working with midi so it looks right!

Score preparation is the task of creating notated scores and parts for orchestral recording sessions.
Many composers these days write using midi and samples, and notation may play only a small part in their creative process, but if an orchestral session is booked for the project then the music has to look right before it will sound right, so midi and audio need to be translated into music notation. Here’s a screen video showing how I prepare midi for notation.

For a bigger YouTube version click here. Or a Quicktime version here.

There may be aspects of orchestration to look at, at this stage also, where the midi needs to be fleshed out to suit an orchestra.

Part 2: Tidying and marking up the notation.

By the time I import midi into Sibelius I’ve done much of the tidying up of basic pitch and rhythm. The work in Sibelius is more about performance markings and layout details that will draw the best performance out of sight-reading musicians.
It’s not enough to rely on ‘feel’; in a session the notation needs to communicate more than just the basics of pitch and rhythm, but give the readers clear performance direction, or you’ll end up with a pretty flat, characterless performance and you might as well stick with samples! Here’s a screen video showing some of the process in Sibelius.

For a bigger YouTube version click here. Or a better resolution quicktime versions here.

Jim Copperthwaite’s score for the Stella Artois tv commercial “Pass on something good”, prepared by Pete Whitfield