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NOTATION - Part Two

承上題 - the shequal
In comparison to the long and exciting review of different notation software last week. This week, I would like to share my own thoughts on notation, as a practice, and as a tool in composition.

notation - /nəʊˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
A series or system of written symbols used to represent numbers, amounts, or elements in something such as music or mathematics.

While that is the general definition of notation, the definition of “music notation” in wiki is as follows:

Music notation or musical notation is any system used to visually represent aurally perceived music played with instruments or sung by the human voice through the use of written, printed, or otherwise-produced symbols, including notation for durations of absences of sound such as rests.

But that just covers music that is aurally perceived and being played by instruments/sung, but what about pieces that involved movement, text and media? This leads us to the question, what is music? What counts as music and what needs to be notated and what doesn’t? While that is another topic for another blog- in this blog I am going to explore what notation means to me as a composer, for composition; rather than focusing on ‘music’.

I define myself as a composer+, which means I not only write music, but I am also interested in theatricality, multi-media and experimental conceptual music. For that, my definition of notation is a combination of the two definitions above: To represent one’s ideas out of one’s head, to present ideas.

MY INTEREST-
My approach to music notation is ‘whatever represents best’ - which means whatever method represents my ideas best, I will use it, no matter if it is conventional or not. The following are my thoughts on my most used notation.

Conventional Western Notation
I am brought up learning western notation, and I am very comfortable notating conventional scores with this method. But what I found limiting to this method is the restriction of time in its horizontal presentation. Time-space notation exists but it takes a lot of time for an engraver to make time-space notation work on notation software. Another main problem for me is that it is very restricting to follow ‘notes’ and ‘meters’; modern composers are pushing the limits of the boundaries of conventional western notation. I personally found that quite unproductive, as to me a lot of effects that they are trying to archive will be much easier for the composer and the performer if used other notation methods. (Example 1)

Graphic
I am a newbie to graphic notation, as I am not a great illustrator (but I am learning to be). I really like using graphic scores because it leaves space for interpretation, and also you CAN USE FUN COLORS ! And there is something poetic about transforming a graphic to sounds, and also using graphic to represent a deeper subconcious concept of the piece is really fun to me ! (example 2a & 2b)

Audio Score
I am a big fan of Audio Scores, my current use for audio scores is often for performers to listen to them live when they are simultaneously performing. I can put instructions in the audio, or sounds that they can ‘translate’ through voice, or text to stimulate their thoughts and interpretation of the piece. I have used audio scores for a few of my pieces and I would love to keep exploring this method of notation.

Text Score
A Text Score is when text is used to notate instructions, ideas or thoughts for a piece. And the text itself is the content of the score. There are multiple examples of text scores being used by avant-garde composers i.e. Grapefruit by Yoko Ono, Composition 1960 by La Monte Young (example 3a & 3b). While that is also an area that I would like to explore, I have only used text score as an instruction score for actions and representation of sounds (example 4). There is a certain poetic quality to using a text score, and that is something I would definitely like to explore more.

CONCLUSION
Notation is a big part of being a composer because that is what proves your voice in your head are actual ideas and not just you being a mad person. I think as composers and creators, we should keep questioning why that is what we do and what ‘traditions’ are created. We should keep challenging what we are taught as ‘what has always been done’ and try not to be boxed in by the conventions created before us.

Example 1

Example 2a & 2b

Example 3

Example 4

Example 5