Music Preparation Guidelines

for Orchestral Music

Prepared by the
Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association
Publication Committee

1993 Edition
Clinton F. Nieweg, Philadelphia Orchestra • David Bartolotta, San
Francisco Ballet • Peter Conover, Houston Symphony • Gary Corrin,
Toronto Symphony • Marcia Farabee, National Symphony • John
Grande, Metropolitan Opera • Robert M. Grossman, Philadelphia
Orchestra • Paul Gunther, Minnesota Orchestra • James Kortz, St.
Paul Chamber Orchestra • Mary C. Plaine, Baltimore Symphony •
Rosemary Summers, Metropolitan Opera • Lawrence Tarlow, New
York Philharmonic • John Van Winkle, San Francisco Symphony

Revised in 2001
John Campbell, San Francisco Symphony • Russ Girsberger, New
England Conservatory • Margo Hodgson, National Arts Centre
Orchestra • Carol Lasley, Florida Philharmonic • Cathy Miller, The
U.S. Army Field Band • Patrick Zwick, Utah Symphony
Music Preparation Guidelines
Revised in 2006 for Orchestral Music
Stephen Biagini, Los Angeles Philharmonic • Russ Girsberger, New
England Conservatory • Kazue McGregor, Los Angeles Philharmonic
• Clinton F. Nieweg, Philadelphia Orchestra (retired) • Gregory Vaught,
San Antonio Symphony • Justin Vibbard, Florida West Coast Symphony Prepared by the
Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association
Additional Publications Publication Committee
The publications committee of MOLA has prepared two other
brochures entitled:

What is MOLA? A Guide to

the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association
and
The Orchestra Librarian: A Career Introduction

For Further Information about MOLA visit our website at:

www.mola-inc.org
 Proofreading Parts and scores should be bound so
that they lie flat on the stand. Plastic
It is mandatory that prior to repro-
The Major Orchestra duction the parts be proofread by a
comb or coil binding may be used for
scores but not for parts. Multiple page
qualified professional proofreader and
Librarians’ Association NOT only the composer or the copyist who
parts can be set into signatures and saddle
stitched or stapled at the spine. Another
prepared the parts. Please do not expect
method uses a single strip of flexible cloth
orchestra librarians to provide additional
The primary goals of the Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association (MOLA) tape affixed to the left margin of the part.
proofreading services.
are to improve communication among orchestra librarians, to provide support (Tape manufacturers include Vital
Presentation Concepts Inc.
and information to the orchestra administrations, to present a unified voice in Formatting and Binding [www.vpcinc.com] and 3-M Corporation’s
publisher relations, and to assist fellow librarians in providing better service to
In North America, the parts should be Micropore surgical tape [www.3m.com].)
their orchestras.
prepared within an image area of no less All pages should be attached to the center
than 8 x 11 inches on paper at least 9.5 x spine. Loose pages should be taped or
MOLA is an international organization that includes libraries from
12.5 inches. These minimum require- attached to the center margin of the spine.
symphony orchestras, opera and ballet companies, professional bands and
ments leave a 0.75 inch margin sur- Accordion fold parts (single-sided sheets
ensembles, and educational institutions. Our membership includes musical
rounding the image area. A common taped side-to-side) are not acceptable.
organizations in North, Central, and South America, Europe, the Middle East,
page size among many publishers is 10 x
Africa, Asia, and Australia.
13 inches. Parts larger than 11 x 14 Bibliography
inches are inconvenient and unwieldy.
MOLA periodically invites representatives from music publishers to its Powell, Steven. Music Engraving
If using the ISO A and B series paper
annual conferences in order to address the publication and condition of Today: The Art and Practice of Digital
formats, parts should be prepared within
printed musical materials. This collaborative effort has led to the formation of Notesetting. New York: Brichtmark Music,
an image area of 170mm x 257mm on
the MOLA/Publisher Committee. 2002.
paper no smaller than A4. These mini-
Ross, Ted. The Art of Music Engrav-
mum requirements leave a 40mm margin
MOLA is represented on the MLA (Music Library Association) / MPA ing and Processing: A Complete
surrounding the image area. Common
(Music Publishers’ Association) / MOLA Joint Committee. In addition, MOLA Manual, Reference and Text Book on
page sizes among publishers who use the
has cultivated relationships with other music service organizations. These Preparing Music for Reproduction and
ISO paper sizes are A4 and B4. While A4
include the International Association of Music Librarians, the American Print. 2nd ed., Miami, Fla.: Charles
parts are considered the minimum, paper
Symphony Orchestra League, the American Federation of Musicians, the Hansen, 1970.
larger than A4, such as B4, is preferred
International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, and the Solomon, Samuel Z. How to Write
and recommended among librarians.
Regional Orchestra Players’ Association for Percussion: A Comprehensive Guide
Likewise, parts larger than B4 are
to Percussion Composition. New York:
inconvenient and unwieldy.
For further information, contact the orchestra librarian at your local SZSolomon, 2002.
Regardless of what paper size is used,
symphony, opera, or ballet orchestra or visit the MOLA website at: Stone, Kurt. Music Notation in the
parts should be reproduced with music
www.mola-inc.org Twentieth Century: A Practical Guide-
printed on both sides of the page.
book. New York: W. W. Norton, 1980.
Instrumental Part Readability Specific Suggestions MOLA Guidelines score is completed, individual parts are
extracted, transposed, formatted, and
The most readable staff size for all • Clefs and key signatures must appear at
instruments is 8.5 mm (measured from the beginning of each line.
for Music Preparation printed, saving countless hours of work.
This technology provides a great level of
the bottom to the top of the staff). flexibility for editing, reproducing, and
Although 8.0 mm is readable for winds, it is • Parts for transposing instruments must
be written in the proper key. storing music.
less so for strings. Wind players can read These advantages can come with
music from staves that measure 7.5 mm, • Harp pedaling should be left to the Introduction hazards, however. For example, if the
but this is very problematic for string performer.
These guidelines for the preparation editing process of a new work continues
players. Anything smaller than 7.0 mm is • The Timpani part should NOT be of music scores and parts are the result of after the parts have been prepared and
unacceptable for orchestral parts. Anything included in the percussion part. many hours of discussion regarding the distributed to the musicians, this will
larger than 8.5 mm should be avoided, as it creation and layout of performance require additional work by composers,
• Percussion parts may be in score form
is distracting to players. material that has come through our copyists, and librarians to keep up with
or individual instrumental parts. Each
Measure (bar) numbers should libraries. We realize that each music revisions in the composition and provide
has its advantages depending on the
appear at the beginning of the first publisher has its own set of guidelines for an accurate and suitable set of parts. Also,
requirements of the music. It is preferable
measure of each line. Numbering each music engraving. We wish to encourage as digital storage and distribution of
to consult with an experienced orchestral
measure should be avoided, except in the music publishers to work together to music data files becomes more common,
percussionist. In the case of a work written
case of multiple measures rest, where standardize those guidelines. In the there is the danger that the librarian will
on commission, consult with the principal
measure number ranges are helpful (e.g., meantime, we would like to express our be obliged to assume the role of music
percussionist of that orchestra.
“27–117”). thoughts regarding the preparation of publisher, expected to print, duplicate,
In hand-copied parts it is recom- • Percussion instruments should be
notated on the staff from high to low, new music in the hope that an agreement and bind all of the sheet music. Not all
mended that all stems, beams, and bar about format may be reached. libraries have the facilities, staff, or time
lines be ruled with a straightedge, according to their relative pitch. These
positions must be maintained consistently to accommodate these projects, and while
especially multiple-staff harp and
keyboard parts. throughout the work. A notation key Use of the Computer librarians can advise on the format and
layout of printed music, they should not
Logical cues are expected during printed at the beginning of the part may Advantages and Disadvantages
be helpful to the player. be expected to act as a surrogate pub-
long period of rest, the cues being With the advent of computer software
lisher.
transposed to the reading key of the • If any parts are reproduced with a for composing and arranging music, it is
Nonetheless, whether a score is
instrument. Cues must be audible to the popular transposition (for example, Horn possible to produce clear and readable
handwritten or produced from a desktop
musician reading the part. in E-flat transposed for Horn in F), a part music from a desktop printer. Music
printer, there are common, specific
Tempo and meter changes must in the original key should also be publishers and professional composers
elements that make this music readable,
shown on all parts, even during periods of included with the set. and arrangers are creating scores and
and ultimately usable by musicians.
extended rest. The use of “Tacet until. . .” • Care should be taken with the use of the parts that are as functional and beautiful
is not acceptable. as traditionally engraved music.
abbreviations 8va and 8va basso, avoiding
The technology allows the composer The Score
their use if possible.
or the copyist to enter the music into the Cover
score through various means, including Although each music publisher will
electronic (MIDI) instruments. Once the have its own publication guidelines and
style requirements, there is some informa- diagrams are helpful to illustrate particu- Score Readability be odd-numbered and left-hand pages
tion that is important to see on the cover larly complex staging. If there are If traditional engraving or computer must be even-numbered in the top right
of any score. The title of the work and the deviations from standard musical output is not possible, it is preferable to or left corner of the page.
name of the composer should be printed notation, an explanation should appear produce a completed score done in ink. Avoid creating wind parts that have
prominently on the cover and spine of the following the instrumentation page. (Pencil is acceptable, but the publisher multiple parts on a single stave (e.g.,
score. If applicable, the name of the The full title of the work should be must provide some kind of quality Flutes 1 and 2 should be separate parts).
arranger should appear, but need not be printed as it would appear in a formal control for the final outcome of the String parts should be created with one
as prominent as the title and composer. concert program, to include appropriate reproduction.) This should be done on part per section. Complicated string
Additionally, the name and address of the capitalization and diacritical markings, either vellum or opaque paper and divisions should be written on separate
publisher should be easily located. along with movement titles in their proper clearly reproduced, back to back on the staves. Avoid dividing the music for the
order. There should be an approximate page. Right-hand pages must be odd- string section into multiple parts unless
Front Matter (Title Page, duration given for each movement and a numbered and left-hand pages must be necessitated by multiple and continuous
Preface, etc.) total duration for the work. even-numbered in the top right or left division of the voices.
There should be a page at the corner of the page.
beginning of the work that provides basic The Music The score should be proofread by the Paper
information about the composition. This At the beginning of the musical score, composer and a professional proofreader The paper for parts should be of
should include a list of the full instru- the full name of each instrument should be before it is presented for reproduction. substantial quality to avoid show-through of
mentation, identifying any doublings, the listed to the left of the corresponding music from the reverse side, to ensure
system. On subsequent pages, abbreviations
keys of transposing instruments (clari-
of the instrument names should be used.
Instrumental Parts durability, and to stand up to on-stage wind
nets, horns, and trumpets), and all patterns caused by ventilation systems. The
percussion instruments. All instructions for tempi and General
minimum requirement is usually 60 or 70
An indication of how many percus- dynamics should be in a conventional Standard music notation practice
lb. [100 gsm] offset paper.
sionists will be required is helpful, though language such as English, Italian, should be observed and any deviation from
The page layout should allow
each orchestra may or may not adhere to German, or French. All tempo indica- the standard should be clearly explained
comfortable page turns. Fold out pages
that number. Any special equipment, tions should appear above the top staff prior to the first page of music. The front of
should be avoided or, if absolutely neces-
synthesizer settings, or other electronic and above the first violin line on each each part should clearly identify the
sary, used sparingly.
keyboard requirements should be noted score page. composer, title of the work, and instrument,
Eight or ten-stave paper should be
here, as well as on the cover page of the Each measure (bar) should be including doublings and key(s) of
used for any instrument that is subject to
instrument’s part. These instructions numbered, beginning anew with each transposing instruments where appropri-
multiple ledger lines. Twelve or fourteen
should be as specific and understandable movement. Placement of measure ate. Percussion parts should include a list
stave paper may be used as long as
as possible. Any special instructions for numbers should be the same throughout of the instruments required.
symbols are not crowded and clarity of the
“prepared instruments” or other uncom- the work, i.e. above, below, or on a special It is preferable to have complete
notational elements is maintained.
mon instruments should also be noted line of the grand staff, such as above the computer-generated parts, which should
here, as well as on the cover page of the first violins. If rehearsal letters are used, not have any handwritten additions. If the
instrument involved. Any special staging they should correspond to landmarks in parts are written by hand, they must be
instructions should also be mentioned on the music and must be used in conjunc- copied legibly in black ink, using an italic
this or a subsequent page. Detailed tion with measure numbers. or technical pen. Right-hand pages must