Music Notation Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography of Music Notation Reference Books
“Music Preparation Guidelines for Orchestral Music” compiled by the Major Orchestra
Librarians’ Association. Philadelphia, Pa.: Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association,
2004.
A pamphlet with guidelines for the proper engraving of orchestral music, emphasizing
readability and standardization of notation. Available online at http://www.mola-inc.org/pdf/
GuidelinesBrochure.pdf.
Music Engraving Today: The Art and Practice of Digital Notesetting by Steven Powell. New
York: Brichtmark Music, 2002.
A modern counterpart to the Ross manual (below), focusing on computer software programs like
Finale and Sibelius. It has invaluable information for every copyist and desktop music publisher.
The Art of Music Engraving and Processing: A Complete Manual, Reference and Text Book on
Preparing Music for Reproduction and Print by Ted Ross. 2nd ed., Miami, Fla.: Charles
Hansen, 1970. CD-ROM publication: Santa Rosa, Calif.: npc Imaging, 2001.
A manual describing, in detail, the process of engraving music manuscript and the rules of
notation applied to professional music printing. The text of the book is also available on
searchable CD-ROM from http://www.npcimaging.com.
Music Notation in the Twentieth Century: A Practical Guidebook by Kurt Stone. New York:
W. W. Norton, 1980.
A textbook focusing on contemporary notation, written in two parts, covering: 1) general
conventions of notation, pitch, duration, score and parts, rhythm, and indeterminate events, and
2) specific notation for instruments including keyboard reductions, voice, and taped sound.
Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice by Gardner Read. 2nd ed. New York:
Crescendo, 1969.
A detailed explanation, with examples, of traditional notation, with chapters on instrumental,
jazz, and vocal music. Part IV covers manuscript writing, proofreading, and the preparation of a
score and parts. It includes a bibliography and an index of notational symbols.
The Art of Music Copying: The Preparation of Music for Performance by Clinton Roemer. 2nd
ed. Sherman Oaks, Calif.: Roerick Music, 1985.
“The purpose of this book is to show the techniques and devices employed in properly preparing
music for performance….” [Preface] Chapter topics include equipment, spacing, phrasing,
chords, transposition, and preparing parts for specific instruments and ensembles. The book is
profusely illustrated and includes an index.
Essential Dictionary of Music Notation by Tom Gerou and Linda Lusk. Los Angeles:
Alfred Publishing, 1996.
A pocket guide and ready reference manual, arranged in dictionary form, defining music
notation terminology and illustrating standard notation practice.
…other helpful materials…
Modern Rhythmic Notation by Gardner Read. Bloomington: Indiana University Press,

1978.
A detailed examination of contemporary rhythms with numerous musical examples. There are
separate chapters on irrational rhythmic subdivisions, modern metrical concepts (including
additive and mixed meters), and polymetric notation. It includes a bibliography and an index of
composers and their works cited in the text.
20th-Century Microtonal Notation by Gardner Read. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990.
An analysis of the composition and notation of microtonal music. It includes an extensive
bibliography and an index of composers and their works cited in the text.
Thesaurus of Orchestral Devices by Gardner Read. New York: Pitman, 1953.

This is a unique compendium of instrumental techniques from the orchestral repertoire. It
includes examples of notation for standard as well as unusual performance practices, and
identifies the compositions where they appear.
Compendium of Modern Instrumental Techniques by Gardner Read. Westport, Conn.:

Greenwood Press, 1993.
An expansion and update of the author’s 1976 book, Contemporary Instrumental Techniques (New
York: Schirmer Books), showing contemporary instrumental notation and performance
techniques.
Source Book of Proposed Music Notation Reforms by Gardner Read. New York: Greenwood
Press, 1987.
An examination of non-standard or developing notational systems, with examples drawn from
early music through 20th century literature.
Pictographic Score Notation: A Compendium by Gardner Read. Westport, Conn.:

Greenwood Press, 1998.
A detailed list of possible and practical icons and graphic characters to indicate musical
instruments and performance techniques.
How to Write for Percussion: A Comprehensive Guide to Percussion Composition by Samuel Z.

Solomon. New York: SZSolomon, 2002 [www.szsolomon.com].
The most comprehensive book on contemporary percussion composition and notation.
Anatomy of the Orchestra by Norman Del Mar. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of
California Press, 1981. 528 pages
This book describes the organization, arrangement, and performance practice of the modern
symphony orchestra. Each section examines an instrumental family (strings, woodwinds, etc.)
and outlines typical ranges, their appearance in the score, notation and layout in the parts, and
typical or unusual effects. The many musical examples are taken from the orchestral literature.
Music notation web sites
NPC Imaging
http://www.npcimaging.com
Sales of books, software, and general information on music engraving, copying, and notation.
DVM Publications
http://www.dvmpublications.com
Music fonts, engraving bibliography and information about their music typesetting services.
Extremes of Conventional Music Notation

http://php.indiana.edu/~donbyrd/CMNExtremes.htm
“Have you ever wondered what the highest, lowest, shortest, or longest note
ever written is? Or what the densest chord, or the shortest or longest piece is?
I’ve been working off and on for years on a document entitled “Extremes of
Conventional Music Notation”, and it’s now on the Web.”
The Big Site of Music Notation and Engraving

http://www2.coloradocollege.edu/Dept/MU/Musicpress/
A faculty-student project from Colorado College.
Percussion Notation Bibliography
Books
Brindle, Reginald Smith. Contemporary Percussion. Revised edition. London: Oxford

University Press, 1991.
Focuses on percussion composition and its notation in contemporary music, including
line stave and graphic notation systems. Includes many examples from the repertoire. A
highly respected book.
Reed, H. Owen, and Joel T. Leach. Scoring for Percussion and the Instruments of the
Percussion Section. Miami, Fla.: Belwin Mills/CPP Belwin, 1969, 1978.
Describes many instruments and their common ranges, taking a more traditional
approach to stave notation.
Solomon, Samuel Z. How to Write for Percussion: A Comprehensive Guide to Percussion

Composition. New York: SZSolomon, 2002.
A very detailed guide to percussion composition and notation. The author includes
many musical examples, photos, and charts to illustrate contemporary performance
practice and technique.
Weinberg, Norman. Guide to Standardized Drumset Notation. Lawton, Ok.: Percussive

Arts Society, 1998.
Recommendations from this research have been implemented by Modern Drummer and
Percussive Notes magazines and the Coda music software company for use with their
Finale music writing programs. Several points are extracted in the article “Guidelines for
drumset notation.” Percussive Notes 32/3 (June 1994): 15-26.
Individual Book Chapters and Journal Articles
Caskel, Christoph. “Notation for percussion instruments.” Percussionist 8/3 (March

1971): 80-84 [translated by Vernon Martin]
Examples of percussion notation including staff and line notation, graphic notation, and
symbols [as used by Stockhausen]. Reprinted from Darmstädter Beiträge zur neuen
Musik, IX Kongress (1964): pp. 110-116. (titled: Notation neuer Musik.)
McCarty, Frank. “Percussion notation.” Percussionist 15/2 (Winter 1978): 49-60
Report of a survey to “obtain national consensus on existing notational practices and
give percussionists the opportunity to cite problems, air grievances, and make
recommendations.” The results consider note durations, reiterations & ornaments,
dynamics, staves & clefs, organization of the percussion part, and instruments and
beaters.
O’Connor, George A. “Prevailing trends in contemporary percussion notation.”

Percussionist 3/4 (September 1966): 61-74
Examines the practices of expanded conventional notation (with examples from Lasslo
Boehm’s book, Modern Music Notation), metric modulation (examples from Elliott
Carter’s “Recitative” from the Six Pieces for Kettledrums, Henry Cowell’s Fabric, Michael
Colgrass’s Fantasy Variations, and John Bergamo’s Tanka for Solo Percussion), and notation
toward aleatoric occurrence (examples from John Cage’s 27’ 10.554” for a Percussionist,
Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Zyklus, Earle Brown’s Hodograph I, and Roman Haubenstock-
Ramati’s Liasons). Includes footnotes and a bibliography.
O’Neill, John C. “Recent trends in percussion notation.” Percussionist [Percussive Notes

Research Edition] 18/1 (Fall 1980): 20-55
Addresses the different notation systems [with examples] including staff systems, line-
score systems, determinate systems, and indeterminate systems.
Peters, Gordon. “Percussion notation and scoring,” in The Drummer: Man. A Treatise on
Percussion. Wilmette, IL: Kemper-Peters Publications, Rev. Ed. 1975. pp. 250-256
Suggestions for standard orchestral percussion instrument notation, by the former
principal percussionist of the Chicago Symphony.
Read, Gardner. “Percussion Notation,” in Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice.

2nd Ed. Boston: Crescendo; New York: Taplinger, 1969. pp. 361-380
Excellent examples of percussion specific notation, with details on notational practices
found in the earlier chapters of the book.
Roemer, Clinton. “Drum and percussion parts,” in The Art of Music Copying: The
Preparation of Music for Performance. Sherman Oaks, CA: Roerick Music, 2nd ed. 1985.
pp. 148-155
Best for the description of percussion and drum set in jazz charts, with many examples
illustrating improvisatory notation guidelines.
Stone, Kurt. “Percussion,” in Music Notation in the Twentieth Century: A Practical

Guidebook. New York: Norton, 1980. pp. 205-225
Many examples of symbol notation guidelines as found in contemporary literature. Also
includes a helpful chart of ranges of percussion instruments with definite pitch.

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Annotated Bibliography of Music Notation Reference Books

Modern Rhythmic Notation by Gardner Read. Bloomington: Indiana University Press,

Thesaurus of Orchestral Devices by Gardner Read. New York: Pitman, 1953.

Compendium of Modern Instrumental Techniques by Gardner Read. Westport, Conn.:

Pictographic Score Notation: A Compendium by Gardner Read. Westport, Conn.:

How to Write for Percussion: A Comprehensive Guide to Percussion Composition by Samuel Z.

Extremes of Conventional Music Notation

The Big Site of Music Notation and Engraving

Brindle, Reginald Smith. Contemporary Percussion. Revised edition. London: Oxford

Solomon, Samuel Z. How to Write for Percussion: A Comprehensive Guide to Percussion

Weinberg, Norman. Guide to Standardized Drumset Notation. Lawton, Ok.: Percussive

Individual Book Chapters and Journal Articles

Caskel, Christoph. “Notation for percussion instruments.” Percussionist 8/3 (March

O’Connor, George A. “Prevailing trends in contemporary percussion notation.”

O’Neill, John C. “Recent trends in percussion notation.” Percussionist [Percussive Notes

Read, Gardner. “Percussion Notation,” in Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice.

Stone, Kurt. “Percussion,” in Music Notation in the Twentieth Century: A Practical

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