Formatting Parts - DEMONSTRATION - Big Band Arranging SECRETS REVEALED 

Haven't watched it yet, but judging from the thumbnail pic, it's going to be great!

Excellent advice for newer copyists throughout! The only thing that I'd spend just a few extra moments tweaking would be the places where you have final page with only 4-5 staff lines. The program default spacing places them much tighter together than what was used on the previous pages. Giving those lines a little extra room to take advantage of some of that extra page real estate would feel less cramped (not evenly spacing to fill up the last page, just more closely matching the preceding pages).

Brilliant....lot of great info

Great demo, Elliot, and worth the time spent on it. I have to say, for myself, this is stuff I've always taken the time to do for my own arrangements (for all the reasons you call out), just seems like common sense, but I've always been surprised that sometimes this level of part-grooming doesn't get done. THANK YOU for including the importance of well-placed page turns for the rhythm section (as you pointed out, we are usually playing the whole time, and with BOTH HANDS).

The un-glamorous but incredibly important side of making charts! Thoughtful and clear formatting, just like a clear roadmap on a chart, definitely falls into the "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" category. Great info as always Elliot! And shout-out to Brian and the kids at West Ranch!

I'm all for formatting parts! If you want a good performance then make good parts!

Great video, Elliot. Every second you invest in lay out pays of in more time for music during rehearsing. I use in Sibelius the function “page break in score gets staff break in part”. That automates your first edit quite convincingly.

So much awesome information! I didn't know about hiding staffs in the piano part, thats a game changer. Same with the reset note spacing button!

Big and clear!!!! Love it

This is so DARN Helpful!!!!!!!!!!!! soooooooooooooo practical.... thank you for all of your information.... (Jeff in Springfield MO)

Amazing channel! Thank you! The only thing is I wouldn't use that font. Pori looks better in my opinion. Or moderna

Have subbed!

Excellent. The only comment I would make is the last 2-3 minutes should be the lead. You will never be able to stress too strongly how a well copied part impacts a rehearsal... and your future as an arranger. The comment you made about enharmonics for the 'kids' really applies to everyone. And sometimes double sharps or flats can creep into a part. Anything that takes rehearsal time is a major problem. If it's a professional group, it is a waste of money, amateur groups is a loss of respect. Thankful computes and music programs like Sibelius have taken the missing parts and pitch mistakes out of the mix. You might sometime show how you check your charts before you print parts or sign off on them.

Great video. Thanks for all your work!

"Those people are fools"! Excellent.

Great video as usual; and the longer run-time for this subject is fine. There's so much that goes into being a good copyist/engraver. I'm a graphic designer (textbook interiors, mainly), so I go into even more detail than you when I'm creating parts-my design training for maximizing legibility and comprehension cross over fully into creating really clean and easy to read parts. Cheers!

Great stuff Elliot and I watched to the end! One question about piano parts. My band tends to play from written out bass parts. In my own composiitons I've followed suit but tend to copy in the bass line as a cue into the LH of the piano part so that the pianist knows what the bass is doing and can play something that doesn't clash or muddy everything. Am I just wasting my time and paper etc doing this? Is it standard in any way or just pointless? Thanks.

Hi Elliot--Regarding formatting, do you follow the infamous Sibelius "Red Note" format for parts " too high"? What's the highest you'll put for example in the sax parts? Thanks

Hey Elliot, maybe I missed it but what shortcut are you using to force the notations on to the same line etc?.. Great content by the way

Is that Sibelius what you are using?

Hi Elliot. we were asked to put rehearsal numbers in our scores, when looking at the whole score. They can be added large with a box around them. But when I go to format parts they are in the way and it looks cluttered. The numbers are already there by default. But personally I don't think they are needed. I see you don't have them. They are places funny places throughout the parts.

Other question is that I wondered why you opted not to have 1-bar repeat in the guitar part (e.g. at letter A) and why you don't use 1-bar repeats in some of the camping sections? Not that big a deal, just curious. Maybe for normal musicians (who read well), they would rather just see the music written as they go thru, don't care that it is repetitious... but for sucky sight-readers like me, I prefer the repeats (as I end up learning / memorizing the bits pretty fast)

Super helpful Elliot! How do you add a bracket around the text: FILL in a drum part? its the bracket thats not completely closed. Thanks!

I do have one a couple questions for you regarding the use of 1 or 2 bar repeats: you showed how you use that in the drum part, but I noticed you did NOT put in any bar repeats at letter A (and C and L)? You have a specific groove that you have written out, that I think was a 2-bar thing; I often use a 2-bar repeat thing (Finale "staff styles" includes that, I don't know about Sibelius?)

Again, how do you force measures to one line?

How do you have the title of the song display on the other pages besides page 1?

Hi Elliot, sent you something by email if you have a minute to look at . Thank you!

Can you address your rules for using accidentals in your parts...

No rehearsal mark at bar 128, even though it's a double barline? Shame, shame!