Any know how to read horn charts?

[Bubbagump]

I have a horn chart I am trying to get sequenced and I am confused on some of the notations.

Chart:
http://warsaw.innova-partners.com/~cburke/Let%20It%20Go%201%20-%20tpts.jpg

Can anyone tell me what he means tpt 2 -8ba to 1. Do I understand that the second tpt to be down an octave from what is written until 1? Or is 1st tpt up an octave until 1? Also, is the top or bottom line in measures 6 and 7 the 2nd horn part? Or is that simply a dash and the 2nd tpt is up an octave?


Thanks to anyone who can decipher horn speak.

[JHughes]

The 8ba means the second trumpet is playing the same part an octave down. For the parts with two notes, the second trumpet plays the lower notes.

[Bubbagump]

Excellent, thank you!

[Bubbagump]

OK, stuck again, what does a -1 mean?

http://warsaw.innova-partners.com/~cburke/Let%20It%20Go%202%20-%20tpts.jpg

Thanks for the help.

[JHughes]

That doesn't make sense to me, sorry.

[Bubbagump]

Ok, thanks for looking!

[dcuny]

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong parts, but judging from the first page, it looks like a notation of a multi-bar rest.

That is, bars 9 and 12 on page 1 is marked /2/ indicating a 2 bar rest, bar 17 is marked /5/ indicating a 5 bar rest, and so on. Multi-measure rests are usually indicated with something like |=2=| (pardon the ASCII art).

So I'd guess bars 1 and 3 on page 2 to be /1/, indicating a 1 measure rest.

Then again, I could be completely wrong.

[JHughes]

That's the best guess I had, but the -1 should be a -1-, and it should actually be in a measure, not just written out in space. That's why I can't make sense of it.

[arbogast]

The -1 probably means that only one trp is supposed to b playing. in other words, the part written after the -1 is a solo.

btw:
the chart doesnt say specifically if its written in Bb (for trumpets) or in C. If its supposed to be used alongside other material be prepared to transpose down a whole note if its in Bb.

[Bubbagump]

The -1 probably means that only one trp is supposed to b playing. in other words, the part written after the -1 is a solo.

Yeah, that was my hunch... but had never seen the notation like that before.

[arbogast]

Me neither, but it makes sense as the part following the -1 is rhythmically complex enough to make one wish having the Tower of Power horns available :)

[Bubbagump]

Well, that would maybe make sense... but the tsax and trombone have lines that are identical rhythmically... so one of two trumpets dropping out seems to be a bit needless as the bone and sax are still rolling with the trumpet... but I dunno. Ah well, I'll have the guys track it both ways in the final version with live horns.

[JHughes]

I forgot there were two guys sharing the same music. It makes sense that one guy would drop out. We always had our own parts so I don't know. Plus, when music is handwritten like that, the writer is free to add any kind of non-standard notation they like, because they will be available to explain it to the group.

[jrd]

The -1 probably means 'off on one' - play the note all the way to the downbeat. As a horn player thats the way I would read it.

[jrd]

Also, 8bv probably means octave below. Its should be 8vb instead of 8bv.

8va means octave above
8vb means octave below

[Bubbagump]

No worries. Already tracked this a few weeks ago. :) Thanks for the replies.

[jrd]

Figured you might have already done it but you never know... ;)