1 New International Manual Of Braille Music Notation by The Braille Music Subcommittee World Blind Union Compiled by Bettye Krolick ISBN 90 9009269 2 1996 2 Contents Preface................................................................................ 6 Official Delegates to the Saanen Conference: February 23-29, 1992 .................................................... 8 Compiler’s Notes ............................................................... 9 Part One: General Signs .......................................... 11 Purpose and General Principles ..................................... 11 I. Basic Signs ................................................................... 13 A. Notes and Rests ........................................................ 13 B. Octave Marks ............................................................. 16 II. Clefs .............................................................................. 19 III. Accidentals, Key & Time Signatures ......................... 22 A. Accidentals ................................................................ 22 B. Key & Time Signatures .............................................. 22 IV. Rhythmic Groups ....................................................... 25 V. Chords .......................................................................... 30 A. Intervals ..................................................................... 30 B. In-accords .................................................................. 34 C. Moving-notes ............................................................. 38 D. Stem signs ................................................................. 40 VI. Slurs and Ties ............................................................. 42 A. Slurs .......................................................................... 42 B. Ties ............................................................................ 49 C. More Slurs and Ties For Use in Section-by- section Formats ................................................... 52 VII. Tremolos .................................................................... 55 A. Repetition................................................................... 55 B. Alternation .................................................................. 57 VIII. Fingering ................................................................... 59 A. Keyboard Instruments ................................................ 59 B. String Instruments ...................................................... 61 1. Left Hand ................................................................ 61 2. Right Hand .............................................................. 63 IX. Bar Lines & Repeats ................................................... 65 A. Bar Lines ................................................................... 65 B. Print Repeats ............................................................. 66 C. Braille Repeats .......................................................... 69 1. Part-measure repeats ............................................. 69 2. Full-measure repeats .............................................. 77 3. Braille Segno .......................................................... 82 4. Parallel Motion ........................................................ 84 Contents 3 5. Sequence Abbreviation ........................................... 85 D. Variants ..................................................................... 86 X. Nuances ....................................................................... 89 XI. Ornaments .................................................................. 95 XII.Theory ....................................................................... 106 A. Chord Symbols ........................................................ 106 B. Figured Bass and Harmonic Analysis ...................... 114 1. Figured Bass ........................................................ 114 2. Harmonic Analysis ................................................ 119 C. Brackets .................................................................. 125 XIII. Modern Notation ..................................................... 128 A. Notes with Unusual Shapes ..................................... 128 B. Tone Clusters .......................................................... 132 C. "Fan-shaped" Rhythmic Groups ............................... 133 D. Other Signs .............................................................. 135 Part Two: Instrumental and Vocal ........................ 138 XIV. General Organization ............................................. 138 A. Preliminary Pages .................................................... 138 B. General Features on Music Pages ........................... 139 XV. Keyboard Music ...................................................... 144 A. Piano ....................................................................... 144 1. Organization and Use of Hand Signs .................... 144 2. Piano Pedalling ..................................................... 150 B. Organ ....................................................................... 155 1. Organ Pedals ........................................................ 156 2. Registration .......................................................... 158 XVI. Vocal Music ............................................................ 163 XVII. String Instruments ................................................ 169 A. General Signs .......................................................... 169 B. Bowed Instruments .................................................. 176 C. Plucked Instruments ................................................ 177 XVIII. Wind and Percussion Instruments...................... 183 A. Wind Instruments ..................................................... 183 B. Percussion ............................................................... 186 XIX. Accordion ............................................................... 192 XX. Instrumental Scores ................................................ 198 Authorities for this Work ............................................... 205 National Signs of 16 Countries ..................................... 207 National Signs of Australia ........................................... 208 National Signs of Brazil ................................................ 209 National Signs of the Czech Republic .......................... 210 National Signs of Denmark ........................................... 211 Contents 4 National Signs of Finland ............................................. 212 National Signs of France and Switzerland (French) ...... 213 National Signs of Germany and Switzerland (German) ........................................................... 214 National Signs of Italy and Switzerland (Italian) ............ 215 National Signs of The Netherlands ............................... 216 National Signs of North America (Canada and USA) .... 217 National Signs of Poland .............................................. 218 National Signs of Russia .............................................. 219 National Signs of Spain ................................................ 220 National Signs of the United Kingdom .......................... 221 Index of Signs in Standard Braille Order .................... 222 Tables of Signs .............................................................. 254 Table 1. Basic Signs ..................................................... 256 A. Notes and Rests ................................................... 256 B. Octave Marks ....................................................... 257 Table 2. Clefs ............................................................... 258 Table 3. Accidentals, Key & Time Signatures ............... 259 A. Accidentals ........................................................... 259 B. Key & Time Signatures ......................................... 259 Table 4. Rhythmic Groups ............................................ 261 Table 5. Chords ............................................................ 262 A. Intervals................................................................ 262 B. In-accords ............................................................ 262 C. Moving Notes ....................................................... 262 D. Stem Signs ........................................................... 262 Table 6. Slurs & Ties .................................................... 263 A. Slurs ..................................................................... 263 B. Ties ...................................................................... 264 C. More Slurs and Ties for Use in Section-by- Section Formats ................................................ 264 Table 7. Tremolos ........................................................ 265 A. Repetition ............................................................. 265 B. Alternation ............................................................ 265 Table 8. Fingering ........................................................ 266 A. Keyboard Instruments .......................................... 266 B. String Instruments ................................................ 266 1. Left Hand .......................................................... 266 2. Right Hand ........................................................ 266 Table 9. Bar Lines & Repeats ....................................... 267 A. Bar Lines .............................................................. 267 B.