A Question on Grouping Notes Options

[harrylau]

As in the AB guide said, "the standard practice is to avoid ties where possible". Now I have a simple song (for vocalist) which contains a lot of off-beats, as shown below:

(IMG:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17730810/score01.png)

A is following the AB guide rule while B is easier to count the beats.

Which one is correct (or better), A or B? If B, do I need to beam the quavers in the third beat in bars 1,5 and 6?

Thank you for your help! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[CJB]

As in the AB guide said, "the standard practice is to avoid ties where possible". Now I have a simple song (for vocalist) which contains a lot of off-beats, as shown below:


A is following the AB guide rule while B is easier to count the beats.

Which one is correct (or better), A or B? If B, do I need to beam the quavers in the third beat in bars 1,5 and 6?

Thank you for your help! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Hmmm I think B is more 'correct' as it observes the showing the 1/2 bar rule of grouping. If I was being asked to play it I'd much prefer to see A as at least to me it is clearer. Regarding the beaming, I suspect the 'correct' answer is yes, but again to my eye it is more readable unbeamed.

I regularly find myself sightreading in concerts or playing with minimal rehearsals - if a composer/arranger can make the parts easy to read I always appreciate it.

[briantrumpet]

Hmmm I think B is more 'correct' as it observes the showing the 1/2 bar rule of grouping. If I was being asked to play it I'd much prefer to see A as at least to me it is clearer. Regarding the beaming, I suspect the 'correct' answer is yes, but again to my eye it is more readable unbeamed.

I regularly find myself sightreading in concerts or playing with minimal rehearsals - if a composer/arranger can make the parts easy to read I always appreciate it.

B is indeed more correct for exactly that reason (you need to be able to see where the half-bar is), and is the reason I'd much rather be sight-reading from B (preferably with the 3rd beat quavers beamed). (For instance, at speed I simply can't sense a minim displaced by a quaver as in bar 1 - but being able to see the tied-over-ness onto the start of the second half of the bar tells me clearly where it finishes.) I too frequently find myself sight-reading 'on the gig' (as I was doing on Saturday night for an hour's-worth of big band) and when I analyse any reading errors on my part, my being unable to see the middle of the bar is one of the most frequent causes of misplayed rhythms.