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Advanced Style Sheet

Making your arrangement clear for singers who aren't in your group, who aren't able to hear your comments about what it's supposed to sound like takes some focus on nitty-gritty details. CAP's music editor Anne Raugh has many years of experience taking some rather ugly and random music notation and turning it into clean, legible sheet music. The style sheet laid out here is based on her (often frustrating) experiences.

It's not necessary to follow most of these rules to enter the competition. If you win, CAP will be following the detailed style sheet below when Anne copies your arrangement into our Finale template. We will make sure your arrangement looks professional like those we produce. While you needn't worry about some of the technical specs, there are some guidelines that we'll be asking you to follow if you win to help clean up your arrangement. Plus, Anne is one of the three judges, and there's no doubt that submitting a clean arrangement will win points with her!

There are probably a couple of you out there who could help CAP on music editing in the future, in which case learning our style sheet is essential. If this sounds like something you're interested in, let us know!

If you use Finale, feel free to use one of our Finale Templates for writing your arrangement.

Download SATB Octavo (.MUS, Finale 2007)
Download SATB Letter Size(.MUS, Finale 2007)

Layout

Page Dimensions

Page Size	8.5 x 11 (letter)
Page Scale	65%
Top & Bottom Margins	0.5"
Left & Right Margins	0.5"

Titles, etc.

Main title: 36 pt Times, centered on the title page against (but not in) the top margin
Arranger Credit: 16 pt Times, .75" below top margin aligned to the left margin
Composer Credit: 16 pt Times, 0.75" below top margin aligned to the right margin
Tempo marking: 14 pt Times and 20 pt Maestro, located above the top staff aligned with the time signature
Copyright notice: 10 pt Times, centered and against (but not in) the bottom margin.
Running Title: 10 pt Times, centered and against the top margin of all pages following the first page. Contains the full title, or a shortened version of the title, and the arranger's name.
Page Numbers: 16 pt Times, against the upper left margin in left-hand pages and against the upper right margin on right-hand pages. Page numbers should begin on page 2.

Staff Systems

In no case should there be more than three staff systems on a single page.
Do not optimize staff systems. That is, do not omit empty staves in individual systems.
Indent staff systems 0.1", or more if needed to accommodate the grouping bracket.
The first staff system in the piece should be indented at least an additional 0.5" to accommodate staff labels.
The first system of a Coda should be indented at least an additional 0.5", and should have additional vertical space between it and a preceeding system on the same page, if space allows.

Staff labels

Staff labels are 16 pt Times bold.
Staff labels should be left of the grouping bracket, centered with respect to the corresponding staff.
Only the very first system should have staff labels.

Use the following abbreviations to label the staves:

	S	Soprano
	A	Alto
	T	Tenor
	B	Bass
If needed, these abbreviations may also be used:
	Ld	Lead/Solo
	MS	Mezzo-Soprano
	CT	Counter-Tenor
	Br	Baritone (distinct from Bass)
	Bs	Bass (distinct from Baritone)
	VP	Vocal Percussion

Voicings

Arrangements must be for at least three and no more than eight voices.
The number of voices on a single staff will be considered to be equal to the maximum number of individual voices needed to cover each measure. That is, if a staff shows three notes sounding simultaneously, even on a single beat, that staff will be deemed to contain three voices throughoout.
No more than two rhythmically independent voices on a single staff.
Two (or more) voices on the same staff may be notated as chords (multiple noteheads on the same stem) if the parts have the same rhythm. Otherwise, the upper voice must be notated with upward-pointing stems; the lower voice with downward-pointing stems.
Staves should be arranged in order with highest voice on top and lowest on botom, except as noted following.
If a single voice has the lead throughout the piece, it should be designated as Lead and places above the accompaniment voices.
If a vocal percussion line is included, it should appear on the last (lowest) staff.
All voices excluding the lead and vocal percussion lines, if present should be grouped and bracketed. The measure lines in the group must not connect in the spaces between the individual staves of the group.
Staff groups should not be named.
Brief optional or alternate parts must be indicated using notes that are 20% smaller than standard parts.

Dynamics & Articulations

Dynamic levels should be indicated for each staff individually.
Dynamics must be indicated above the corresponding staff.
Crescendo and descrescendo symbols ("hairpins") must run parallel to the staff.
Articulations should generally be placed above their respective notes, unless there is ample separation between the lyrics and the articulation below the note.
Slurs should be placed to avoid collision with lyrics and confusion with other voices on the same staff. If two voices are being indicated using up and down stems, slurs should follow the stem direction for each voice.
Slurs must also avoid collision with any other elements associated with the staff (measure expressions, note articulations, rehearsal numbers, time and key signatures, etc.).

Lyrics

Lyrics must appear below their corresponding staff.
Lyrics must be written throughout. That is, every sung note must have a lyric provided - "etc." or "simile" is not sufficient. That's what cut and paste are for!
Lyrics must be in Times 14 pt plain.
When absolutely required to notate a second voice on a staff which is briefly in a different rhythm from the first voice, lyrics for the upper voice may appear above the staff. This should only occur for a severely limited number of measures, and there must be sufficient space between the staves to avoid confusion between lyrics above one staff and lyrics below the preceeding staff.
Lyrics in languages other than English must be in italics with appropriate diacritical marks (i.e., not the transliterated equivalents) if at all possible.
Successive verses should be numbered if there is any chance of confusion.
Vocal percussion lines may omit lyrics entirely.

Spacing

All systems must be indented 0.1" from the left margin to allow for the grouping bracket.
All systems may be flush with the right margin.
Systems on each page should be equally spaced as far as possible, with the exception of the last page. If the last page contains fewer systems then the preceeding pages, the preceeding spacing should be maintained and the rest of the page left blank.
The distance between staves in each system must be sufficient to avoid actual collision between elements on and associated with the individual staves.
The distance between staves in each system must be sufficient to prevent visual confusion in normal, sight-reading conditions between elements on and associated with the individual staves.
The distance between staves in each system may be adjusted on a case-by-case basis to accommodate the above requirements.
The music must be spaced to avoid all collision of lyrics.
The music must be spaced to avoid all collision of musical elements (accidentals, clefs, key and time signatures, etc.).

Rehearsal Numbers

Rehearsal numbers shoud be provided at regular intervals, and at points likely to be the starting places for rehearsal work.
Rehearsal numbers should be in 12 pt Times plain with rectangular frames. They should appear only above the top staff, over the measure bar or to the right of it to avoid collisions or confusion.
Rehearsal numbers should correspond to measure numbers.

Measure Numbers

Measure numbers should not be included on any staff anywhere in the score.
The internal measure numbering should correspond to the rehearsal numbers.

Music

Time and Key Signatures

Provide a tempo indication at the beginning of the piece and also at major, abrupt tempo changes, if any.
Time signature must be appropriate to the piece.
Do not cancel outgoing key signatures.
Preceed each key change with a double bar.
Preceed major meter changes with a double bar.

Clefs

Use only treble (G), bass (F) and percussion (null) clefs.
All traditionally female voices take the treble clef.
Tenor (and counter-tenor) voices use the 8va treble clef.
Bass voices use the bass clef only. The lowest male voice in any arrangement must use the bass clef.
Vocal percussion lines (if any) use the percussion clef.
Clef changes may be indicated for short spans of measures, if appropriate in individual parts.
The lowest female voices in an all-female voicing may use the 8vb treble clef normally used by tenors if notationally appropriate.
Baritone voices may use either the 8vb treble clef or the bass clef, as appropriate.

Rhythms

Swing rhythm should be indicated by the word "Swing" in the tempo indication - not by attempting to notate precise swing rhythms in conventional notation. (We say this is necessary because it's too much of a pain to fix it if you do it wrong the first time!)
Syncopated rhythms must be notated to clearly indicate the pulse. For example, a song in 4/4 with a measure that starts with an eighth note followed by a two-beat note should not be notated with an eighth note followed by a half note. Instead, it should be an eighth note followed by a dotted quarter note tied to an eight note. The half note would obscure the pulse, regardless of whether that pulse is 2 or 4.

Accidentals

Accidentals must appear to the immediate left of the note to which they apply.
Accidentals must not collide with each other or other musical elements in the score.
Accidentals notation must follow standard conventions. That is, they appear only on the first note in the measure affected, are not repeated under ties across barlines, etc.
Courtesy accidentals must be in parentheses.
Courtesy accidentals must be included when a note in one measure appeared in the previous measure with an accidental which is no longer applicable.

Ad lib. sections

Ad lib. sections may be indicated in one of two ways:
1. With the indication "optional ad lib." above a suggested notated line.
2. With the indication "ad lib." above a section filled with slash notation (one slash per beat).
Chord symbols may be provided above an ad lib. section if desired.

Alternate lines

Optional or alternate lines may be indicated for brief passages only.
The optional/alternate part should be indicated by notes that are 20% smaller (magnification of 80%) than the standard parts.

Repeats

For the purposes of repeats, a "group" is a bracketed group of staves, or an individual, unbracketed staff. So, for example, if there is a separate lead line and four bracketed accompaniment voices, there are two groups: the lead line itself; and the bracketed group. Similarly, an unbracketed vocal percussion staff is its own group.

All repeats in the Finale file must be functional and must work correctly.
First and second (and subsequent) ending brackets appear only on the top staff of each group.
Repeat bars must never, ever be nested. In other words, don't put a repeat inside another repeat.
Repeats bars must always encompass entire phrases. The opening bar must mark the beginning of a phrase (except possibly for pick-up notes); the closing bar must come at the end of a phrase.
In general, the first and second endings should encompass entire phrases, unless the phrase runs longer than two measures and only the very end of it varies under each ending.
Only vamps may use repeat bars without separate endings.
Vamps must be short (1-4 measures, typically). The number of times to repeat the vamp must be indicated above the top staff of each group.
Segno ("sign") and Coda marks appear above the top staff of the entire system only.
If a "D.S. al Coda" returns to a section inside repeat bars, the "To Coda" must not occur inside either the first or second ending, and ideally should not coincide with them, either.
Text repeat phrases such as "D.S. al Coda" or "Last Time to Coda" should right-align with the closing barline of the measure to which they apply.

Vocal Percussion

It is not necessary to notate vocal percussion. If you do...

Percussion lines should be set up for appropriate MIDI playback.
Vocal percussion may be notated on a separate (i.e., ungrouped) staff below all other parts.
Standard percussion notation should be used. Each symbol and staff position should be identified (by a measure expression) the first time it is used.
Syllables need not be provided for vocal percussion lines.

Fonts

	Non-PS	PostScript	Point Size & Weight
Music	Maestro	Maestro	24 plain
Main Title	Times New Roman	Times	36 plain
Subtitle	Times New Roman	Times	24 plain or italic
Running Title	Times New Roman	Times	10 plain
Page Numbers	Times New Roman	Times	18 plain
Arranger/Writer Credit	Times New Roman	Times	16 plain
Arranger/Author Credits	Times New Roman	Times	16 plain
Tempo Indicatiom	Times New Roman Maestro	Times Maestro	14 plain 20 plain
Staff Labels	Times New Roman	Times	16 bold
Measure Numbers	Times New Roman	Times	10 plain
Copyright Notice	Times New Roman	Times	10 plain
Rehearsal Numbers	Times New Roman	Times	16 plain (enclosed)
Measure Expressions	Times New Roman	Times	12 italic
Staff System Expressions	Times New Roman	Times	14 plain
Lyrics	Times New Roman	Times	14 plain
Text repeats	Arial	Helv	14 italic