Unknown symbols in music

[pianoperformer]

Hi,

This is probably a really stupid question, but I’m not sure what these stars are supposed to mean in sheet music.

I’m totally blind, so don’t read music, but the people who have been reading the music to me to help me memorize it don’t really know what these are. They assume it is something to do with pedaling, since it is usually somewhere near a pedal mark. One person thought it meant to lift the pedal, my piano teacher here at home doesn’t know but says just to press the pedal again.

I’m on break, so I can’t ask my piano teacher at college until I get back, but I don’t want to practice this piece incorrectly.

It’s a huge difference, because in the concerto I’m learning, there’s, for instance, a long string of chromatic 32nd notes in the right hand, and it is really hard to connect them properly if I assume that star means to lift the pedal.

Also, what is m.s, and m.d? They always seem to appear together, and no one seems to know what they are, either.

[faulty_damper]

M.D. is the abbreviation for mano destra, or the right hand; M.S. is the abbreviation for mano sinistra, the left hand.  It indicates that the notes can or should be played with either the left or right hand.  These indications are usually suggestions from the composer or editor and does not necessarily need to be followed.

As for the "stars", it may very well be pedal markings, which usually means to lift the damper pedal.  It will most often be preceded by a "Ped" indication, to depress the damper pedal.

Just like the hands distribution indications, pedaling indications in the score are also just suggestions.


Out of curiosity, what kind of device allows you to type and read this forum?

[pianoperformer]

M.D. is the abbreviation for mano destra, or the right hand; M.S. is the abbreviation for mano sinistra, the left hand.  It indicates that the notes can or should be played with either the left or right hand.  These indications are usually suggestions from the composer or editor and does not necessarily need to be followed.

Thanks. That makes sense; I think the one instance of that is where the hands cross.

As for the "stars", it may very well be pedal markings, which usually means to lift the damper pedal.  It will most often be preceded by a "Ped" indication, to depress the damper pedal.

Just like the hands distribution indications, pedaling indications in the score are also just suggestions.

All right, that's what I figured, though I was hoping it was not since it'll be harder to connect those 32nd's.

Out of curiosity, what kind of device allows you to type and read this forum?

It's screen reading software called JAWS for Windows, by Freedom Scientific.

Thank you for your reply.

[allthumbs]

While we are on the topic, I have noticed that there are two different symbols associated with ped. markings and I have seen both within the same piece of music. One looks like a star and one like an asterisk.

What is the difference between these two symbols?

[faulty_damper]

Which piece of music are you referring to?  There is no standard notation regarding this so there is no difference.

[allthumbs]

Which piece of music are you referring to?  There is no standard notation regarding this so there is no difference.

I've seen both in a number of pieces. I leafed through a volume I've been scanning and I've attached a piece that uses the star marking to start and if you look at the last page, the asterisk marking shows up.

If there is no difference, I wonder why the publisher would use both?

[healdie]

the asterix mean that you release the pedal and the word Ped means you depress it

[faulty_damper]

The difference between the two symbols are only aesthetic.  The 'star' symbol was most likely the engraving stamp that was used when it was first published in 1910.  The more common 'asterisk' is the more modern engraving stamp which was probably added by an editor long after the initial engraving.  The original engraving stamp was probably not available hence the different symbols.

And from the file you attached you can clearly see the 'asterisk' more clearly than the rest of the notation which means it was added later.

Schirmer editions usually contains editing.  Sometimes, it's very obvious that they just photocopied it and then added editing in ball-point pen.

Now that I recall, I have indeed seen the different pedal markings in music that was later edited.

[faulty_damper]

I also just noticed that the Turner, Op.120 The Fairy Wedding Waltz, contains two different styles of pedal markings: one with the Ped and * and the other with the damper depress-and lift line.  The latter was added later because that was not a practice of pedal notation in 1910.  Also note the 'asterisk' at the end of those lines.

[allthumbs]

Thanks faulty, that makes perfect sense.