Help reading sheet music

[bashiek]

I sometimes see two sets of notes on the right and left hand staffs. Ex. If there are four beats in a section, I can see a whole note and two half notes. What does this mean? Any help would be appreciated

[j_menz]

the right and left hand staffs..... What does this mean?

You've got the page sideways? 

[stoat_king]

I think it would help a lot if you gave an example - ideally a picture of the sheet music that raised this question in the first place.
Theres an 'insert image' button in this 'post reply' form above the bit where im typing this text.

[chopincat]

I sometimes see two sets of notes on the right and left hand staffs. Ex. If there are four beats in a section, I can see a whole note and two half notes. What does this mean? Any help would be appreciated

I agree w/ stoat_king that you should probably include a picture, because right now it sounds like you're describing the right and left hands playing different note values at the same time, which is pretty standard. That's not what you mean, right?

[bashiek]

Sorry for confusing everyone. This sheet music "Experienced Many Battles" from Naruto Shippuden will explain what I'm talking about. I got it from Ichigo's sheet music site.
Once again thanks.

[j_menz]

It means you hold down the whole note while playing the two half notes (not quite the right terminology, btw, but it will do). It's quite an odd arrangement in many ways, so sometimes you have to "hold" the long note using the damper (RH) pedal. Where the two notes are too far away to reach, you have to move from the bottom one (making sure the pedal is down) to the top one as quickly as you can.

[bashiek]

J-menz san: Thanks. I'm playing on a keyboard, but I think I get the general idea.

[alistaircrane4]

Here is a nice reference.

[j_menz]

J-menz san: Thanks. I'm playing on a keyboard, but I think I get the general idea.

OK, cool. If you have one without a damper pedal, just move those bottom notes up an octave.

[bashiek]

Hello everyone. I have some more questions about some other pieces.
1. "Theme of SSS" from Angel Beats
    a. Sections 11-12. The notation from the bass clef rises up to the upper portion. Same thing in section 15. How do I read these notes?
    b. Sections 23-24. What are those oblique lines saying?
    c. Sections 32-33. Two different sets of notation. How am I supposed to read this? Also once again the left hand notes are rising up to the treble clef staff. The same thing is also happening in sections 28 and 43.
2. "Monochrome Kiss" by SID from Kuroshitsuji season1. Do I play the first treble clef row with the first bass clef row? What happens to the other pair?
3. "Sannin no Dragon Slayer" easy version from Fairy Tail
    a. The coda sign on top of section 17, pg. 1 where does it apply? Does it connect to the D.S. al fine at section 32 pg. 2
    b. pg. 4 section 114-115. There is a D.S. al coda sign along with Fine written. How does this work?
I've also given the one music file with the sheet music. If anyone need the others to understand, I'll post them as well.

[j_menz]

1. "Theme of SSS" from Angel Beats
    a. Sections 11-12. The notation from the bass clef rises up to the upper portion. Same thing in section 15. How do I read these notes?
    b. Sections 23-24. What are those oblique lines saying?
    c. Sections 32-33. Two different sets of notation. How am I supposed to read this? Also once again the left hand notes are rising up to the treble clef staff. The same thing is also happening in sections 28 and 43.

a) It seems the software used doesn't like upper leger lines on the bas clef much. It means the notes are to be played as part of the bass line, but read them according to their place on the treble clef. You may find it easier to use your RH to play them, as well, but remember they are part of the bass line. 

b) The melody here is in the middle and moves between the staves - the lines show how it moves (Gb F Gb Gb F Gb Ab F Eb)

c) On the double notation, it's a sloppy way of saying that those chords are held (using the pedal) for a whole crotchet beat, but the lower chords are normal quavers). As to the other bars, play the upper notes (whatever staff they are on) with the RH, the lower ones with the LH.


c)

2. "Monochrome Kiss" by SID from Kuroshitsuji season1. Do I play the first treble clef row with the first bass clef row? What happens to the other pair?

This is written for two pianos (and two pianists  ) to play together. Find another edition.

3. "Sannin no Dragon Slayer" easy version from Fairy Tail
    a. The coda sign on top of section 17, pg. 1 where does it apply? Does it connect to the D.S. al fine at section 32 pg. 2
    b. pg. 4 section 114-115. There is a D.S. al coda sign along with Fine written. How does this work?

I have absolutely no idea. It doesn't follow any convention I'm aware of. Do you have audio you could listen to (following the score) to see what is meant?

[bashiek]

J_menz-san:
Here is the audio. Thanks so much for the help!! I'll try my best to understand and play it. If you like, please play them as well. I really enjoyed them.

[j_menz]

Don't try and understand  the sheet, because it's quite wrong in what it says.

What is actually meant is that where it says DS al Fine you go back to the coda sign and play through from there (as if the coda sign was an "open repeat" and the DS al Fine was a repeat sign).

When you get to the DC al Coda, you'll notice that the music is pretty much the same s it was where you got the DS Al Fine sign first up. Go back to where the equivalent of the Coda sign was  (16 bars back - the start of bar 100) and then play from there through to the end.

Please note this is NOT proper notation, so don't try and understand any of it other than what to do. Victor Seven should be shot!

If I haven't been clear, please don't hesitate to enquire further.

[bashiek]

Thanks so much. I'll get back to you if I am not able to understand.
Also, for "Monochrome Kiss" if there were two people to play it, who would play what parts? Does the first treble clef row go with the first bass and vice versa? Or does person play both treble clef rows and the other person plays both bass? I also wanted to know if there was a way for me to play the second bass clef row-some method I can use for practice?
In this next piece I'm posting "Hikari no Kioku" from Tegami Bachi, what can I do for the left hand? I was told by the transcriber that this is a lead sheet, and there is way to understand the parts of the left hand. Any way you could help me?
I'll post the audio in the next post along with another question if you need the song itself.
Thanks once again.

[bashiek]

Here is the audio. Also in this second sheet "Shiro 2" from the anime K, what are the squiggly lines in sections 3 and 11?

[j_menz]

Thanks so much. I'll get back to you if I am not able to understand.
Also, for "Monochrome Kiss" if there were two people to play it, who would play what parts? Does the first treble clef row go with the first bass and vice versa? Or does person play both treble clef rows and the other person plays both bass? I also wanted to know if there was a way for me to play the second bass clef row-some method I can use for practice?

If I remember correctly, the two treble staves are played by one pianist and the two bass staves by the other.

You could try playing the top treble stave and the top bass stave together. If you wish, you can borrow notes from the other staves to flesh it out a bit more.

In this next piece I'm posting "Hikari no Kioku" from Tegami Bachi, what can I do for the left hand? I was told by the transcriber that this is a lead sheet, and there is way to understand the parts of the left hand. Any way you could help me?

A lead sheet shows the melody and the chords to use to fill in your own bass line (and other harmony, eg to make chords of the top notes).

For example, the first bar has a "Bm" above it - that means that you use the chord of B minor (B, D and F#) as the basis of your bass and harmony.

If you have the original audio, you can use those notes and copy the sort of thing they do.

If you don't know the chords, just google "Piano Chord Chart" for a guide - there are squillions of them out there.

[j_menz]

Also in this second sheet "Shiro 2" from the anime K, what are the squiggly lines in sections 3 and 11?

I think they're ties that have just come out a bit odd in the rendering, so  just means play the two notes legato.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Thank you so much once again. I'm posting a song that I really like along with its sheet music and sound file. If you could just let me know if the parts from the song at 2.14 to around 2.45 are also transcribed in the sheet music I would really appreciate it.

[j_menz]

Sound file only goes to :33. Nonetheless it is a (midi playing) of the complete piece as notated.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Sorry for the late reply. So you're saying that the sheet music is of the entire piece even though the sound file only goes to that point in time? Also 1. When you do a glissando, do you use your entire hand or just your thumb to go from one key to the next?
2. When I use my left hand for these notes, C G C D E G C D E(lower to higher) what would the finger numbering be? Thanks once again.

[bashiek]

Alistaircrane4-san: Thank you so much for the video. I just had a chance to view it; it's pretty amazing. I am not able to play this piece that well yet. At some places, my finger span just isn't enough. Do you know what program/software is used to make this? Thanks once again.

[j_menz]

J_menz-san: Sorry for the late reply. So you're saying that the sheet music is of the entire piece even though the sound file only goes to that point in time?

Yes.

Also 1. When you do a glissando, do you use your entire hand or just your thumb to go from one key to the next?

It depends. Sometimes thumb(nail) and sometimes the back of other finger groupings. It seems t make different sounds.

2. When I use my left hand for these notes, C G C D E G C D E(lower to higher) what would the finger numbering be? Thanks once again.

Is that over two and a bit octaves?

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Yes, it is across octaves.

[j_menz]

J_menz-san: Yes, it is across octaves.

C G C D E G C D E
5 3  1 4 3  2 1 3 2

Last few depend a little on what comes next.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: The next part is with the right hand first only. Thanks for the help.

[bashiek]

In "Black Night Town" bar 30, there is a treble clef in the bass clef row; what does this mean? I sometimes also see sheet music with both staffs in the treble clef. Can anyone please explain?

[j_menz]

While the top staff is usually a treble staff and the bottom one a bass staff, this is not always the case. The clef sign dictates what's going on, not the position of the staff. Also, there are some pieces with more than two staves, though this is not especially common.

The clef sign dictates how to read the staff until it is changed by another clef sign, so in Black Night Town, you read from the treble clef sign in the bottom stave until the end, or until you encounter a bass clef, as a treble clef - exactly as a treble clef (note positions on the staff equate to the exact same notes on the piano as if it were a normal top treble staff).

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Thanks for the reply. So those notes I would still play with the left hand? Would they move higher on the scale?

[j_menz]

You play them with the left hand. There's not a strict rule that all notes on the bottom staff are LH and all the ones on the top staff are RH, but as a broad indication that's true - there are plenty of exceptions, but these are a matter of convenience mostly.

You play them as written. So, if it would be a G above middle C if written on the top staff. it's still a G above middle C.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: I think I get it. I'll get back to you if I have any more questions. Thanks so much.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Are you saying that I will read these three notes (Bar 30) as AA'-AA'-EE' not as CC'-CC'-GG'? Will it be the same in "Melody 2" Ex. Bar 1-the half notes will read as GD not as BF?
 

[j_menz]

In bar 30, yes it's AA' AA' EE'. The bottom A is the A above middle C.

In melody 2, yes, it's GD, the G is the G above middle C.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Thanks for the reply. It's really appreciated.

[bashiek]

Hello everyone. In "Sannin no Dragon Slayer" (posted above) at Bar 33- are the notes overlapping? I mean will my hands cross over each other when I play these notes? Will this pattern continue to roughly Bar 48? Any explanation will be appreciated. Thank you.

[j_menz]

In bar 34 (and similar places) the two Ds in the bass are the same physical note as the D in the treble. The bass ones played with the left hand and mean you restrike those Ds which would otherwise be held in the right hand.  The only actual crossing of notes is in bar 39, where you sneak the LH fingers under the RH. There's no actual crossing of the hands, just the fingers.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Thanks for the reply. Do you mean it's okay to press the same key with fingers from both hands? 

[j_menz]

Yes. It is, but you'll need to take the RH finger off before you use the LH one.

The idea is to give the impression that the RH note holds for its full value, even though the LH plays it again halfway through, so a touch of pedal is probably useful to smooth it over.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Thanks for the reply. Hopefully one day I'll get the hang of it.

[bashiek]

Hello everyone. In this sheet music "Karma" the opening for Tales of the Abyss, in Bar 58 is that a stylized fermata sign? Also on page 3, Bars 75-80 what do the arrows in the bass clef mean? Thanks so much.

[j_menz]

in Bar 58 is that a stylized fermata sign?

Yes.

Also on page 3, Bars 75-80 what do the arrows in the bass clef mean? Thanks so much.

They are arpeggiation signs and mean you "roll" the chord upwards. They don't usually have the arrow at the top of them, as this is implied just by the squiggly line, though you sometimes see it at the bottom, meaning you roll from top to bottom instead of the "normal" way.

The speed of the roll, how quickly one note follows another, is a matter of taste so play around a bit and see what sounds best. Usually, but by no means always, it is reasonably fast - "arpeggio" means "like a harp".

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Thank you once again for the quick reply.

[bashiek]

Hello. I have some questions concerning this piece of sheet music.
1. What is the "Ib" symbol on top of Bar 8?
2. Is J=183 the metronome mark? What does "J" stand for?
3. I understand that to play keys with forte, you have to strike them a little harder than usual. However, how can you play piano or even pp?
Thank you.

[j_menz]

Well.... that's one crappily set score!

There are quite a few stray numbers and things on it, and I suspect the Ib is one of them. It seems to serve no purpose whatsoever, so just ignore it.

I've never encountered J=, but suspect it's supposed to be a metronome mark. Possibly something relevant starts with J in Japanese. Either it's minum=183 or crotchet = 183. One is twice as fast as the other, so it should be obvious what's intended.

As for playing loud and soft, just play some notes and make them louder or softer by striking them more gently or with greater force/speed. Just play around doing that and you'll get the idea.

[bashiek]

J_menz-san: Thank you as always. Take care.