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introduction to the score guidelines #53

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f700b83
introduction to the score guidelines
Aug 24, 2023
8f1df3c
adds info on MuseScore 3.6.2
Aug 24, 2023
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56 changes: 55 additions & 1 deletion docs/build/html/_sources/scores/guidelines.rst.txt
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Expand Up @@ -5,8 +5,62 @@ DCML Score Conventions
.. contents:: Contents
:local:

General Principles
==================

These guidelines are intended to ensure that the scores produced by and for the DCML are consistent and high-quality
encodings of some print or manuscript edition. Although they represent digital editions, first and foremost they
are to be considered as *research data*. As such, we neglect details of layout in favour of rigorous conventions
regarding the semantically correct encoding of score elements. Semantic, in this context, means that wherever
possible the various score elements are to be created with the corresponding tools and features that the
typesetting software MuseScore provides. For example, a ``cresc.`` performance indication must not be encoded
as a "normal" staff text: It has the semantics of a dynamic marking and is available as such in the "Lines" palette.
A large part of these guidelines is concerned with stipulating how various score elements are to be encoded.

Get the latest version of MuseScore 3
-------------------------------------

Unfortunately, MuseScore 4 does not allow opening an ``.mscx`` (i.e. uncompressed) MuseScore file and store it back.
As long as `this issue <https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues/15995>`__ is not resolved, we are sticking to
the latest version of MuseScore 3, which is 3.6.2. You can download it from the
`official GitHub page <https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/releases/tag/v3.6.2>`__.
Head to the link above and download the installer for your operation system. If
you're using Linux you can downgrade the package in your package manager or, instead, download and execute the AppImage.


Organization into movements or pieces
-------------------------------------

A major use case for the scores is the study of tonal music in all its aspects. It has proven worthwhile to
organize the scores into units which, tonally, stand for themselves in one way or another. Three aspects play a
role when deciding into how many different files to split a musical expression:

#. **measure numbering**: it should make sense to start with 0 or 1
#. **global key**: it should make (at least some) sense to analyze the contents under a single global tonic
#. **(formal) closure**: ideally, the contents of a file can be characterized as having beginning, middle, and end

Parts-of-work that are frequently separated into different files are:

* movements
* pieces within a cycle
* sections within a movement (e.g. "Trio")

For reference in case of doubt, here are a few DCML corpora that are noteworthy in some aspect:

* In `Corelli's Trio sonatas <https://github.com/DCMLab/corelli>`__, the division into movements can be somewhat
arbitrary and some of the files contain nothing more than a slow transition of a few bars' length.
* In `Schubert's Piano dances <https://github.com/DCMLab/schubert_dances>`__, the Trios are consistently split from
the dances they belong to.
* In `Mozart's Piano sonatas <https://github.com/DCMLab/mozart_piano_sonatas/>`__, on the other hand, the two
variation movements are *not* split into separate files, leading to an alternative counting of measures (which is
also used by the Digital Mozart Edition (DME) issued at the Mozarteum Salzburg) where new variations do not restart
with measure 1 or 0.

If you find yourself in the situation where you need to split a MuseScore file into several parts you can refer
to the following section.

Dividing a Score into separate files
====================================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

1. Open up the MuseScore file & the original print for comparison.

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Expand Up @@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html">DCML Score Conventions</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#dividing-a-score-into-separate-files">Dividing a Score into separate files</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#general-principles">General Principles</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#glossary-terminology">Glossary, Terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#score-elements">Score Elements</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#early-music">Early Music</a></li>
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</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html">DCML Score Conventions</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#dividing-a-score-into-separate-files">Dividing a Score into separate files</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#general-principles">General Principles</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#glossary-terminology">Glossary, Terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#score-elements">Score Elements</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#early-music">Early Music</a></li>
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ <h1>TOC<a class="headerlink" href="#toc" title="Permalink to this heading">¶</a
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html">DCML Score Conventions</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#dividing-a-score-into-separate-files">Dividing a Score into separate files</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#general-principles">General Principles</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#glossary-terminology">Glossary, Terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#score-elements">Score Elements</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="scores/guidelines.html#early-music">Early Music</a></li>
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</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html">DCML Score Conventions</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#dividing-a-score-into-separate-files">Dividing a Score into separate files</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#general-principles">General Principles</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#glossary-terminology">Glossary, Terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#score-elements">Score Elements</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#early-music">Early Music</a></li>
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</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html">DCML Score Conventions</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#dividing-a-score-into-separate-files">Dividing a Score into separate files</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#general-principles">General Principles</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#glossary-terminology">Glossary, Terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#score-elements">Score Elements</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="../scores/guidelines.html#early-music">Early Music</a></li>
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -284,7 +284,8 @@ <h3>Segmentations<a class="headerlink" href="#segmentations" title="Permalink to
</section>
<section id="timestamps">
<span id="id1"></span><h3>Timestamps<a class="headerlink" href="#timestamps" title="Permalink to this heading">¶</a></h3>
<p>The way DCML harmony labels are entered in the <a class="reference external" href="https://musescore.org/en/download">MuseScore 3</a>
<p>The way DCML harmony labels are entered in the
<a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/releases/tag/v3.6.2">MuseScore 3.6.2</a>
notation software ensures that each of them is attached to a timestamp in the
score. The software allows for attaching several labels to the same time point,
even in the same staff but annotators are asked to avoid this and to use
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