At 7:42 PM -0500 2/24/07, Darcy James Argue wrote:
I have a composer who wants me to notate a conga effect -- the player plays five strokes on the conga head with his right hand while putting pressure on it with his left elbow. (Or vice versa -- it doesn't matter.) He starts with a lot of elbow pressure but gradually applies less pressure, so the effect sounds like five descending notes. (The effect is common in Afro-Cuban playing but I've never had to notate it before).
I had great hopes that I would find your answer in "How to Write for Percussion" by Samuel Z Solomon, but no such luck. There may be no standard notation for this, since it would usually be an improvised rather than a written effect.
The composer initially wanted to use noteheads on different staff lines to indicate the descending figure, but I think that's misleading because the effect is played entirely on a single conga. (Other measures have parts for two congas notated on different staff spaces.)
I agree with you that this would be confusing. But perhaps using an ossia staff with 5 notes (or perhaps accidentals) with a written explanation would do the trick. If he wants 5 pitches, you really need to indicate 5 pitches, even though they are "unpitched pitches"! Perhaps you could label it "elbow notes" for the conga or tumba, whichever he wants it on.
Time to hear from real percussionists!!! John -- John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
