[Trombone-l] Publishing

[Wayne Dyess]

Great answer Chuck, especially in regard to the copyright issues.  I  
should think that each publisher has different guidelines and  
business practices.  My publisher, for instance, wants only original  
material.  I don't do "arrangements" for him, and he takes care of  
securing international rights for me.

As one who received one of those infamous "Cease & Desist" letters  
from a major publishing house back in the early 70s, I can attest to  
the point Chuck makes -- you do NOT want to be on the receiving end  
of a letter from one of their lawyers.  That's about as freaked as  
I've ever been in my life, I do believe.  (By the way, I had a happy  
ending and consider myself LUCKY).

As to Finale...  Another pet peeve of mine is the Repeat Tool.  It  
doesn't use engraver standards when I think they should be the  
default.  If you enter a 1st and 2nd ending... you have to uncheck  
the option for a closed repeat.  That thing doesn't work; I always  
use the ending repeat option.  Also, the 1st ending sits too far to  
the right, placing the ending right on top of the 2nd ending you  
create.  Dumb.  It's an easy fix, but why should we have to take more  
time doing that?  I don't see anywhere in the documentation for  
changing those preferences, either.

I rarely, if ever, use the Score/Parts setup Wizard, nor the  
templates... which are lame at best (see below and above).  I have  
been using FInale since the 80s, so I have long had my own saved  
templates that I tweak from time to time.

Trombone content?  I hope the Garritan trombone sounds are better  
than the default Quicktime sounds.  Whoa.  Not purty.  Puts us in the  
same league as the sassaphones, for goodness sakes!

--Wayne Dyess



On Jun 5, 2008, at 11:55 AM, Charles DePaolo wrote:

Finale also lets you make an ass of yourself pretty
easily.  Just a few hints:

  a) look at your percentage reduction.  100% is generally not cool;
  b) placement of dynamics;
  c) slurs/phrase marks that crash with other elements;

and two of my personal favorites:

  d) measure 1 containing a measure number (with the exception of studio
charts where every measure is numbered);
  e) left hand system barlines and/or brackets for single staff systems.

The list goes on...

If these things don't bug you, then consider spending more time  
learning the
program and proper engraving techniques before submitting things for
publication.  Trust me, it will increase your chances of being taken
seriously.

My Two Cents
---Chuck


Dr. J. Wayne Dyess
Professor of Trombone
and Director of Jazz Studies
P. O. Box 10044
Lamar University-Beaumont, Texas 77710