How to notate length of fall

[ll0...@yahoo.com]

Is there a common way to notate how long a fall off of a note should
be? For example, if I write a whole note, how would I differentiate
between holding it for two beats and falling for two, or holding it
for three and falling for one?

Thanks!
Jeffrey
(please post reply rather than e-mailing)

[tex...@gmail.com]

Define "fall off". Do you mean fade out as in decrescendo? or full
stop?

[gtr]

I think this would be a glissando (or gliss.) and it looks just like it
might look in an orchestration book, a wiggly line running in the
direction you want it to go. And it can have a note at the end
indicating where you want it to end. Tiny like a grace-note if memory
serves, but I'm not sure it does. An orchestration/arranging book will
serve you well. There is a good book on scoring called "The Artof
Music Copying" by Clinto Roemer. I assume it's still in print. It use
to be the go-to book on such matters. I can't find glissando stuff in
the TOC, since there isn't one, sadly.
--
Thank you and have a nice day.

[ll0...@yahoo.com]

That's right, I meant a downward glissando.

[Marc Sabatella]

I think you'll find there isn't a real standard. One reasonably effective
way to handle things like this is with ties similar to how cut-offs are
often notated. Two beats of hold followed by two beats of fall would be a
half note tied to a half note with the gliss. Three beats of hold followed
by one of fall would be a dotted half tied to quarter with gliss. I have no
idea how common this is in practice, but I'm better horn players would look
at this and do what you wanted. I've also seen "fall on 3" or "fall on 4"
simply written in above a whole note with gliss.

--
Marc Sabatella
ma...@marcsabatella.com

http://www.marcsabatella.com/

[ll0...@yahoo.com]

Thanks!