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Notating Concert Band Percussion Parts
User Tip #: 71 Offered By: John Cook Last Modified: N/A

To notate Concert Band percussion parts, you can use staff layering.

To set up your percussion 1 part, you should start by setting up two staves next to each other.  Label the first "percussion 1", and the second can be something like "Snare drum" (this name will not appear on the final score).  In the first staff, notate all of your bass drum parts on the appropriate note (bottom space) with the stems down.  any rests in the bass drum part should be shifted down by selected the rest, using Ctrl-E, and choosing -4.

Notate the other parts into the second staff, on the appropriate note spaces (3rd from bottom space for snare), and make all of these stems go up.  The rests should not need to be moved.

When you have your parts notate the way you would like, select "Layer with next staff" under Staff Properties for the TOP STAFF ONLY (percussion 1)...under page set-up, select "Allow Staff Layering", and the part will come together.

You can adapt this technique to notate percussion 2 parts, as well as any other part.