Engraving checklist

Title page + front matter

0 of 6 addressed

• Title page lists composer, title, forces, year of composition, score genre (full / playing / vocal / rehearsal), and publisher— Gould pp. 501-502
• Front matter includes commission acknowledgement, first-performance details, and duration (even if approximate)— Gould p. 502
• Instrumentation list spells out number of players per instrument and all doubling (e.g. "3 flutes (II = alto flute, III = piccolo)")— Gould pp. 502-503
• Timpani listed separately from percussion; percussion list includes player count + every instrument + ranges + non-standard requirements— Gould p. 503
• Performance / notation conventions page included for any non-standard symbols or extended techniques— Gould pp. 491, 504
• Preliminary pages numbered with lowercase roman; music begins at page 1 (right-hand) or 2 (left-hand)— Gould p. 503

Stave size + page format

0 of 5 addressed

• Stave size 6.7mm for parts in good lighting (Gould's stated ideal); 7mm if shared between two players or read at distance— Gould p. 557, p. 482
• Page size for parts is slightly larger than A4 (B4 typical) — must fit on the player's stand without obstructing sightlines— Gould p. 557
• Avoid A3 or larger for performers who must transfer copies between stands (percussionist, pianist doubling celesta)— Gould p. 557
• Generous space between systems — players need room to write cues, beats, fingerings, bowings above each stave— Gould p. 558
• Chamber score and parts can use the same stave size (6.7mm); reading distance is shorter than orchestral— Gould p. 557

Score layout

0 of 6 addressed

• Score order: woodwinds (high to low) → brass → percussion → harp/keyboard → solo voices → chorus → strings— Gould pp. 511-513
• Score brackets and barlines connect families correctly: square brackets for sections, thin brackets for like instruments— Gould pp. 514-518
• Time-signature symbols enlarged across the system at every change for orchestral/large-ensemble scores— Gould p. 519
• Rehearsal marks (letters or figures) duplicated above the system at clear intervals; matching across full score, vocal score, and parts— Gould p. 520
• Tempo markings sit above the top stave only (not repeated on every line); placement is consistent across movements— Gould p. 520
• Each player gets their own stave — never combine onto a single stave for chamber writing— Gould Ch. 17

Dynamics + articulation

0 of 4 addressed

• Dynamics placed below instrumental staves, above vocal staves; vertical alignment with the note they apply to— Gould Ch. 4
• Hairpin start and end align with note attacks, not stem positions; hairpins span full duration of the change— Gould Ch. 4
• Each new dynamic placed on the exact beat it changes — never "around then"— Gould Ch. 4
• Articulations sit closest to the notehead; staccato, tenuto, accent stack outward in a fixed order— Gould Ch. 4

Conventions

0 of 4 addressed

• Courtesy accidentals applied across barlines for chromatic passages, even where the same accidental appeared in the previous bar— Gould Ch. 3
• Divisi clearly marked: "div." on the bar it starts, "unis." when sections rejoin— Gould Ch. 14
• Mute instructions placed at the rest before the affected notes, with sufficient time to apply ("con sord." / "senza sord.")— Gould p. 563
• Tuplet brackets close (no number) for groupings within standard subdivisions; full brackets for irregular tuplets— Gould Ch. 7

Part preparation

0 of 5 addressed

• Page-turns positioned at rests of at least one full bar (more is better); never at moments requiring fast hand movement— Gould pp. 559-561
• Multi-bar rests properly notated (long rest sign with bar count) and broken at section / tempo / key changes— Gould p. 564
• Cues provided at every entry after a long rest; cue stave or cue notes labeled with the cuing instrument— Gould pp. 566-577
• Each part has its own running head: piece title, movement / section, instrument label— Gould p. 558
• Specific and accurate octave signs (8va / 8vb / 15ma) for instruments where the written register is not what the player would reach for naturally— Gould p. 562

Final pass

0 of 3 addressed

• Print one parts page at actual size; can you read it from arm's length under the lighting you'd see in a rehearsal— Gould p. 557
• Compare side by side to a published Faber, Schott, Boosey, or Universal Edition score in your genre — does yours look as professional— Gould Introduction
• Read every page aloud once. Does it sightread cleanly? Saad: "this is orchestra music. it's gotta be sightread. 0 questions asked"— Saad's coaching