Two-Part Writing for the Keyboard

[Slant]

This is a question for the learned keyboard artists floating around on this forum. I found myself writing the beginning of a very nice piece yesterday that really pushed my (currently very limited) keyboard skills. In said piece there is a lot of what I refer to as "two-part writing" going on, which basically means that one finger may need to keep one key depressed while the other fingers of the same hand play other parts. In other words, one finger is playing a note of different value than the other finger(s) is/are. If there is a more technically-correct term for this practice please let me know.

What I'm wondering is this: When notating these types of passages is it standard to write the note-tails up for one part, while pointing them down for the other part, so as to differentiate the two? I beleive this is how I've seen it done in the past, but is there a better or different way? The obvious question that arises here is: what if you have three-part writing for one hand!!!??

[Fred]

Hi Slant,
to write the note-tails up for one part, while pointing them down for the other part is exactly the righ way.
In the Fuga a 4 voices from J.S.Bach (Wohltemperiertes Klavier Band I) you can see it. -> http://imslp.net/images/9/96/BWV0846.pdf

[JonR]

The obvious question that arises here is: what if you have three-part writing for one hand!!!??It's when you get to 6-part writing for one hand that you need to start worrying...

[Slant]

It's when you get to 6-part writing for one hand that you need to start worrying...

Crikey, man, your right!! Yikes!

:lol:

[engelbach]

The obvious question that arises here is: what if you have three-part writing for one hand!!!??

You try to avoid it; that's why you have two staves.

However, you can do it if you're creative with how you place your stems. Here are the last two measures of Bach's Prelude No. 4 from Book 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier. The final measure contains three voices in the right hand.

http://www.engelbachmusic.com/forums/bach-09-25-07.jpg

P.S. Don't be confused by that E#. The piece is in the key of C#m (4 sharps), and the E# makes the final chord a C# major.

A note on two-voice writing: If the voices cross each other, don't keep the stems in their original direction. For clarity, it's usual to notate whichever voice is on top with stems up and whichever is on the bottom with stems down.

[Slant]

A note on two-voice writing: If the voices cross each other, don't keep the stems in their original direction. For clarity, it's usual to notate whichever voice is on top with stems up and whichever is on the bottom with stems down.

Ahhh...this helps. Thanks!