Tempo Marks Vs. Tempo Alterations

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BugleMe
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Post by BugleMe » Thu Sep 06, 2018 2:19 pm

Can anyone explain the difference between these two and why Finale deemed it important enough to differentiate between the two by having two different categories within the Expression Selection. When you think about it they are both the same (marks that affect tempo) except Finale has Tempo Marks as Times New Roman 14 Bold, and Tempo Alterations as Times New Roman 12 italic being the only difference between the two. So when I’m viewing a score and I want to make a part from the score (i.e. Strauss’s Don Juan) trying to decide between the marks in the score, what do I choose, Tempo Marks or Tempo Alterations to exhibit what is in the score onto my part. The choice would be simple if in the score the marks were differentiated by either being Times New Roman 14 Bold and others being Times New Roman 12 italic. This is where things get confusing, how to decipher what is what in a score then which category do I choose in Finale to display such. I hope I am making my confusion clear so that someone in the forum can set me on the path of righteousness.
Thank you for any help you can shed on this!

Not that it matters - I am using Finale 2014.5 with a Mac.


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David Ward
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Post by David Ward » Thu Sep 06, 2018 2:52 pm

Do them both in bold not Italic even if italic is the Finale default for tempo alterations. Otherwise the main difference is in default placement (which can be modified). The Finale default placement for tempo marks is at the beginning of a bar, while alterations easily place where you click. As you're using a Mac, I'd suggest Times is a more pleasing font than Times New Roman - or if you have it on your system, you may like to try an Adobe font such as Minion Pro. Times is OK, though.
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motet
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Post by motet » Thu Sep 06, 2018 4:43 pm

I know Elaine Gould suggests otherwise, but I continue to put things like rit. and accel. in 12-point italics and Allegro in 14-point bold. Having rit. and brethren in big bold letters just looks clunky to me. They are temporary tempo alterations after all.

BugleMe
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Post by BugleMe » Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:36 pm

So what it sounds like you're both saying at this point in the thread is that they are there for the same reason, tempo change, but that Finale has set it up so that Tempo Marks places the dialogue at the beginning of the measure and that Tempo Alterations places it where ever you want in the measure. And the choice of font is really "dealers choice" as however you want it to look. Am I right about this summation? Perhaps there are other differences between a Tempo Marks and a Tempo Alterations.

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David Ward
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Post by David Ward » Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:55 pm

Well clearly, things like rit. (especially if short for ritardando rather then for rintenuto) and accel. are always temporary ‘alterations,’ but there are many other indications that might belong to either category according to context. eg più mosso might be either temporary or long term &c &c.
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motet
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Post by motet » Thu Sep 06, 2018 6:09 pm

I agree with you, though I would capitalize it Più mosso in that case.

Gould proclaims "bold roman type" for everything. Quite clunky, to my eye.

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OCTO
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Post by OCTO » Thu Sep 06, 2018 10:05 pm

BugleMe wrote:When you think about it they are both the same (marks that affect tempo)
The alteration is something done to the tempo, while the mark is the fixed state. Somehow they are different.
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BugleMe
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Post by BugleMe » Sun Sep 16, 2018 12:59 pm

Octo wrote "The alteration is something done to the tempo, while the mark is the fixed state. Somehow they are different."

Octo, your response is simple but elegant. Clearly there is room for interpretation in the execution of Tempo Marks/Alterations.
I will rest more easily knowing this is a gray area and it's up to the engraver to make these decisions.
I agree with Motet that everything in Bold looks clunky.

Thank you all for your input into this thread!

BugleMe

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