Junior High Band
Miscellaneous Forms

Music Writing Basics

  1. Use manuscript paper (paper on which the staff is already printed.)
  2. Use a ruler or straight edge to draw bar lines, stems, and beams.
    Example
  3. The space after each note should coincide with the rhythm of the note.
    Example
  4. In 4/4 time the rhythm of each measure should visually divide into two half measures.
    Example
  5. Stems should be seven notes long.
    Example
  6. From the middle line of the staff and higher, the stems should be on the left of the note and extend downwards.
    Example
  7. From the second space of the staff and lower, the stems should be on the right of the note and extend upwards.
    Example

Video Disclaimer

The attached videos are not perfect examples of how each tune should be played. They are recordings of junior high students, some of whom have had their instruments for only a few months. Also, they are not professional recordings. They were taken by band parents using home equipment and naturally focusing on their own children.

I include them for two reasons: (1) To give you an idea of what the arrangements are like, and (2) To illustrate the kind of performance you can expect from your junior high students.