Ideas for updating the Formatting Guidelines

[Tobbeh99]

The Formatting Guidelines is all nice, but I think they could need some improvement. Here's some ideas I had in mind, most of them are just clarifications:

Formatting Template:
-Maybe use that template Deku created. I think Bespinben got one. It looks great so I guess it could be used as a a template here. I think it got wider margins and a bit sized down page which seems useful as it can fit a 4 measure hyper measure which frequently is used.
-Also I think it might be a good idea to make it easier finding the template. As of now when it is just in regular text it can easily be missed. My suggestion is either a title like "Template" in bold or understroke, that will probably make it easier for people to find it. And also maybe write something like "with proper formatting", also might make more people use it.
-I think it would be nice with a duet template too (or two, one for 1 piano, and another for 2 pianos).

Title:
-Use official soundtrack titles if possible. If not use the most common title for the song.

Game Name:
-Use American (NTSC) game names as the game name. For games only released in Japan, use translated titles. If the titles differers between American (NTSC) and European (PAL) region, use the American (NTSC) titles.

Composer:
-Try to find the specific composer for the song you've arranged if there were multiple composer composing for a game. If you can find the one, name only that composer since he/she is the one who composed the song. If not, name all composers from the game. 
-If the song is an arranged/remixed version of a previously composed song, both the composer of the original song and the arranger of the arranged version should be given credit. For example: Vampire Killer in Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance: Original composition by Satoe Terashima Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance arrangement by Michiru Yamane, and Piano arrangement by ... 

Key Signature:
-If a song is atonal. Make the key signature as Open Key signature (no sharps or flats) but place a courtesy neutral at every neutral note. (don't know how necessary this is) 

Clefs:
-Only use treble and bass clefs, octave clefs are not allowed.

URL:
-NSM's url: http://www.ninsheetmusic.org/ needs to be included. This goes just under the Copyright.

Duets:
-Duet for 1 piano: Should have "Primo" as first stave and "Secondo" as second stave followed by the abbreviations "I" and "II".
-Duet for 2 pianos: Should have "Piano 1" as the first stave and "Piano 2" as second stave followed with the abbreviations "Pno. 1" and "Pno. 2".

Pedal markings:
-Either write out using signs(Ped. and *) or using lines or using expressions(con ped. senza ped.) for a section or the entire song.
-Other pedals Una corda. and sostenuto are also welcomed if you feel they are befitting. Use "una corda" and "tre corde"/"tutte le corde" for notating the una corda pedal. And use Sost. Ped. and a pedal line, and also diamond-shaped note heads for the notes that are going to be sustained by the sostenuto pedal, for notating the sostenuto pedal.   

Pages:
-Try reducing the amount of pages if possible, by resizing pages, fitting more systems on pages and using repeat marks.

Aesthetics:
-If you're using multiple layers make sure that they are beamed so that one layer is beamed upwards and the other one downwards.
-Try to avoid any type of collision if possible. Whether be by stems, beams, slurs, dynamics, expressions etc. This will make your arrangement look more aesthetically appealing.

Finger notation:
-It's not required but appreciated especially during technical parts of a song.

Playability:
-Keep this in mind when arranging. The arrangement must at least be playable, this means no too big intervals and no too fast runs and too big leaps. This doesn't stop your arrangement from being difficult, sometimes the song just happen to be so, but it has to at least be playable.

By that try keeping within an octave reach, and only use higher intervals such as 9ths and 10ths if necessary, you also have to be aware of the speed the big intervals are going to be played, if it's feasible.
When notating fast runs, it's important to be aware if the runs includes double-notes (thirds,fourths, sixths etc.).

If your unsure of your arrangement is playable or too fast, you can look up difficult pieces of Chopin, Liszt and other of classical composers to compare if it's as fast, or if it's too fast. If it's not as fast and technical as those pieces, then an advanced pianist should be able to play your arrangement. 

[Pianist Da Sootopolis]

It is almost always the case in two piano scores that each pianist has a copy of the duet arrangement, that way they see what the other part is doing.
This derives from the notation of piano+strings and other instruments (anything from concerti to a cello sonata for piano and cello ((Rachmaninoff and Chopin wrote one), and is common practice among many small ensembles (1-5 people, though some orchestras give each section a sectional score- the wind score for each flute, etc.).

[Tobbeh99]

OK, didn't know.

[Olimar12345]

Planning to make a huge post about this once I get home.

[Sebastian]

Nice Tobbeh. I agree with everything you wrote!

[Olimar12345]

Formatting Template: Maybe use that template Deku created. I think Bespinben got one. It looks great so I guess it could be used as a a template here.

What's wrong with the current template? I'm on mobile right now, but last time I checked it was fine.

Title:
Use official soundtrack titles if possible. If not use the most common title for the song.

Adding this clarification seems like a good idea.

Game Name: Use English game names as the game name. For games only released in Japan, use translated titles. Games with different titles between NTSC and PAL region, these cases we'll be treated individually, but will probably use the most well-known game name.

We've always opted for the North American titles whenever possible. I guess like he last one its never been written down though.

Composer: Try to find the specific composer for the song you've arranged if there were multiple composer composing for a game. If you can find the one, name only that composer since he/she is the one who composed the song. If not, name all composers from the game. 

Another clarification, duly noted.

If the song is an arranged/remixed version of a previously composed song, both the composer of the original song and the arranger of the arranged version should be given credit. For example: Vampire Killer in Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance: Arranged by Michiru Yamane Original composition by Satoe Terashima, and Piano arrangement by ... 

Yep, except that the composer name goes above the arrangers names.

Key Signature: If a song is atonal. Make the key signature as C-major(no sharps or flats) but place a courtesy neutral at every neutral note.

Care to clarify? And when something is atonal, it's called being in "open key." I'd also prefer to say something like "put no sharps or flats in the key signature" than say it's in the key of C.

Clefs: Only use treble and bass clefs, not octave clefs.

Good idea. Noted.

URL: NSM's url: http://www.ninsheetmusic.org/ needs to be included. This goes just under the Copyright.

This is already there, though I guess we could add the url to that section.

Other Formatting Guidelines:

Multiple Layers: If you're using multiple layers make sure that they are beamed so that one layer is beamed upwards and the other one downwards.

That's another common one, good.

Duets:
Duet for 1 piano: Should have "Primo" as first stave and "Secondo" as second stave followed by the abbreviations "I" and "II".
Duet for 2 pianos: Should have "Piano 1" as the first stave and "Piano 2" as second stave followed with the abbreviations "Pno. 1" and "Pno. 2.

Good, I'll add this to the duet section.

Pedal markings:
Either write out using signs(Ped. and *) or using lines or using expressions(con ped. senza ped.) for a section or the entire song.
Other pedals Una corda. and sostenuto are also welcomed if you feel they are befitting. Use "una corda" and "tre corde"/"tutte le corde" for notating the una corda pedal. And use Sost. Ped. and a pedal line, and also diamond-shaped note heads for the notes that are going to be sustained by the sostenuto pedal, for notating the sostenuto pedal.

I like the simplicity of the pedal section that already exists, and this seems to just elaborate on the first bullet point. Perhaps we could add this in a spoiler tag with it?

Aesthetics: Try to avoid any type of collision if possible. Whether be by stems,beams,slurs, dynamics, expressions etc. This will make your arrangement look more aesthetically appealing.

A bit too common-sense-y for me. This is so obvious it should be a given.

Expressions: Feel free to write any expressions you feel are necessary, either in English or by using Italian musical expressions.

I could see this working well added to the "Articulations and Slur/Phrase Markings" section.

Finger notation: It's not required but appreciated especially during technical parts of a song.

I could see this working well added to the "Articulations and Slur/Phrase Markings" section.

Playability: Keep this in mind when arranging. The arrangement must at least be playable, this means no too big intervals and no too fast runs and too big leaps. This doesn't stop your arrangement from being difficult, sometimes the song just happen to be so, but it has to at least be playable.

By that try keeping within an octave reach, and only use higher intervals such as 9ths and 10ths if necessary, you also have to be aware of the speed the big intervals are going to be played, if it's feasible.

When notating fast runs, it's important to be aware if the runs includes double-notes(thirds,fourths, sixths etc.). If your unsure of your arrangement is playable or too fast, you can look up difficult pieces of Chopin, Liszt and other of classical composers to compare if it's as fast, or if it's too fast. If it's not as fast and technical as those pieces, then an advanced pianist should be able to play your arrangement. 

Playability is an extremely sensitive topic that would either need a much better text wall written about it or nothing at all. It's something that kind of has to be learned, and it would be hard to summarize it all into something like this. Hell, it'd be easier to buy a book on the subject, lol. 

Other thoughts: maybe be more clear about what is required and what is optional. Such as a metronome mark is required but a text such as presto is optional.

I thought that was already pretty clear:

(5) Metronome Marking:

• You have to include one of these with your sheet. It must include "note value = number" like in the picture.
• You can also add a musical direction (eg Presto) if you wish but don't substitute a Metronome Marking for a musical direction.

[Latios212]

What's wrong with the current template? I'm on mobile right now, but last time I checked it was fine.

Nothing technically wrong, but there's a little too much space everywhere (between systems, in the margins...) and also I think people wanted the Deku template at least as an option.

Playability is an extremely sensitive topic that would either need a much better text wall written about it or nothing at all. It's something that kind of has to be learned, and it would be hard to summarize it all into something like this. Hell, it'd be easier to buy a book on the subject, lol. 

We don't have to go into specifics but just a small note saying "must be playable" would be nice just in case new people didn't know.

Also someone make a new picture it looks like the old one's link expired or something

[Olimar12345]

Pics for the guidelines and the submission guidelines are on my list of things to do. I'll try to get it done tomorrow.

[Tobbeh99]

Another thing I missed in the OP:

Pages: try reducing the amount of pages if possible, by using repeats and having more systems per page. For example having 5 systems on page 2 instead of 4 systems on page 2 and 1 on page 3.

[Sebastian]

Nothing technically wrong, but there's a little too much space everywhere (between systems, in the margins...) and also I think people wanted the Deku template at least as an option.

I agree. That's why I quit using the old one.

[Olimar12345]

Another thing I missed in the OP:

Pages: try reducing the amount of pages if possible, by using repeats and having more systems per page. For example having 5 systems on page 2 instead of 4 systems on page 2 and 1 on page 3.

Maybe all of these kind of suggestions can go under a "Tips" section.

[Tobbeh99]

yet another thing I missed:

All arrangements being submitted to site must have been made in a Finale program. A bit obvious, but so that people know.

[Pianist Da Sootopolis]

Here's a thought.
For space reasons, if there are more than, say, three or four composers in the game, list two and then write "et. al", as you might in a citation if you are citing a book with multiple authors for an essay.

[Maelstrom]

All arrangements being submitted to site must have been made in a Finale program. A bit obvious, but so that people know.

This is unfair to the people who can't afford Finale, or wound up with Sibelius through some strange twist of fate.
Although, to tell the truth, Finale sheets look much more professional than Musescore or Sibelius sheets. Maybe just require the PDFs to be made from the .mus file?

[Brawler4Ever]

Tobbeh said "a Finale program," not the program, Finale (totally confusing nomenclature, btw). This would include Notepad, which is free.