Contribution Resources on the Main Site

[Dudeman]

...oh

:/

[Altissimo]

So it looks like there's a decent amount of community interest. I haven't heard from Jamaha or Deku yet but if we wait for them we'll be here for years :vv so i figured we could start putting resources together now and just see what happens.

I didn't make this with the expectation that everyone else would do all the work. I plan to contribute, but I want to wait until after my exams are over to do any new big projects. However, I don't want this to lose momentum, which is why I'm posting. If you'd like to contribute, feel free to do so; if you don't want to, then don't, I can fill in the gaps.

I'm thinking - and this is totally open to community feedback - three pages: Contributing to NSM; Arranging Resources/Guides; Music Theory Resources. Page 2 could be combined with page 3 or nonexistent altogether. We'll just see how things turn out.

Here's my idea for the sections on each page, arranged as a table of contents.

Contributing to NSM:

1) Signing Up for NSM (Links to the forum and sign up page; any necessary information about the sign-up process. This also includes deciding on an arranger name.)
2) Formatting Your Arrangement (Basically an overview of formatting guidelines. Links to the Templates and "need Finale help" forum threads as well.)
---a) Why MUS? (An explanation of why it is we use MUS so that people stop asking that question too.)
---b) Importing From Other Software (A guide on getting scores from Musescore, Sibelius etc into Finale.)
3) Finding Composition Data (How to get accurate information about: composer, system, copyright company and year, and title. Includes "what to do if the composition is based on another piece".)
4) Submitting Your Arrangement (How to submit an arrangement. Includes standard submission etiquette, such as posting the soundtrack's Youtube video in the first comment.)
5) Feedback (This section is optional. Ideally it'd just be sort of an explanation of how to incorporate, and interpret, others' feedback. I say interpret because sometimes people have questions about like, "what do you mean measure 7 beat 1.75" etc. Could include common updater/musical terminology.)
6) FAQ

Arranging Resources/Guides:

1) Music Notation Software (An overview of software types, but with a note that all arrangements must be MUS in the end. Links to the websites of arranging software, and links to guides on how to use them.)
2) Music Manipulation Software (An overview of, with links to, stuff like Audacity, AudioStretch, etc.)
3) Conversion Resources (Resources or making Youtube videos into playable files.)
4) Miscellaneous Resources (BPM and any other resource anyone can think of that is useful for arranging.)
5) How to Write for Piano (General guidelines of piano arranging.)
6) Repeats (What to do about them. As this is video game music most of our music loops. Just basically says "you can loop or provide an optional ending", perhaps shows some of the various repeat schemas?)
7) Arranging Guides (Here, I'll take as many submissions as people want to submit! Basically, write up a "how-to" guide that takes the reader through your personal process of arranging. Different people work in different ways, so I want as many options as I can get (without being too many, of course... lol). Make sure you write in such a way that your reader will understand concepts with minimal music training. For instance, "figure out tonic by listening to the melody" may be easy for someone who knows traditional tonal function, but for someone who doesn't, you might need to be a little more specific in how they will identify tonic & translate that into a key signature. Don't make too many assumptions!)
FAQ

Music Theory Resources (can either be links to appropriate pages OR user-submitted guides):
1) Rhythm and Meter
---1a) Hypermeter and Measure Distribution (How to identify phrases and use them to create a matching measure distribution.)
2) Key Signatures
---2a) Modes and Altered Scales (For when the key signature as implied by tonic does not match what it is visible in the music. Can include diatonic modes (and their altered versions), jazz scales, whole tone/octatonic scales, etc.)
---2b) Shifting Keys (How to notate key changes if you don't plan to change the key signature: in other words, how to identify a shift in key and mark it with the appropriate accidentals.)
---2c) The Minor Mode (Relevant because there are still shitty sheets on site that are notating in the minor mode but have b1 rather than #7 as the leading tone. Wrong)
3) Notating Harmonies (An intro to triads, 7th chords, etc.)
4) Articulations and Ornaments (A basic overview.)
5) Accidentals (How to know when to use what accidentals. Should be fairly general: we don't need to explain the concept of German 6ths here in order to make sure arrangers know to use b3 and #4 and b6 on them, for instance.)

Can anyone think of anything else?

[Latios212]

This

This is a good plan

[Yug_Guy]

There should probably be something about getting correct info for a song. Like proper name, composer, publisher, copyright year, etc. It'd probably end up being something similar to "Go to vgmdb lol", but it should at least be there.   

Otherwise, what you have so far looks fantastic!

[Altissimo]

There should probably be something about getting correct info for a song. Like proper name, composer, publisher, copyright year, etc. It'd probably end up being something similar to "Go to vgmdb lol", but it should at least be there.   

I was thinking it could be part of "formatting" but you're right that it should probably be separated. Added that section.

For everyone: If you'd like to start writing any of these sections, feel free to do so! Again, I promise I will help, but not until my last exam finishes on May 10 :p

Edit: Also, in the event that none of this ends up on site, I feel like the mods wouldn't be opposed to putting the info in stickies somewhere... :p

[Dudeman]

Edit: Also, in the event that none of this ends up on site, I feel like the mods wouldn't be opposed to putting the info in stickies somewhere... :p

I mean, we technically have all that info in stickied threads, they're just scattered all over the forum and not easily accessible. If a full writeup gets written and Deku/Jamaha fall off the face of the earth, though, I wouldn't be against pinning it in an easy-to-locate spot and possibly un-sticky the various other threads (depending on how in-depth this gets).

[Altissimo]

If a full writeup gets written and Deku/Jamaha fall off the face of the earth, though, I wouldn't be against pinning it in an easy-to-locate spot and possibly un-sticky the various other threads (depending on how in-depth this gets).

That's what I was thinking, I should have clarified.

[Olimar12345]

I've been pseudo-following this topic and support the cause.

[InsigTurtle]

I'd suggest maybe a tidbit on chord voicing, just for the cases where using the original voicing makes it difficult to play?

[Altissimo]

I'd suggest maybe a tidbit on chord voicing, just for the cases where using the original voicing makes it difficult to play?

That could maybe be covered under piano writing.

[Olimar12345]

Actually (now that I've actually read the thread) I think the "contributing to nsm" is what I support. The arranging resources/guidelines/music theory resources seems like a mixture of overkill and repetition (since we have all that stuff stickied in the help board). Maybe just a link to that as a separate bullet would be more concise?

[Altissimo]

The arranging resources/guidelines/music theory resources seems like a mixture of overkill and repetition (since we have all that stuff stickied in the help board).

The arranging guidelines I think need to be as part of "contributing to NSM". People simply do not read them on the forums. I'm open to the idea of making the other resources less prominent (as long as they are indicated somewhere on the main site) but again I don't have final say so, community thoughts appreciated.

[mikey]

That looks a bit overkill to me but step by step photos on using the NSM panel would go a long way I think

[SlowPokemon]

I think the music theory part is unnecessary. Everyone will get that kind of advice from the people checking their sheets.

[Zunawe]

People simply do not read them on the forums.

Agreed. There are few people on the internet who will seek out information and guidelines before contributing to a forum or project. If people have to link to the formatting guidelines every time a new contributor submits an arrangement, something is wrong.

If we're going to have a set of rules that sheets must follow, those rules need to be indicated to anybody who wants to contribute before they try submitting. Given that the majority of new forum members probably come from the main site, a guidelines page should be right there with "how to contribute," catching most if not all of that traffic. At the minimum, the NSM Panel should have direct links to all the formatting and quality guidelines every time somebody clicks "make a new submission."

But we should definitely have a signpost that says "come here if you want to contribute," and when people go to that signpost, they should be handed a pamphlet that details the most important requirements and suggestions for getting something accepted. And then maybe there are optional pamphlets that give more in-depth help and tips for those who want it.

Ninja'd

I think the music theory part is unnecessary. Everyone will get that kind of advice from the people checking their sheets.

True, there are some aspects to theory that come from experience and education, but it's not like it would hurt to have some simpler relevant stuff compiled in the place people will be looking for help anyway. It's not meant to be a gate; it's a convenient place for experienced musicians to dump helpful knowledge. There are arguments to be made about whether that's a job for general forum topics though.