Behind Bars: General Conventions presents the basic principles, ground rules and conventions of notation in a definitive but concise guide. This book is the first section from the best-selling complete edition Behind Bars. It includes: Ground Rules; Chords, Dotted Notes and Ties; Accidentals and Key Signatures; Grace Notes, Arpeggiated Chords, Trills, Glissandos and Vibrato; Metre, Tuplets and Repeat Signs.

Behind Bars: General Conventions is a handy and accessible paperback: perfect for students, composers, or anyone interested in getting to grips with music notation.

Behind Bars is widely regarded as the indispensable reference book for composers, arrangers, teachers and students of composition, editors and music processors. The author’s understanding of and passion for her subject has resulted in a book that is not only practical but also compellingly readable.

“Elaine Gould… has written the equivalent of the Grove Dictionary for Notation.”
Sir Simon Rattle

“Behind Bars: General Conventions is the perfect complement to any reference collection.”
Philip Rothman, Scoring Notes