What does a hat over a note mean?

trumpetchops · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 2644

When reading music in 4, and seeing the hat over a qtr. note, what does it mean? The most common thing I've heard is accented and short. Some people say it means more of an accent than the regular mark and fat. Some people say accented and short but, not as short as staccato. Then I read that it changed over time.

When playing, how do you know what the arranger was thinking when using the mark? When I play lead in a big band I always play it short and accented. That seems to fit the music. Is it the same in wind band or orchestra? What about a show?
_________________
Joe Spitzer
Monroe Ct.

cheiden · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:00 pm Post subject:

Is this the hat you're referring to?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcato
_________________
"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart

starkadder · Heavyweight Member Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 542

... that its head is cold?

trumpetchops · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 2644

djpearlman · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 5:04 pm Post subject:

Yes.
_________________
Dan Pearlman
Santa Fe, NM

- Monette Cornette
- Andalusia Cornet
- Carolbrass Pocket Trumpet
- Monette mouthpieces

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5NafoVeXrsRm-fOhKaIpnA

kehaulani · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 5:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that link, cheiden, saved me some time (and self-inflicted aggravation.) I was preparing an answer based on the notation which combines a tenuto with a staccato dot over it. Looks like a hat to me.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

trumpetchops · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 2644

to Nonsense Eliminator, Why did you erase your post?
_________________
Joe Spitzer
Monroe Ct.

jungledoc · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:36 am Post subject:

Nonsense Eliminator · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:13 am Post subject:

hup_d_dup · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:29 pm Post subject:

The original meaning of ^ is marked. That means the note is stressed in some way that is different than an accent, which could mean short but not necessarily.

In the US there is a cultural difference between band directors and orchestral directors: band directors almost alway say marcato means accented and short, which is not the original intended meaning of marcato. This isn't to say that they are wrong … it's just that over time the agreed meaning of the term in band usage has changed.

Hup

UsedToKnowEverything · Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 3:38 am Post subject:

I would theorize that usage has evolved from the more or less specific "marcato" bowing technique, and has now come to mean a kind of accent of whatever flavor may be common to a given context. Almost like a regional accent (call that a pun if you want to). But for more background, it you are really bored:

http://naspaam.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/book.pdf [/url]
_________________
Most things are easier than you think, except believing that

Sturmbill · Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 6:01 am Post subject:

Here's a link that i find handy: http://dictionary.onmusic.org/
_________________
Noli illegitimi carborundum... Joe Stilwell