For some composers, standard notation is actually a bit too precise. They want to give performers some freedom, so they use notation that gives ideas but not exact directions. This is a part of Cathy Berberian’s piece “Stripsody”. It has all sorts of ideas for different sounds in it, including some that remind us of a cartoon film. It’s fun to look at it, it’s fun to perform - and it never sounds quite the same from one performance to the next.

Musical keyboard Modern notation is very precise. This song, “First Blues” is being written on a computer, using a music keyboard. The software shows an on-screen menu to help the composer write the tune accurately and neatly - just as a word processor helps you to write your stories.

Right, the notation for Due Voci by Sylvano Bussotti mirrors the round on page 27. Here, the composer is showing that notation can also be exciting visually

THINGS TO DO

Ask pupils to look closely at the excerpt from “Stripsody” on page 32. It’s easier to perform than it seems.

* Make the noises it suggests - use their voices or instruments, or anything else you like. Tell them not to worry too much about what’s right or wrong and to have fun.

* See if they can write their own piece of music, for voices or instruments, in the same way that Cathy Berberian has written “Stripsody”. If they want a particular sound, represent it with a picture, or a sign. Tell them to be as adventurous as they like, just as Cathy Berberian has been - put in animal noises, bells, whistles, whatever they want. Remind them to draw pictures of the sounds they want to represent, and find a way of making them loud or soft, fast or slow, high or low. Then leave it to the performer to do it as they want.