The Clarinet follows Chicago style with some modifications. A full house style guide is available upon request.
Quick Tips
General
- Use only one space between sentences.
- Use the serial/Oxford comma:
Find the mouthpiece, barrel, and bell.
I will either play soprano, alto, or bass clarinet.
- Numbers one through nine are spelled out; numbers greater than 10 are written in numerals.
- Use a person’s first and last names the first time they are mentioned in an article, and last name only thereafter (unless the article is informal in style).
- Do not use courtesy titles like Mr., Ms., or Dr. (except for medical doctors, or in a person’s bio if that is their preference).
- Titles are capitalized only when used directly before someone’s name, and are not capitalized otherwise.
Professor Daniel Bonade
Daniel Bonade, professor of clarinet
- In reviews and less formal contexts, either avoid the first person or use “I” or “me” in less formal contexts. (Avoid constructions like “this reviewer,” “this author.”)
- Avoid long links; use shortened versions or omit links for easily searchable items:
This video is available on YouTube.
This video is available at www.clarinet.org.
- Avoid excessive formatting in Word.
Citations and Sources
Depending on the article, use endnotes, a bibliography, and/or “Further Reading” list (see this reference for format).
Do not use footnotes.
Endnote style examples:
- [Book] Firstname Lastname, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
- [Periodical] Critical Inquiry 1, no. 3 (Winter 1975): 479–96.
- [Website] “Balkan Romani,” Endangered Languages, Alliance for Linguistic Diversity, accessed April 6, 2016, http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5342.
Bibliography style example:
- Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Music Composition Titles
Italicize all music composition titles, but use quotes instead when the selection is part of a larger work. Opus or other numbers are not italicized unless part of the title. Examples:
Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, K. 581
“Infernal Dance” from Firebird
Piano Sonata No. 12, op. 121
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock)
Other Music Writing Considerations
- For note values, use numerals for numbers 10 and over:
Eighth notes, 16th notes, 16th-note rhythms, 32nd notes
- For octave designations, use clarinet register designations whenever possible.
chalumeau C, clarion F, altissimo E
