Which pen to use for writing music?

[FredCouples]

Hi everybody,

 

I am looking for a fountain pen which is suited to write music with (note heads, flags, bars, accidentals etc.). On this board I found a discussion about an Osmiroid pen which seemed to have a music nib (#17245, please see attached picture). Since these nibs seem to come up once every decade or so (and since the whole Osmiroid universe seems to be rather complex for a beginner) I would like to ask you, the community of pen experts, which other pen I could use to do musical calligraphy with.

 

I attach the first page of a book by Glen Rosecrans from 1976 where he refers to the above mentioned Osmiroid pen, but also to a Pelikan 120 with oblique medium tip. Since I am a musician (not yet a collector) I am looking for a practical solution, a pen which could do what it should, and which is rather robust and easy to use, easy to come by and to maintain. I also attach a couple of pages from this book with examples of musical notation so that you can get an impression of what this pen should be able to do.

 

I would be very happy if you would share your wisdom with me!

 

Best regards from Vienna

 

FredCouples

Musical_Calligraphy__p.1_2.pdf

Musical_Calligraphy__p.7_8.pdf

Musical_Calligraphy__p.9_10.pdf

Musical_Calligraphy__p.11_12.pdf

Musical_Calligraphy__p.13_14.pdf

Musical_Calligraphy__p.19_20.pdf

Musical_Calligraphy__p.21_22.pdf

[Silvermink]

Sailor and Platinum do music nibs as well, so those would be worth having a look at.

[gregamckinney]

Sailor and Platinum do music nibs as well, so those would be worth having a look at.

 

I don't write music, but I do use broad nibs- including Sailor and Platinum music nibs.

The interesting thing about the referenced materials, though, is the mention of mention of these being oblique nibs.

Is obliquity a necessary component? The modern "music" nibs I know of are cut straight across, not obliquely.

 

Regards, greg

[FredCouples]

Dear Silvermink, dear gregamckinney,

 

thanks for you replies!

 

@Silvermink

 

Thanks for pointing me to these two music nib pens. The Sailor seems to be prohibitively expensive, the Platinum pen with a music nib I've found for around $ 140,-, which would be more in my price range. What kind of ink catridges could I use with that one? Or does the "converter" make all cartridges (even the ones bought in Europe) fit?

 

@ gregamckinney

 

Since I am a total newbie in regards to all of this, I don't really know the difference in writing that an oblique and a straight cut nib produce. But from the older handwritten music manuscripts I've been reading (and playing) it seems to me that an oblique nib would fit the purpose better. Also it seems that "music nib" is a term used to describe a certain way a pen is working (broader left to right lines and narrower up and down lines) which calligraphers are looking for - it would be surprising if there would be as many people around actually writing music than there are pens with music nibs...

 

Then again, I am looking for *any* pen with which I can write music with like shown in these example pages (and one which is not too pricey). What kind of oblique music nibs could I look for?

 

Thanks a lot!

 

FC

[Paddler]

I have a friend who does calligraphy as a hobby. He is also a musician and keeps a music journal. He uses a standard cursive italic nib pen to write musical notation. I find his manuscripts to be very easy to read.

 

Paddler

 

[DrPJM1]

Sailor, Platinum and Pilot make their own music nibbed pens.

You may want to get a Sheaffer no-nonsense in wide italic to write music as it is a very good pen and it's inexpensive.

[MidnightBlue]

I teach music and all I use everyday is a Filcao with a steel nib. Nice definition, clean, reliable, good for fine detail. Speerbob on Ebay can generally get them for around $60. Italian made pens. Mine is a Filcao Leader, but go the whole hog and buy a Gem of the Ocean. Thanks

[MCosta77777]

hi,

 

maybe this is what you are looking for.

 

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Calligraphy-No-Nonsense...93%3A1|294%3A50

 

hope it helps

[donwinn]

Dear Silvermink, dear gregamckinney,

 

thanks for you replies!

 

@Silvermink

 

Thanks for pointing me to these two music nib pens. The Sailor seems to be prohibitively expensive, the Platinum pen with a music nib I've found for around $ 140,-, which would be more in my price range. What kind of ink catridges could I use with that one? Or does the "converter" make all cartridges (even the ones bought in Europe) fit?

 

The Platinum pen uses either proprietary Platinum cartridges, but the adapter which they include will allow you to use international cartridges. Alternatively, most Platinum pens come with a converter, which will enable you to fill the pen from a bottle. Ink from a bottle is significantly less costly than purchasing cartridges, plus more friendly to the environment.

 

@ gregamckinney

 

Since I am a total newbie in regards to all of this, I don't really know the difference in writing that an oblique and a straight cut nib produce. But from the older handwritten music manuscripts I've been reading (and playing) it seems to me that an oblique nib would fit the purpose better. Also it seems that "music nib" is a term used to describe a certain way a pen is working (broader left to right lines and narrower up and down lines) which calligraphers are looking for - it would be surprising if there would be as many people around actually writing music than there are pens with music nibs...

 

Then again, I am looking for *any* pen with which I can write music with like shown in these example pages (and one which is not too pricey). What kind of oblique music nibs could I look for?

 

Thanks a lot!

 

FC

 

[The Grim Sheaffer]

I don't know much about writing music but it seems to have narrow down strokes and broad horizontal strokes. Should you not be using an Arabic nib for this.

 

I would love an explanation from someone that knows.

[Deirdre]

Grim, you're right. It's a misnomer.

[FlexiCat]

FredCouples,

I am not familiar with the Sailor music nib but do have a Platinum Maestro music pen. It is not flexible, nor is it a chisel edge like the two-tined Osmiroid music nib in the Osmiroid nibs sheet on this thread. It does, however, make the thick and thin marks required for musical notation. I would think, given the form of the Osmiroid two-tined music nib, nearly any italic nib would work, if you held the pen consistantly the same way as you wrote, tilting the top end of the pen in the direction of the line on which you are writing, rather than toward you as most people do when writing words. My two-tined Osmiroid music nib is flexible enough to give a nice line variation when pressed. I have another Osmiroid music nib, so marked on the nib, that is identical in design to the Osmiroid sketch nib, or seems to be. They handle similarly, though I think the music nib is a bit stiffer, but have not used either nib for some time. I would think a flexible italic would be interesting to use for music notation. I have a Sheaffer snorkle with 3SF (or is it a 3FS?) nib that is delightful in its flexibility. I'm not using it now because I prefer a fine flex to the broader flex, which is more compatible with my smallish handwriting. Hope this helps.

[musorah]

Any italic will do what you are looking to do. I've used both Osmiroid and Platignum calligraphy sets back in the day when I wrote by hand. In university for transcription of old manuscripts the interchangeable nibs were handy. When I sketch I tend to use pencil and it's off to Sibelius for notation for publication or sessions.

 

The No-Nonsense sets are good as more modern interpretations of the more classic Osmiroid and Platignum idea - plus they take Paarker cartridges or convertors. I know it is heretical, but you can also look in an art supply/stationery store for italic Fountain Pentel if you want to experiment - I've had good luck with them as items that live in the gig kit. As it says in your .pdf, you will have to get used to holding it at a variety of angles.

 

What kind of charts are you doing?

 

Rick

[runnjump]

Well, I use pencil when I'm working on drafts. But when making a fair copy, I find a regular ol' fine nib is very pleasant. This doesn't make for a very "pretty" manuscript, but it lets me draw and fill in all the shapes quickly and smoothly.

 

If I want that beautiful line variation on half notes, quarter rests, slurs, etc. an italic or stub nib fits the bill. I turn it to the required angle to get the thin stems and thick connectors. However, the italic needs to be fine enough so that your whole and half notes are not filled in! (Sorry if you speak breve, semibreve, etc. I don't know those terms!)

[musorah]

WHen I was trying to make a decent pencil copy that looked more like notation, I used a sandpaper block to chisel-tip pencils. In grad school we were doing manuscript transcriptions and often had to copy the original notation into a staff and put the modern transcription in another staff below it. In those days it definitely was pencil copy for layout and draft, then ink for final. We also used to have to clean up the Xerox copies of the manuscripts by scraping errant toner off with a razor blade.

 

Whilst I love a good handwritten manuscript, I much prefer reading Sibelius or Finale printed parts and scores. Mind you, I've seen some nightmares where someone imposed their own artistic style on the page making it beautiful but totally unreadable.

 

BTW breve is a double whole note, semibreve a whole note, minim a half note, crotchet a quarter note and quaver an eighth note. then you'll get semiquavers, demisemiquavers and hemidemisemiquavers...phew! I think I need a nice cup of Earl Grey and a rich tea biscuit now! Most of the bands I worked with "humoured" the Yank and admitted to being bilingual enough to understand me.

 

Rick

Edited May 12, 2009 by musorah