The several strains of each dance-air will be marked in the music-book and in the notations by means of capital letters, A, B, C, etc. When a strain is played more than once in a Part it will be marked A1, B1, C1, etc., on its first performance, and A2, B2, C2, A3, B3, etc., in its subsequent repetitions.
It will be found that many of the dances in this collection are divided into two or more Parts. John Essex quaintly but aptly likened these divisions to the “several verses of songs upon the same tune.”
In non-progressive dances, the division is made merely for the sake of clearness in description; the Parts are intended to follow on without a pause.
When, however, a progressive movement occurs in one or other of the figures of a Part, that Part must be repeated as often as the dancers decree. The usual practice is to repeat the Part until the leader has returned to original place.
Progressive figures will be marked as such in the notation; while the parts in which they occur will be headed “Whole-Set”, “Duple Minor-Set“, etc., according to the nature of the progression.
Page transcribed by Hugh Stewart