Rastrum

The Rastral ( mittellat. rastrum: " rake ", " rake" ) is a tool in music notation, with the five staves of a system are mapped out.

Burin

A Rastral graver than the traditional music engraving is made of brass or steel and looks like a fork with five tines. For music printing was used to scribe the note lines using a ruler in the needle plate. Then the scores were hammered with stamps.

There are ten lines Rastrale piano systems and more Liniiermaschinen, each of which is a whole page of music with different grouping of the system could be prepared. Meanwhile, this technique has become very rare. The computer music notation has replaced these tools.

Writing implement

The Rastral is also available as a parallel arrangement of five nibs, which is used by musicians to make from standard writing paper note paper. For this use, the five peaks have a fine gap on the lower side.

The composer Igor Stravinsky preferred the individual design of the note pages and constructed to a Rastral as write scooter, which he called Stravigor. This device he tried to patent 1911.

The, Line with ink is barely more common today. A musician who has no note paper on hand can stick together for five mines case pencils parallel with adhesive film, or ballpoint pen refills on the thickness of those which are used for multi-color ballpoint pen.

Rastralweite

The term " Rastral " is still Rastralweite used in music philology in the composition: This refers to the distance between the two outermost staves. Usually, the Rastralweite is engraved with marks depending on the context between four and eight millimeters. Handwritten notes can be much larger.