Do brackets between staves indicating which hand to use apply to the entire measure?

1. What is the purpose of brackets in music?
2. How do brackets work in music?
3. What do we call the staves that are connected by a bracket?
4. What do brackets around a note mean?

What is the purpose of brackets in music?

The Bracket – is used to tie together the same or different instruments within a family of instruments such as the woodwinds, brass, percussion or string families. A single thin line ties the staves together regardless of how many instruments are being used.

How do brackets work in music?

A symbol that looks like an archer's bow (also called curved brackets) that are used to connect two or more different staves in a musical score into a system. The brace will typically provide a visual connection between dependent parts (i.e. two piano staves) into a system.

What do we call the staves that are connected by a bracket?

Multiple staves that are held together with a bracket or brace are often just called a "line", but this term can be confusing, so the term "system" is preferred, although this is not in very common usage.

What do brackets around a note mean?

Usually, that indicates that the note is optional to play. For instance, the fingering may be rather difficult as is so the composer/transcriber indicates a note to leave out as an option.