Reply To: Follow up for negative numbers post
Yeah, that was what I thought it meant, as well. (I'm glad to know my musical instincts are still sharp!)
It's actually not logical according to the notation, as the player would normally hold onto the note through the tied 8th notes, but here the composer wants the release on the beat, so in essence, removing the tied note. (I've never encountered this in instrumental music, but it is a frequent occurrence in vocal music.)
This will require a transcriber's note, no matter what you choose to do. I think I might enclose the tied notes below the numbers in parentheses. That way the player knows it's there in print, but the indication is to cut off on that note rather than hold it. If you do this and explain what print looks like, you can then omit the number from the music line.
Let me know what you think!