This has got to be some of the worst jargon and notation for anything, ever. I'd like to argue that as inefficient as it seems, it's really a reflection of how

This has got to be some of the worst jargon and notation for anything, ever. I'd like to argue that as inefficient as it seems, it's really a reflection of how broad and complex music actually is. This notation and organization system is all a perspective or reference to take when actually trying to comprehend/play music. It's not a fixed set of rules and there are exceptions everywhere. It's one of those systems where you learn the rules only to know when you're breaking them. So by all means learn to do this, but don't get hung up on real-life deviations. It actually works well for people performing together, especially when led by a conductor.