Dynamic and Velocity Offset on same note

• Dec 29, 2021 - 19:38

If I have a dynamics symbol and a velocity offset on the same note, do they both have an effect? I want to change from mp to mf at the start of a bar and I also want to stress the first note of this bar, (then continue with the mf dynamic).


Comments

In reply to by Jm6stringer

That's what I did! I added a text with a greater-than sign and then changed the velocity. Listening to playback it seems that the velocity offset is added to the dynamic symbol.

Is there any advantage in using the actual stress symbol? If so, then I will change them all in my score.

(and, yes, I am humanising a score).

In reply to by yonah_ag

Is there any advantage in using the actual stress symbol?

The "stress symbol", "greater than sign" is more formally called an accent.
One advantage in using it is that it actually affects playback. Not all articulations are supported.
Also, accenting a note does not change any current underlying dynamic marking.

Disadvantages are:
https://musescore.org/en/node/323219
https://musescore.org/en/node/290590
https://musescore.org/en/node/309727

The articulations palette contains other symbols (like marcato) which are supported by playback, but not everyone agrees on the actual interpretation and execution, so playback (if supported) may not be exactly as anticipated.

In reply to by yonah_ag

The advantage in using the correct symbol is that it will look more correct (a text greater than sign looks subtly different), plus will work correctly when exported to MIDI or MusicXML or in future versions of MuseScore. MuseScore 4 will apparently have more control over the amount of stress for accents and other articulations, would be a shame to lock yourself out of that.

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