Reciting Tones

• May 22, 2021 - 06:04

I've seen people use reciting tones (like used in psalmody where there are multiple syllables per note) in Musescore, but I've been unable to find where they are to insert them. All searches of the software and forums have turned up nothing - though there are plenty of entries on how to add multiple syllables to a recitation note. Any ideas where I can find them?

Comments

• May 22, 2021 - 17:10

I'm confused by the statement "there are plenty of entries on how to add multiple syllables to a recitation note" - are you saying you are looking for information other than that? I am not sure what else you might mean, unless maybe it is, how to add a breve for the note itself. In which case, the answer is, using the toolbar, same as any other duration. And, in case you are saying you see people asking how to enter multiple syllables but haven't found the answer - use Ctrl+Space to add spaces between words, probably also use the Inspector to set the alignment of the lyric to left.

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• Apr 30, 2024 - 18:31

I see ... I think I see, at any rate. The priest couldn't particularly chant along with the MuS playback, could they. The words on one "reciting note" might last x long, while the words on the next "reciting note" might last x * 2.5 long.

And I'm guessing the notes are (at least, somewhat) relative. One priest (with a tenor voice) might sing the main note as a B below middle C, while another priest (with a bass voice) might sing the main note as a D below middle C.

(I've only attended Catholic services a handful of times total (perhaps 3 or 4?) in my entire (62 years) life and the most recent time was probably 45 years ago.)

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• Apr 30, 2024 - 23:14

Yes, your "FIrst" was exactly what I was saying at the beginning. It would be something that the celebrant could not sing along with; so it must be only for display/print.

And I wasn't referring to changing key. I was suggesting that the notes displayed are simply relative. A low-voiced priest will sing them on a lower note; a higher-voiced priest will sing them on a higher note. And the up and down motion may not be whole notes or half notes: they are just above and below whatever the starting note is. I'm not talking about changing keys. Just that different chanters will sing them differently, but relatively similar.

Do Jewish cantors have similar "music" for their chants? I wonder. ... Hmm, I recall that hearing that several popular songs (which? one or more by Neal Diamond?) were based on Jewish chants, so presumably so. I guess the more-interesting question is, do they use standard "Western" notation, or do they have some traditional notation of their own? Or are they not notated at all and are just passed on through verbal tradition?

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• Apr 30, 2024 - 23:34

You wrote: "I'm not talking about changing keys. Just that different chanters will sing them differently, but relatively similar" - that's exactly what changing keys is :-). yes, for any notated vocal music, it might be that someone just chooses a starting note without first checking the pitch, and everyone sings relatively from there. Like what happens every time people sing "Happy Birthday" to someone else. Again, not at all unique to chant, just a normal part of singing.

I'm not as familiar with the Jewish chants. I've played some in services but doing "songs". Those were traditional melodies but written in Western notation. I have no idea what other systems might be in use or might have been used in the past.

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