XML import ignores Chord accidentals?

• Sep 18, 2024 - 16:26

Hello everybody,

I am a beginner at Musescore. I'm using Cubase to export a melody plus chords as an XML file, including the Cubase Chord Track. This imports nicely into Musescore, with one caviat:

For some reason, Musescore ignores any accidentals in my chord symbols when importing. E.g.: If Cubase has a B flat minor (Bbm) chord, it exports into XML as follows:

   <harmony>
                <root>
                    <root-step>B</root-step>
                    <root-alter>-1
                    </root-alter>
                </root>
                <kind>minor</kind>
            </harmony>

But Musescore displays - and plays! - a Bm chord.

Is this something I can fix in Musescore? or is it something that Cubase is fomatting the chord in a different way? I have to do this for a ton of songs, so fixing it is preferable to manually going over every single chord.

Thanks for your help guys!

Gerben

(edit: thanks JoJo Schmitz for help with the formatting)

Comments

Jojo-Schmitz

• Sep 18, 2024 - 19:12

         <harmony>
            <root>
                <root-step>B</root-step>
                <root-alter>-1
                </root-alter>
            </root>
            <kind>minor</kind>
        </harmony>

(enclosed in <xml>...</xml>

gerbenvanette

• Sep 19, 2024 - 08:36

Changed the formatting, thanks.

Leon Vinken

• Sep 22, 2024 - 08:02

Hi Gerben, it would be helpful if you could attach one or more complete MusicXML files generated by Cubase. Nevertheless, I could reproduce the issue and submitted an issue: https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues/24865

Note that MuseScore 3.6.2 and 4.3 import my file correctly, which may provide you with an easy workaround.

Jojo-Schmitz

• Sep 22, 2024 - 10:08

Which is to change the XML to

         <harmony>
            <root>
                <root-step>B</root-step>
                <root-alter>-1</root-alter>
            </root>
            <kind>minor</kind>
        </harmony>

gerbenvanette

• Sep 23, 2024 - 10:47

Thanks for submitting the issue! I have enclosed an XML file (it's "Het Is Genoeg" by Conny Vandenbos, for those interested in obscure Dutch 60s pop) .

nb: I noticed that the submitted issue states that it makes the B chord a Major instead of minor, but the issue is the "root alter", which should make it a B flat but doesn't.

Attachment	Size
het is genoeg.xml	290.74 KB

Jojo-Schmitz

• Sep 23, 2024 - 11:27

I've attached it to the issue

Leon Vinken

• Sep 29, 2024 - 07:29

Hi Gerben,

The root-alter issue has been fixed in MuseScore 4.5-dev. And indeed, I made a typo when submitting the issue.

Inspecting file "het is genoeg.xml" shows the same issue is present in the bass-alter element. This one has not been fixed yet in MuseScore, will submit another issue.

Jojo-Schmitz

• Sep 29, 2024 - 13:31

See https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/pull/24967

(and https://github.com/Jojo-Schmitz/MuseScore/pull/663 for my 3.7)

Jojo-Schmitz

• Sep 29, 2024 - 20:46

It is not just Cubase, but the extra white space is covered by the MusicXML specs, see https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/pull/24967#issuecomment-23814447…

Leon Vinken

• Sep 30, 2024 - 05:05

Thanks, Jojo ! Looks like I don't have to submit another issue.