Capo Settings: add a "Detune" setting to emulate instruments below written pitch

• Dec 31, 2018 - 11:20
Reported version
3.0
Type
Functional
Frequency
Few
Severity
S5 - Suggestion
Reproducibility
Always
Status
active
Regression
No
Workaround
Yes
Project
MuseScore

OS: Windows 10 (10.0), Arch.: x86_64, MuseScore version (64-bit): 3.0.0.4839, revision: cf1f5ce

There is a new "Capo Settings" feature in staff text. This property should also include negative values, for detuned instruments.

Comments

• Dec 31, 2018 - 20:00

I'm struggling with this concept as it seems to make sense only for a virtual guitar. There is no way to apply a negative capo to a physical guitar. A guitar can be tuned, (detuned from standard), to many different alternate tunings, (e.g. drop-D, open-G, C#minor, etc), and a capo subsequently applied but the capo position would still be positive. Wouldn't you simply specify the alternate tuning at the start of the piece so that the player could set up their guitar accordingly?

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• Jan 1, 2019 - 11:23

Wouldn't you simply specify the alternate tuning at the start of the piece so that the player could set up their guitar accordingly?

In the examples you've given (and many others), the answer is yes. But suppose you want to use a standard-1 (D#, G#, C#, F#, A#, D#) tuning. If you leave the tuning in string data as EADGBE and set the capo to -1, the written pitch remains the same as a standard-tuned guitar, making the music easy to read.

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• Jan 1, 2019 - 13:24

To quote: "When a standard guitar is tuned down a half-step to Eb, it is still notated in standard pitch … In fact this is usually the case for any tuning in which all strings are tuned down by the same amount (1 step, 1½ steps etc.)" (Hal Leonard. Baritone Guitar Book).

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• Jan 1, 2019 - 13:46

You can do it that way if you wish (i.e. Staff properties > Transpose written pitches to sound) but "Capo settings" is much easier to understand and use.

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• Jan 1, 2019 - 13:51
Workaround No ⇒ Yes

I'm not sure a negative capo setting is easier to understand...
I guess though that it'd be very easy to implement

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• Jan 1, 2019 - 15:58
Workaround Yes ⇒ No

I don't use notation at all, only TAB, so I'm generally not aware of what the "written pitch" is anyway as I simply apply fret numbers relative to any capo. However, I can now appreciate what you're saying. Maybe MS could support both options.

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• Sep 10, 2019 - 10:42
Title Capo Settings: allow negative values for detuned instruments ⇒ Capo Settings: allow an option for detuned instruments

A better option perhaps:

  • Change the Tab name to "Capo/Detune settings."
  • Have two tick boxes (or similar) titled "Capo" and "Detune." Ticking one excludes the other.
  • Under "Detune (semitones)" have another dropdown with the options "None, -1, -2, … -12."

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• Sep 17, 2020 - 18:01
Title Capo Settings: allow an option for detuned instruments ⇒ Capo Settings: allow "Capo fret" to have negative values to emulate instruments tuned below written pitch

It's not uncommon for guitars to be tuned down one or two semitones below written pitch.

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• Sep 17, 2020 - 18:24
Title Capo Settings: allow "Capo fret" to have negative values to emulate instruments tuned below written pitch ⇒ Capo Settings: add a "Detune" setting to emulate instruments below written pitch

Detuning the strings works for tab but not for standard staves or staff/tab combinations: see How To's instead.

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