Note Heads Change Color After Placement at or Above the Fifth Line on the Staff
Okay, so I just downloaded Musescore 3 (after using Musescore 2 for a decent amount of time) and as I was inputting notes into the french horn part (in Musescore 3). When I placed a note at or above the fifth line of the staff, (F in treble clef, A in bass clef, G in alto clef, and E in tenor clef) the color of the notehead changed to a pickle shade. I got curious and kept going up the scale, and if you go to a high D (in treble clef), It changes to a fiery shade and it stays that color until it reaches the limit. My point of making this topic is to find out why it's doing this and how to make it stop. I want the colors of the noteheads to be consistently black all the way up. I have attached a screenshot of the issue below. If you know how to make it stop, please let me know. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
| Attachment | Size |
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| Noteheads_Changing_Color.PNG | 28.71 KB |
Comments
The colors are to warn someone not familiar with the instrument that they are going above the normal amateur (pickle color) and professional (red color) ranges of the instrument. You can turn this option of in the menu Edit(MuseScore on Mac)->Preferences->Note Input and remove the check from Color notes outside of usable range and all notes will be black.
In reply to The colors are to warn… by mike320
Thank you so much! I do have one question about this though, when a note is outside of the usable range, does that mean that they aren't achievable on a real instrument?
In reply to Thank you so much! I do have… by mobbinsrobbins
Well, "achievable" is often a relative term - the limitation is often not built-in to the instrument but depends on the skill of the player. That is why there are different colors to indicate what the average amateur can/cannot play versus the average professional. These are just guidelines.
For brass instruments, playing high notes require some pretty specific techniques in terms of use the lips, facial muscles, diaphragm, etc. So those that specialize in high notes can easily play the olive-colored notes and in some cases beyond. But it is usually unwise to write notes that high unless you know for sure that the people who will eventually play your music are high-note specialists and the notes are within their personal range.
In reply to Well, "achievable" is often… by Marc Sabatella
Also, when writing for high-range brass, it is a good idea to not have the players playing high register for prolonged periods. Give them plenty of rests so their embouchure can recuperate for the next phrase. High notes for brass are like a really powerful spice in cooking - a little goes a long way.
In reply to Well, "achievable" is often… by Marc Sabatella
Oh, I understand the part about writing notes that high. The highest note I was going to use was an A in the green range. I just kept going up to see if the color would change again.
In reply to Oh, I understand the part… by mobbinsrobbins
I have seen high school students capable of playing above what is considered the normal professional range on some instruments, so these are guides not walls. If you ever want to hear a human play your songs, I suggest you either abide by the guides built into MuseScore or consult with someone who might play your song. I normally don't worry about the amateur range.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I know there is at least one professionally trained horn player who hasn't commented on this thread.
In reply to I have seen high school… by mike320
Thank you so much for your help!
To be clear, though, these are only warnings on screen for your benefit, they don't appear in PDF or in print.
But, the warning is not about line of the staff, it's about pitch.
In reply to To be clear, though, these… by Marc Sabatella
Ah, thank you for making this clear!