use createchords plugin into Musescore 3.3.0
hi
I've just downloaded and unzipped the "createchords" plugin into Musescore 3.3.0.8737 (C:\Program Files\MuseScore 3\plugins on my Windows PC) but don't know how to run it, as it contains a JavaScript but not a qml which I can call from the Plugin section in Musescore.
My aim is to put chord notes into a measure for didactic reason (study and exercise of various chords).
Basically if I write D7, I want to show the 4 notes which make such chord.
thank you for any help, cheers from Switzerland
Stefano
Comments
Don't put plugins into C:\Program Files\MuseScore 3\plugins, the system folder, bit into Your personal one, as described in the handbook.
https://musescore.org/project/create-chords is for MuseScore 1.x and for that only, it has never been ported to MuseScore 2 or 3
In reply to Don't put plugins into C:… by Jojo-Schmitz
If you know another plugin to make notes of a chord for MSESCORE 2 or 3, will you tell it.
I made a Musescore 3.0 plugin that expands chord symbols into notes. It can handle most chords including complex jazz chords. Try it and let me know what you think. The plugin is here... https://musescore.org/en/project/expand-chord-symbols-notes
I have some questions about your develped plugin software of Expan chord symbols for version.3. Your developed software is a very usefull tool for me to make a music sheet of guiter or piano. I hope to make chord notes based on my assinged rythm pattern. Will you tell me how to do this.
In reply to I have some questions about… by ohba2
Hello Ohba-san. The plugin always tries to use the same rythmn pattern as the chord symbols in your score. For example, please look at the attached screen shot. Each note in the "Melody" staff has a chord symbol, and the plugin creates notes with the same rythmn in the "Chords" staff. Also, it is best to use the plugin with MuseScore 3.4.2, I have not tested it on earlier versions.
In reply to Hello Ohba-san. The plugin… by markshepherd
Thank you for your quick reply mail. I tryed to run your plugin soft by using my music sheet. As you say, I could make a chord note at the 1st bar by my rythm pattern. But I could not make it after the 2nd bar when I write the chord name just at the top note in one bar of the same rythm pattern. Will you tell me the way to make a chord note when I write the chord name just at the top note in one bar, if it possible.
In reply to Thank you for your quick… by ohba2
That's a nice arrangement!
Please look at screenshot 1 which shows your Guitar staff, along with the generated notes in the staff "Chords". In measure 1, the generated notes (Cm7 chord) follow your rhythm pattern. In measure 2 and 3, the generated notes (B7 chord) are a whole note, because your score only contains one chord symbol in that measure.
If I understand correctly, you would like the generated notes in EVERY measure to have the same rhythm pattern as measure 1. Please look at screenshot 2.
Can you tell me, is Screenshot 2 what you are looking for?
Best regards,
Mark S
In reply to Thank you for your quick… by ohba2
Yes. I hope to make a music sheet of guiter like snapshot 2. Will you tell me the way of making shot 2.
In reply to Yes. I hope to make a music… by ohba2
I found a simple way to add this capability to my plugin. Please go to https://musescore.org/en/project/expand-chord-symbols-notes and download the new version of the plugin. The feature is called "Use the selection's rhythm pattern", and the instructions for using it are on that web page. I hope the instructions are clear, please let me know if not.
By the way, there has been much discussion on these forums about generating rhythm tracks. It's a very deep subject! There already exists apps that can generate complex rhythm tracks - these apps do much more than MuseScore ever could, or should. But I hope this feature can help composers work faster and maybe do things that would otherwise be very difficult. For example, you could generate several chord tracks with different rhythm patterns, and then cut and paste them to create your own custom chord track.
In reply to I found a simple way to add… by markshepherd
Thank you for your quick and kind advice. I re-installed your new plugin software, and tryed again. But I could not find the way to select the rhythm pattern mode, as shown in attached file. Will you tell me the way to open the screen to select the rhythm pattern mode.
In reply to Thank you for your quick and… by ohba2
Hi, please make sure that you select 1 or more notes in the score before you run the plugin. Also, I just added some examples to the web page https://musescore.org/en/project/expand-chord-symbols-notes, along with detailed instructions. Take a look and let me know if this helps.
In reply to Hi, please make sure that… by markshepherd
Also, I just updated the plugin to make the UI a little more clear. Please grab the latest version.
In reply to Thank you for your quick and… by ohba2
I would like to ask one more question. I re-installed your latest version 0, and runed. The Option box of the rhythm pattern appeared in the screen, but their characters are grey and unable to be selected, as shown in attached file. Will you tell me what I shall do.
In reply to I would like to ask one more… by ohba2
I'm sorry, the plugin is a bit difficult to understand. I have updated the plugin again, please get the latest version. I will work on making the documentation more clear.
When the characters are gray and unable to be selected, this means that the plugin thinks there is no selection in the score. In the screenshot, I cannot see if there is a selection in the score.
At https://musescore.org/en/project/expand-chord-symbols-notes, there is a section "To use a rhythm pattern". It is important to follow all the steps. For your Night and Day project, I suggest you do the following:
a. Add a new staff at the bottom of your score. This is where the chords will be created.
![Screen Shot 2020-04-25 at 23.02.29.png]()
b. Remove all the Cm7 chord symbols in the first measure, except for the first.
c.. Select the first measure of the Guitar staff - this will be the rhythm pattern.
d. Do Plugins > Expand Chord Symbols….
Now your screen should look like this....
e. enable the checbox "Use the selected notes as the rhythm pattern"
![Screen Shot 2020-04-25 at 23.03.09.png]()
f. click OK
Now your screen should look like this....
I hope this helps.
In reply to I'm sorry, the plugin is a… by markshepherd
I am sorry to disturb you so many times. I tryed again following with your above suggestion. But I could not get all chord tone, and got just the root tone, as shown in attached file. Will you tell me what is my mistake.
In reply to I am sorry to disturb you so… by ohba2
No problem, we are almost there!
I see in your screenshot you don't have the latest version of the plugin. Please go to https://musescore.org/en/project/expand-chord-symbols-notes and download the plugin again, then try one more time.
Note: before you copy the plugin to the "plugins" folder, please remove any old version of the plugin from that folder.
Regards,
Mark S
In reply to No problem, we are almost… by markshepherd
Finally, I could get the chord note. Thank you for your many kind advices.
I have last one question about the way to omit the lower tone of the chord note under E4 in the treble cref.
Usually, I used 3 or 4 notes of one chord upper E4 for the right hand of piano.
In reply to Finally, I could get the… by ohba2
Ohba-san, I am glad that you were successful. At present, the "rhythm pattern" feature is very simple and doesn't have a way to omit the lowest tone of the chord. I will think about this...
In reply to Ohba-san, I am glad that you… by markshepherd
Your revised plugin software is a very useful for me to make a music sheet for guiter or piano. I will omit the lowest tone by manual and change such a part as fil-in or break, as I like, by manual. Another question of guiter music sheet is a sound font of guiter. Most available sound fonts of guiter is metalic sound. I hope to use more acoustic sound font like an actual acoustic guiter. If you know such a sound font, will you tell me its name and URL.
In reply to Your revised plugin software… by ohba2
I know nothing about sound fonts, but I see that https://musescore.org/en/handbook/soundfonts-and-sfz-files lists many sound fonts, including one called Soundfonts4U, which includes "beautifully sounding acoustic guitars".
Also, a google search for "acoustic guitar soundfont" gives lots of results. Have you looked at those?
Regards,
Mark S
In reply to I know nothing about sound… by markshepherd
Thank you again for your advice. I found a better sound font and could use it.
And I had another problem to use your plugin software. Tha last part is the result of a guiter code
following with some rhythm pattern. But it is different with that of the first measure assinged after the second measure.
Will you tell me the way to solve this problem.
In reply to Thank you again for your… by ohba2
Hi, I'm sorry, I don't understand your question. Can you give me a screenshot and please tell me (1) what measure # has the problem (2) what notes you expect it to generate (3) what notes were actually generated. Thanks!
In reply to Hi, I'm sorry, I don't… by markshepherd
As you can find from the attached file of my last reply mail, the rhythm pattern of first measure at the lowest part is different with the first measure of the second lowest part. I hope to make the same ryhthm pattern of the first measure at the second lowest part.
In reply to As you can find from the… by ohba2
Ah, I understand. Please look at the plugin's web page at https://musescore.org/en/project/expand-chord-symbols-notes. It says "the plugin will always fill the entire time between one chord symbol and the next. If the pattern is too long, we don't use all of it". In your example score, at beat 1 of the first measure the chord is Dm, and at beat 3 the chord is Dm7/C. The Dm chord has 2 beats, so the plugin generates the first 2 beats of the rhythm pattern. At the 3rd beat, the plugin generates the Dm7/C chord, starting at the beginning of the rhythm pattern.
On the same web page, please also look at "Example 2", which illustrates the same idea.
I hope this explanation is helpful. Thank you for helping me understand what you need as a composer. In a future version of the plugin, maybe I can provide an option to use the entire rhythm pattern before re-starting the pattern.
In reply to Ah, I understand. Please… by markshepherd
Thank you for your quick adivece. I could understand well about your advice. I expect you to update the next version which can provide my hope.
In reply to No problem, we are almost… by markshepherd
Mark,
Great work. But... test.mscz
Your routine FindAllChordSymbols does not find chord symbols that are not over a note.
For that you need something like
var annotations = segment.annotations;
instead of
var annotations = cursor.segment.annotations;
see https://musescore.org/en/node/273379#comment-840158 for a all segmentwalk routine.
In reply to Mark, Great work. But... … by elsewhere
Thanks for your kind comment. Also thanks for the info and the test file. I will post an updated plugin in a day or two.
I am still a bit confused about the relationship between scores, segments, elements, measures, annotations, etc etc. The docs provide a lot of details, but the big picture is not so clear to me. Do you know if there exists a high-level architectural description of MuseScore's data model?
Regards,
Mark S
In reply to Thanks for your kind comment… by markshepherd
You are not alone being confused, Mark. The documentation is very poor, and lots of people have complained about it. But the forum is great. When I raised the question Marc Sabatella encouraged me to find an All Segmant Walk routine. The MuseScore search engine is also very poor, but if you Google "MuseScore" followed by your question you can find a great deal. The ObjectExplorer plugin gives you some idea of the underlying structure, but the output file is gigantic and overwhelming. Be patient when you run it: eventually a file in Notepad pops up.
In reply to Thanks for your kind comment… by markshepherd
Does https://musescore.org/en/developers-handbook/references/musescore-inter… help?
In reply to Does https://musescore.org… by jeetee
Hi jeetee. Thanks for your AllSegmentsWalk plugin mentioned above.
The link you mention is a good overview, but does not help in this case. Most of us use existing code to start writing plugins and they almost invariably use cursor.segment.annotation instead of (the more general) segment.annotation. Also the AllSegmentsWalk plugin and many other useful ones are not listed among the "official" plugins.
What is required to make a plugin "official"? I might volunteer depending...
In reply to Hi jeetee. Thanks for your… by elsewhere
Thanks to elsewhere and jeetee for the information concerning score walking. I made a new plugin that incorporates all your suggestions. The plugin is called "scoresToJSON.qml", and you can find it in my code repo at https://github.com/markshepherd/ExpandChordSymbols/blob/master/scoresTo….
I made the plugin because I wanted a way to test my other plugin ExpandChordSymbols. Each time I make a change to ExpandChordSymbols, I run ExpandChordSymbols on a bunch of sample scores, then I run scoresToJSON to get a text dump of the scores, and then I compare those text files to a set of previously created "known good" files. (BTW, I could achieve a similar effect by exporting the scores to MusicXML, but I found that the XML files contain a lot of very detailed layout information that I felt might change over time and break all my tests. Plus, I wanted to learn how to walk a score, and now I do!
In reply to Does https://musescore.org… by jeetee
AHA! Yes that page is very helpful. I'm embarrassed that I didn't see it before, there is a link on the home page of the Developer's Handbook!
In reply to Mark, Great work. But... … by elsewhere
Version 3 of Expand Chord Symbols is now available at https://musescore.org/en/project/expand-chord-symbols-notes. Please read the installation instructions, they are different from version 1. This version incorporates an improvement to FindAllChordSymbols as suggested by "elsewhere", support for parentheses, and an improved Rhythm Pattern feature as suggested by "ohba2".
Please try this new version and let me know what you think!
Enjoy,
Mark S
In reply to Version 3 of Expand Chord… by markshepherd
Thank you so much again for your quick action to revise your plugin software. It becomes very useful to make a guiter chord of the constant rhythm pattern. My next hope is to make a guiter chord of the constant rhythm pattern, which includes a tie symbol across measures, like an attached file. Bossanova often uses these rhythm pattern, such as a guiter play by Antomio Carlos Jobin. I expect your next challenge to solve thits subject.
In reply to Thank you so much again for… by ohba2
Thanks for your confidence in me! Unfortunately, I don't think I can fix this, because of a limitation in MuseScore -- a plugin cannot add a chord that crosses between measures. Also, a plugin cannot create ties. I hope that this will be improved in a future version of MuseScore. (Maybe I am wrong? If anybody knows how to do this, please let me know!)
In reply to Thanks for your confidence… by markshepherd
I found a good and simple idea to fix this problem. Because Bossanova often uses the rhythm pattern of 2 measures, I changed 4/4 rhythm of the original music with 4/2, and make 2 measures to 1. We can reproduce again 4/4 music sheet from this 4/2. Can you add my idea to make the rhythm pattern of 2 measures at the manual of your developed plugin software.
In reply to I found a good and simple… by ohba2
Thanks for that idea! I added this to the plugin page: "the plugin cannot generate notes that span two measures. Here's a workaround: temporarily change the time signature to something longer, like 4/2 or 8/2, run the plugin to generate chords, then change the time signature back to the original."
In reply to Thanks for that idea! I… by markshepherd
your developed plugin can generate notes, their code symbol of which stan two measures, without a tie. So, I think that you had better to say the additional sentence of your manuel, such as "that span two measures with a certain rhythm pattern."