Add Neutral-Sharp and Neutral-Flat to accidentals palette

• Apr 25, 2016 - 23:29
Reported version
3.0
Type
Functional
Severity
S5 - Suggestion
Status
closed
Project
MuseScore

Copied directly from forum thread with the same name:

"This is something that I've seen in plenty of sheet music, but I'm not entirely sure if it's still notation used today. In a score with a key signature outside of C major / A minor, whenever the sheet uses a double-sharp or double-flat and then a single-sharp or single-flat of the same note in the same measure, it is notated by placing a neutral followed by the accidental. So, a sharp note would have both a neutral and sharp accidental in front of it, and same with flats. So, is it possible to do this in Musescore? If not, then I'd simply request them as either a style setting or just their own accidental. I've seen this notation used from Rachmaninov to Beethoven, so I know it's not uncommon."

Comments

• Apr 26, 2016 - 02:39

I propose we simply add these to the accidentals palette so the user can select when to use them. They would, I presume, have the same behavior as the corresponding ordinary flat and sharp - just look different. We could also consider a style option to have these used automatically when appropriate.

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• Apr 27, 2016 - 08:27
Reported version 2.1 ⇒ 3.0

An automatic fallback doesn't happen, this currently only works for musical text fonts, as far as I can see. But indeed a fallback to Bravura for musical font glyphs too may need to get implemented.

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• Apr 27, 2016 - 15:40

It is probably equally easy/difficult to create these glyphs from combining the existing glyphs of the font, and nicer looking than copying accross the Bravura versions.

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• Sep 19, 2016 - 12:43

I am still curious what the authorities say about this: It seems to me perfectly clear to just put a sharp to take a double sharp down half a tone; this sharp in this context can't possibly mean anything else. So why use extra signs just for (exaggerated) logic?

What does Gould have to say about this? I thought the modern usage was the one in Musescore but I guessed; I don't really know this.

BTW a similar problem occurs at changes of the key signature: Should you put in neutrals to cancel the preceding signature prior to the new one like they used to do or is the Musesore way (use neutrals only when switching to C-Major/a-minor) backed up by the authorities? It is again unequivocal with or without the neutrals.

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• Sep 19, 2016 - 16:42

Different editors have different preferences on both of these topics. Gould does call the use of naturals in either of these contexts "traditional" but also "redundant".

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