Mountain Dulcimer sheet music
I play the mountain dulcimer with mixyldian tuning (DD-A-D) and have tried to
hack around the guitar template to make one for the mountain dulcimer. Would
it be possible to add a new template for mountain dulcimer - it is a
four-stringed (but only 3 note) fretted instrument with several different
tunings, but the most common are DAD and DAA. The template should include a
vocal staff (for melody and lyrics) and a dulcimer staff for tablature. See,
i.e., the website www.everythingdulcimer for examples of dulcimer tab.
thank you for your consideration of this request.
Comments
If you've successfully created a score set up the way you want, you can already make a template out of it - simply save that score your Templates folder.
If you need help creating the score in the first place, could you describe what part of it you are struggling with? Have you seen how to change the number and the tuning of the strings via Staff Properties?
In reply to If you've successfully by Marc Sabatella
As you know, the Mountain Dulcimer (or other equivalent names) is a diatonic instrument (said in another way, non chromatic).
Be aware this feature is not supported by now (postponed, at the least, or more I fear, except if someone works on this question), as you can read eg in this thread - containing my first attempt of template via a workaround: https://musescore.org/en/node/69441
In reply to As you know, the Mountain by cadiz1
I have been using MuseScore for a number of years, and I have found a way to add a dulcimer tab (mountain/Appalachian dulcimer, that is) to my music. It produces a clean, easily read sheet. All you have to do is think outside the box ... If anyone is interested I'll share my method.
In reply to I have been using MuseScore by johannam.bolton
I have seen a few people mention it here in the last few months.
In reply to I have been using MuseScore by johannam.bolton
We are interested, please share.
In reply to We are interested, please by [DELETED] 5
See: (attached pdf file) in this comment: https://musescore.org/en/node/88646#comment-679016
and: https://musescore.org/en/node/88646#comment-679206
I followed the links to other parts of this discussion. I figured out on my own how to create tabs for dulcimer. You can choose any instrument and through advanced settings reduce the number of strings to three. However, playback is not possible because the dulcimer is "missing" frets. I.E. I use the guitar, reduce the amount of strings to three, and change the strings' voices to D3, A3, and D4. When I place a note on the first string and label it 1, the play back will sound a D#. A dulcimer player needs the playback to sound E, because the first fret on a dulcimer is a whole step.
If a developer is reading this post, Dulcimer players need a playback developed specifically for the dulcimer. On a standard modern dulcimer the frets would be thus:
0=open string, 1=ws, 2=ws, 3=hs, 4=ws, 5=ws, 6=hs, 7=hs, 8=hs, 9=ws, 10=ws, 11=hs, 12=ws, 13=ws, 14=hs, 15= hs, 16=hs
(ws=whole step, hs=half step)
This corresponds to the chromatic scale with a flat 7 capability: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C, C#, D, 2nd octave.
And to be more complicated, some dulcimers makers are adding frets in other places and others leave out the 7th fret (called 6+ in the dulcimer world.) So it would be great if somehow options were made to add and delete frets and to designate the voicing as necessary. This way the dulcimer can compose tabs based on the specific fretting he/she has.
In reply to I followed the links to other by robbscott
"When I place a note on the first string and label it 1, the play back will sound a D#. A dulcimer player needs the playback to sound E, because the first fret on a dulcimer is a whole step."
It's the known problematic indeed. And not only for the dulcimer, but for all diatonic instruments.
"If a developer is reading this post, Dulcimer players need a playback developed specifically for the dulcimer"
Developpers read the posts, but as you maybe know, MuseScore's development team is very limited, and your query (this is also one of my own, since I filled the feature request), is unlikely to succeed , at least within a reasonable time, I fear. Except unexpected help from an external developer interested in this project.
In the meantime, the only workaround is to add a tab for playback by correcting the frets to the good pitch. The functionality (Select "More", Same pitch etc.), improved in the next 2.1 version, saves time. This is not the ideal of course, but it is better than nothing!
If you have a score for dulcimer in pdf format (not too long, if possible!) that you want to input (or a .mscz file already entered), I can watch and help as far as possible.
In reply to "When I place a note on the by cadiz1
Even as a user, I realize that this change will likely cause incompatibilities with 2.0.x, so it would have to wait until 3.0. Perhaps after 2.1 is released someone will tackle this.
In reply to Even as a user, I realize by mike320
"Perhaps", "someone" (who?!): that's also the problematic, and surely the most important...