Position of time signature in tablature
I'm not currently sure if the position of the time signature in tablature is correct in MuseScore.
I've posted a few examples from what I think is the same publisher (International Music Publications) and software, but does anyone have more incase something is perhaps questionable here?
| Attachment | Size |
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| Four string bass guitar tablature.png | 50.74 KB |
| Five string bass guitar tablature.png | 34.98 KB |
| Six string guitar tablature.png | 42.69 KB |
Comments
I have seen several way of placing a two-storied time signature on an even-lined staff (even number of lines = odd number of spaces):
1) the two digits across the top four spaces, regardless of the number of spaces (UGLY!)
2) the two digits touching each other with top one ending and the bottom one starting at the mid of the centre space (as in your examples; note that the staff lines go through the digits at uneven heights)
3) leaving the middle space empty and placing the top digit in the two spaces above and the bottom digit in the two spaces below (as in current MuseScore implementation).
I chose 3) simply because I like it best; if there is a consensus on a different solution, I can change it.
Thanks,
M.
Thanks.
How would the 'Common Time' symbol be handled? It would probably be centred, at least?
It's a little difficult to find examples of time signatures in tablature, but I found this and this . I think these seem okay? Do you detect any patterns?
I think some software allow you to adjust the time signature.
In reply to Thanks. How would the 'Common by chen lung
"How would the 'Common Time' symbol be handled? It would probably be centred, at least?"
It is a long time since I coded that part (and and in the meantime Werner did a lot of re-factoring), but I think it is. It should be easy to try and see, isn't it?
Back to numerator/denominator time signatures: you seem to like the solution quoted above as 2) (which is of course the one used when there is a even number of spaces). I personally find strange the two figures touching each other with nothing in between and I feel it unbalanced when there are more than 5 lines (as for guitar), because of the largish spaces above and below the figures (of the 2 examples you give, I slightly prefer the first, because at least it leaves a hair of space between the two figures).
Of course, these are personal preferences. It is however one of those details for which I am reluctant to add new controls and parameters to the TAB config dlg box (already complex and crowded); so, one solution has to be chosen.
I cannot but repeat myself: if a consensus is reached on a different solution than the currently implemented one, I am ready to change the code. Currently the code goes (a little!) out of this way to accommodate the different position of figures with an odd number of spaces; making it to generalize solution 2) for all kind of staves would actually be a simplification, potentially.
Thanks,
M.
I think it might indeed be the second one you list that I prefer - I wasn't sure if I properly understood at first. I did wonder about filling the stave with the time signature without gaps, but I'm not sure.
It's clear we like different things :) - if you want to leave it until something else comes along, fine. However, I would like to ask: Have you seen examples elsewhere of what MuseScore uses?
Ticking the 'Show Time Sign.' box doesn't do so in the score, only in the preview - therefore, I haven't been able to properly check. I haven't filed it yet, but do you also see this problem? If so, feel free to file it.
In reply to I think it might indeed be by chen lung
" However, I would like to ask: Have you seen examples elsewhere of what MuseScore uses?"
Unfortunately, I didn't keep repertoires and usual reference books on notation do not cover TAB (IIRC, Stone does, but very cursorily and not very accurately). I have seen a wide variety of time sig. placements, including some like current MuseScore placement; in some cases, figures were clearly placed manually (and not always carefully!), so it is sometime difficult to understand what 'they' tried to achieve.
"Ticking the 'Show Time Sign.' box doesn't do so in the score, only in the preview - therefore, I haven't been able to properly check. I haven't filed it yet, but do you also see this problem?"
This is a different problem. If the staff is originally created as TAB, the time sig. element is not created, so the TAB config. parameters have nothing to show. If the staff is created as pitched and then converted to TAB, the time sig. is there and can be hidden or shown. This is a bug, of course, but related with staff creation not with TAB management. Anyway, I'll file it.
Thanks,
M.
P.S.: Incidentally, has this forum a "Quote" feature? Copying and pasting from other posts is becoming tiring...
In reply to " However, I would like to by Miwarre
In Sibelius, my understanding is that by default the time signature only one text element and the numerator and denominator are on two lines of text (separated by a line break). Then, by default, the space between the two numbers is not changed depending on the staff type. The time signature is then centered in the staff. There is no difference for C time signature.
See this example.
Of course, the font size of the time signature can be changed, the line spacing, and the default position, vertically and horizontally. More info here .
Lilypond also center C and "normal" time signature by default
In reply to In Sibelius, my by [DELETED] 5
Thank you for the evidence, lasconic.
Can we decide that the agreement between Sibelius and Lilypond is consensus enough to go in this direction?
About fonts: MuseScore does not currently support different fonts (family, size or whatever) for the same element type across a score; if the time sig. font size is increased, ALL time signature sizes will increase in ALL staves. MuseScore also does not support font line spacing (it uses the font built-in line spacing). So, we cannot play on this level, currently.
M.
P.S.: I notice that Lilypond does not draw stem portions between TAB 'notes'; this is a useful indication for the point discussed here and here .
It's unfortunate about the font issue, but I think I'm happy to go with it :).
Thanks.
I'm about to post a pull request in githib with this implementation:
NOT FOUND: 1
Good enough?
M.
In reply to Something like this? by Miwarre
Seems fine :).