Key Signature Selection - Transposing Instruments
When I create a new score from scratch, if I pick a transposing instrument (e.g. clarinet in Bb), I have to select the key signature for the score at concert pitch, not at the pitch of the instrument. So, I have to work out the number of sharps/flats for my piece, then convert that to concert pitch before choosing a key signature in MuseScore. It then displays correctly for my instrument.
It would be nice to have the option to select the key signature in the key of the instrument.
I realise that if you have more than one instrument in the score, this is harder - how about displaying the key signature selection in both concert pitch and at the pitch of each instrument in the score, so that I can easily pick what I need? Each key signature would need a row for concert pitch and a row for each instrument in the score.
Comments
Scores for a single transposing instrument are surely pretty rare, though, no? It would seem very odd for MuseScore to work one way for most scores but then totally change to a different way of woriking just for the unusual case of scores for a single transposing instrument. After all, how much unaccompanied clarinet literature is there, really?
And in the usual case for transposing instruments - where they are part of a larger score - how would you proposing displaying he different key signatures that might be involved? And how would you know which key signature went with which staff? Seems it would be impossible. Have you used other notation programs that somehow behave differently?
From a UI perspctive, I can't really any sensible way the ley signature at score creation could possibly be anything but concert pitch.
In reply to Scores for a single by Marc Sabatella
Having a concert pitch button in the create-score wizard or the add instruments dialog might help and be the simple way out?
In reply to Having a concert pitch button by Jojo-Schmitz
I don't see how. Maybe I'm misunderstand, or not explaoning clearly.
Say you have a concert band score. That's around 25 staves per sstem, each potentially with a different transposition. The current behavior is the sensible one - selecting a key signature applies the same *concert pitch* key signature to all instruments, even though they might appear different when transposed. The dialog curremtly shows only one set of 13 key signatures. Are you prooposing that if you turn off concert pitch, the dialog shold change to show 13 miniature 25-staff score (one for each key signature), with each staff showing the key signature that would be added? I can't imagine how you'd possible do that. So somehow there seems to be a big disconnect here.
In reply to I don't see how. Maybe I'm by Marc Sabatella
guess my idea was a brain farth ;-)
In reply to I don't see how. Maybe I'm by Marc Sabatella
Obviously when you take it to the extreme of 25 staves, it doesn't work too well, however, there are over 400 clarinet-only scores on musescore.org.
How many different transposing keys are in common use? ABRSM Grade 5 music theory only deals with Bb (clarinet, trumpet, sax), F (French horn) A (Clarinet) and Eb (sax). The instruments that transpose up or down an octave don't affect the displayed key sig.
My original thought was to replace each key signature icon with a set of key sig icons, one for each transposing instrument in the score. A better idea is probably a radio-button for each (plus one for concert pitch) - clicking the radio button would not make any visual difference to the icons, but when you select one it would mean that is the key sig for that instrument & all the others would be worked out from that.
Or perhaps a tool-tip with the key sig for the transposing instruments e.g. "Bb clarinet: 2 flats"
I'm starting to learn the clarinet at the moment, so I sometimes put the pieces I'm practicing into MuseScore so that I can create a MIDI file to listen to.
In reply to Learners by DonH
D is also in fairly common use, as is G.
A solution that doesn't scale to handle the general case is not really worth having in my opinion. All it does is complicate the user interface for everyone else - most people woildn't need or want all those exta icons or radio buttons. It adds complicatin that only benefits a relatively few people, and even then, it only benefits them while they are still beginners at transposition.
Part of learning the clarinet is learning how it transposes. It takes only minutes to learn how to add two flats / subtract two sharps from the key signature. That's far easier than it would be to design, implement, document, and support a whole new user interface interface for key signature selection.