Better "bend" display
I love this software. I've just finished creating the tabs for a song I'm learning and sharing it with a couple of other musicians. There is one part of the score that could be much improved. The improvement I would like to see is better visual representation of the "bend". Currently it is hard to pick up on visibly. More specifically I would like to see something better to annotate what would be used by a slide on a guitar, or a bar on a dobro or pedal steel. The tie symbol "(" is perfect but it's already taken. A good icon for this would be similar to a playground slide - with a slightly pitched front, a steeply pitched middle, and a slightly pitched finish. If this capability is already there, please point me in the right direction and I'll admit to being a doofus. If this capability is not there, I would interested in assisting in adding it. I'm a retired software engineer with lots of C++ experience. Attached is a graphic of what I would be looking for:
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| ms-slide.png | 7.49 KB |
Comments
How about https://musescore.org/en/handbook/bends ?
In reply to How about https://musescore… by Jojo-Schmitz
Yeah, I was using that. But, when I print out the score for others to read, it isn't obvious what the score is trying to show. I'll attach a image file demonstrating this ...
In reply to How about https://musescore… by Jojo-Schmitz
Here's a sample score:
In reply to Here's a sample score: by MonktonSteve
The problem is you have defined the parameters for the symbol poorly in the Bend Properties dialog. There is a very specific meaning for each of the control points you add; they are designed to created a particular type of standardized symbol. You shouldn't have several points all in the same direction - the points are meant for changes in direction. Remove all but the last point (by clicking on the others) and you'll see it improved to look like the standardized symbol as used by many publishers:
This isn't the same style as what you are using, but it is a common standard type of symbol. I'm not familiar with the type of line in your hand-drawn version, but if you want that look, use on of the curved symbols in the Arpreggios & Glissandi palette instead, which can be shaped however you like by double clickign them and editing the control points. Or stick with the standard symbol after removing the unnecessary extra control points.
In reply to The problem is you have… by Marc Sabatella
Thanks. I'll play around with the palette some more. What I was looking for initially was to control the slope of the slide note. Ie. starting slowly with most of the bend on the low end.
In reply to The problem is you have… by Marc Sabatella
The line in my hand drawn version is something I just made up. I've been looking into conventions for tabs. The standard symbol for bends is the one MS uses for bends. The standard tab symbol for hammers and pull offs is the same as MS uses for the tie - a sideways "(". The standard tab symbol for slides is a straight line with an upward or downward slope. ei the "/" or "\" keys. There is also something called a legato slide which is both the sideways "(" indicating you don't actually play the final note (exactly like a tie), with the "/" or "\" slide symbol. So what I would want to see to be consistent with conventional tablature is 3/5 for sliding from the 3rd fret to the 5th.
In reply to The line in my hand drawn… by MonktonSteve
Can you show some published examples demonstrating the sorts of things you are looking for, so we can see how the notation standards handle this?
In reply to Can you show some published… by Marc Sabatella
Here's one: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guitar/Slides
In reply to Can you show some published… by Marc Sabatella
Here's another good reference: https://www.songsterr.com/a/wa/howToReadTab
This reference has some other things I don't remember seeing in MS, specifically how to show using the harmonic notes.
In reply to Can you show some published… by Marc Sabatella
To give you an example of what I'm working on right now ...
This is a dobro song by the legendary Mike Auldridge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPWuzUe1048
It's never been fully tabbed out. I've been reverse engineering it.
What I have so far the attached MS score.
Ideally I should be able to make the MS playback match the original music pretty damn close.
It's a long ways away.
But I have time on my hands, and I'll damn near do anything to avoid mowing my lawn :D
In reply to The line in my hand drawn… by MonktonSteve
for / and \ use glissando.
In reply to for / and \ use glissando. by Ziya Mete Demircan
Bingo. Thank you. That's exactly what I was looking for! I doesn't seem to do anything when playing the score but it gives me something to play around with.
In reply to Bingo. Thank you. That's… by MonktonSteve
Keep in mind the primary purpose of MuseScore is notation, not playback. There are a number of notations that MuseScore supports but that don't playback currently.
The slide symbol is definitely what you want here. Perhaps also the slurs, although there are issues here in that normally slurs are one per chord. See #34341: Request for new tab-specific notation for hammer-on etc. for further discussion of a possible enhancement.
In reply to for / and \ use glissando. by Ziya Mete Demircan
I think part of my problem is that I'm using guitar tablature but the instrument is a dobro style guitar. The glissando plays but when you slide on a fretted guitar, say from the 7th to the 9th fret, you get 3 distinct notes - the note on the 7th, 8th, and 9th fret. This is what the glissando does when I play the score. On a dobro, similar to a pedal steel, the slide is smooth from note to note. The slide ("/", "\") doesn't play at all and doesn't have the option to play in the inspector the way that the glissando does. What's a little strange is the glissando inspector gives me the options of chromatic, white keys, black keys, and diatonic. There are no keys on a guitar.
In reply to I think part of my problem… by MonktonSteve
Use the bend for the playback, then mark it invisible.
Add the glissando for the visual effect; select it and in the inspector (F8) uncheck 'play'.
In reply to for / and \ use glissando. by Ziya Mete Demircan
Here's a simple score. What I'm trying to do is notate a slide up from the 7th to the 9th fret, and a slide down from the 7th to the 5th fret. The shown slide notation is what I want, but it doesn't play the slide.
In reply to Here's a simple score. What… by MonktonSteve
Check this out (re: your attachment):
Test_slide.mscz
To see what I did for playback:
Use the menu item: Edit / Instruments, where you can toggle the visibility of the hidden staff (i.e. the one that actually plays - the TAB staff playback is turned off via Inspector).
All the bends are adjustable - even to sound like slides - using right click / Bend Properties.
Regards, and welcome aboard.
.
Maybe something like this:
In other words, the scoring of the bend and the playback functionality is fine the way it is. What I'm looking for is that it be better visually presented on the score.