Proper sequence for noting a modulation to a new key within a song
I copied a four-part quartet score into MuseScore. It was in Gb, modulating to G. We will sing it in E, modulating to F. After a great deal of trial and even more error, I attained the desired result, but I would like to know the correct sequence. I expected the changed signature to appear, but it did not. I changed it , after the fact, via the Signature Palette. At one point the notes were correct for the key of F, but the signature assigned was F#, so E appeared as F#, and A appeared as G##. I believe that I got around that by checking the box for "use only single # or b". My successful try involved transposing the whole thing to F first, then selecting the first section and re-transposing it to E. How should it be done?
Comments
Enter the original Key Signatures and copy the notes as they are. Select all the notes and apply Notes >Transpose >By Interval >Down Major Second. Then (with all the notes still selected) press the Down arrow followed by the Up arrow to sort out the accidentals.
The easiest way to transpose it is to let MuseScore do it for you. Select the section* in Gb, then use the menu Notes->Transpose... and in the top drop down select E. Next select the section* in G and use Note->Transpose... and select F as the key. The proper key signatures will be applied by default. You can use the "use only single # or b" to prevent any double # or b from showing up.
I find this better than doing the entire song by interval because MuseScore will keep the notes in the proper key.
*To select a section, click the first note, then shift+click the last note.