Numeric chord symbols
Hi. In reviewing the help for text, and specially chord symbols, I find no option to enter numeric chord symbols, such as I, or I with a raised small 6 to its right, or a I with a raised small 6 and 4 to its right, or a V with a raised 7 to its right, etc. Raised + or - signs are also needed sometimes to the left of the main symbol. There are also some special symbols, such as N, Ger., It., Fr. In addition, in some cases one wants a second symbol in parentheses after the first symbol. It would also be great to allow a second line (and even a third) of symbols, to show when a modulation takes place. And finally, I think, it should be possible to add at the beginning and elsewhere a key notation such as D: or c#: .
All of these symbols are for analysis of course, not directions for playing (such as guitar chords are), and they should be placed below the last staff of any group of staves.
Might it be possible to add this feature to MuseScore? Or is there already a way to do it that I haven't found? MuseScore is wonderful program, and this is the first time I've tried to 'do something' in a score and have not found a way to do it already present.
Thank you.
Comments
Welcome. You could try with Ctrl+T to add text https://musescore.org/en/handbook/text-basics
or Ctrl+L for lyrics https://musescore.org/en/handbook/lyrics
Then you can adjust them with Inspector or Style/Text...
See also https://musescore.org/en/node/268099
HTH
In reply to Welcome. You could try with… by Shoichi
Thank you. That's what I'm doing now, although it's a pain, since staff or system text defaults to above the staves, then I have to move to below them. Plus, it doesn't allow for showing inversions and other chords that require small raised numbers or symbols, such as I (6,4) or V (o, 6, 5) or (-)II(6).
In reply to Thank you. That's what I'm… by Ike47
Lyrics default to underneath, which is one reason I prefer this. Also because it is so easy to enter the chord sequentially by pressing Space, much easier than individually entering Staff Text. but for the record, you can change the default position of Staff Text easily, just right click one, Text Style, and adjust the vertical position however you like (0 is aligned with top staff line, and "sp" is a staff space, so you probably want around 6 or 7 sp). You can enter superscript using the text toolbar, or install a special-purpose RNA font as mentioned in my other response.
What you are talking about are not "chord symbols" in the usual sense of the word, but rather "Roman numeral analysis". It's true MuseScore does not have any special native support for this, but you can get the effect using lyrics, which is what I normally do. If you need the fancy superscripting there are fonts you can install specifically for this purpose - see for example this: https://musescore.org/en/node/48911#comment-822460
In reply to What you are talking about… by Marc Sabatella
thank you! Yes, analysis or functional analysis would have been a better description on my part. My apologies. I'm quite an amateur at all this. :) Based on the thread you linked, I'm a bit leery of trying to import a font to MuseScore, so I think I'll try the combined Lyric and Figured Bass solution described at the end of the thread.
I still think it would be helpful to have a robust 'analysis' text option in MuseScore, but I have no idea how valuable it would be to the community compared to other enhancements that could be worked on instead.
Again, thank you for the link!
In reply to thank you! Yes, analysis or… by Ike47
Though the analysis is not normally printed on scores, it is used a lot by students of music. Since one of the targets of MuseScore is students and teachers I would think it would be valuable to allow the user to insert the analysis without major workarounds. This should be implemented in MuseScore, it's just a matter of finding a programmer who agrees.
In reply to Though the analysis is not… by mike320
FWIW, I definitely agree - which is why I am trying to drum up interest in developing a font like this we can include. So far, I don't see any reason we'd need any other special processing.
In reply to thank you! Yes, analysis or… by Ike47
Installing a font is dead simple on most OS's (download the file, double click usually, or maybe right click and choose "Install" from a menu). And there is nothing special required to get MuseScore to see the font once you install it. You can use it like any other - right click an element, Text Style, select the font.
Some day a font like this might be included by default within MuseScore., As far as I can tell, there really wouldn't be a need for any special handling within MuseScore - it really should be just a matter of using the font and typing the text normally. Unlike chord symbols and figured bass, which have complications that do require special handling. Not to say a special mode couldn't be provided anyhow, but I'm not convinced it would help. The font really does what it needs to already, or could with just a little more enhancement.