F-instruments that are not in the list
Hi. I am trying to put together a partiture for recorders. The alto and bass recorder are F-instruments, and I can't find any F-instrument other than F-horn. I then can change name so that the sheet will look ok, but how can I make the file sound correct so that I can send practicing sound files to the musicians? I can't transponate just alto and bass either, since the whole partiture is transponated.
Can I create F-instrument from the regular recorder voice in MS?
Comments
You can create an F instrument by unselecting concert pitch and changing the offset to a fifth below, or fourth above and then the octaves in the proper direction if needed. Do this in the staff properties found by right clicking the staff. You may then need to change the clef of the instrument. Once that is done, you may need to change the clef with the concert pitch selected so you can put a bass recorder note in the bass clef and be able to see the relationship between the instruments notes as you enter them.
You can put a Feature Request in the issue tracker for a future release using https://musescore.org/en/node/add/project_issue?pid=1236. Be sure to include the proper ranges of the instruments or a link to their descriptions.
Actually, while alto and bass recorders are indeed pitched a fifth lower than soprano and tenor, the conventional way of writing for these instruments is to not transpose for them. They are similar to tuba in that respect. Yes, that means the same fingering you'd use when you see "C" written for soprano (same as for flute) is the fingering you'd use when you see "F" written for alto (same as for clarinet low register), so it's like having to learn two instruments.
That said, when I played recorder regularly, even though I also played clarinet and was thus pretty familiar with the necessary fingerings, I didn't bother with them for alto recorder. I just transposed my music and used soprano fingering :-). I suspect many other recorder players do the same. And maybe some publishers transpose music for alto even though technically they aren't supposed to. But you should check with the people who will be playing your composition to see what they prefer - don't just assume you should write transposed music, because that is not standard.
BTW, MuseScore does include "Alto Recorder" as an instrument. It isn't listed under "Common instruments" but you can find it using the search box, or if you switch to "Early music" or "All instruments" in the dropdown at the top of the box. This correctly keeps the music at concert pitch, meaning you write "F" when you want "F" and alto recorder players are supposed to know this is the same fingering as "C" on a soprano recorder.
In reply to Actually, while alto and… by Marc Sabatella
I don't think Alto Recorder belongs into the Early Music category, even if it reminds me my of my long past childhood, when my sister played it 😀
In reply to I don't think Alto recoder… by Jojo-Schmitz
Why shouldn't alto recorder be in Early music? I gather the current standardization of recorders is "relatively" new, but my impression is that multiple recorders were used in the Renaissance and that the modern alto is commonly used in this context today. Is that not the case?
In reply to Why shouldn't alto recorder… by Marc Sabatella
Over here alto recorder is, or used to be some 40 years ago, the 2nd instrument kids would lern, right after c recorder, and before piano, concert flute, trumpet or violin.
I don't recall the repertoire though
In reply to Over here alto recorder is,… by Jojo-Schmitz
So it is here to (or was in the 70s and 80s at least). But it still is an old instrument type. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recorder_(musical_instrument).
In reply to Actually, while alto and… by Marc Sabatella
Hi! I found the sections with other instruments. I didn't know of that. But alto + bass recorder is not transposed, and now I have learned that recorder players learn two fingerings instead of using transposed notes.
But since recorder is not my first instrument, and I will just play simple chorals, I will transpose and use C fingerings. The same goes for the other in the quartet. I found the file for instruments and have been able to change so that alto and bass recorder start as transposed. But then I realized that I indeed can transpose one instrument in the partiture, so it will probably be easier to note the choral in the same key, and then transpose alto and bass. And make a practicing sound file before transposing.
In reply to Actually, while alto and… by Marc Sabatella
I learnt Alto Recorder after Soprano Recorder, and, yes, it’s learning two instruments, although you save a percentage of the effort as the fingerings are mostly identical after transposition.
(Now if I could find it… it is somewhere in my appartement, but where…)