Need help making a custom score for drum group.

• Sep 25, 2024 - 19:59

Hello!

I'm new to musescore and notating in general. I'm planning to make drumming tracks for someone who teaches beginner drummers. They need it notated.
I need help setting up the program so I can import the MIDI file into the following format.

Hi Perc 1 D#4
Hi Perc 2 D4
Hi Perc 3 C#4
Hi Perc 4 C4

Mid Tom/Perc 1 D#3
Mid Tom/Perc 2 D3
Mid Tom/Perc 3 C#3
Mid Tom/Perc 4 C3

Low Tom 1 D#2
Low Tom 2 D2
Low Tom 3 C#2
Low Tom 4 C2

I have tried adding an instrument group by editing the intruments.xml and having them show up in the program by following the tutorial found here, but it said unpitched percussion will have different syntaxes. I couldn't find the right syntax for unpitched percussions.

I have also tried making a soundfont using Polyphone and using them with Sforzando in the program.


Comments

Hallo, I asume You want to notate the different sounds of the 12 instruments on the same staff (with 5 lines).
As I see on your description, You must handle 12 different Sounds , each sound will represent an instrument.
If You do not find all this sounds in the standard MuseSounds list, You have to prepare 12 samplings, one for the Hi Perc 1 D#4, one for the Hi Prec 2 D4, ... til Low Tom 4 C2, and out of this samples you must create an instrument (for example MyDrumKit) in Polyphone in format .Sf2.

You say, You already have a file (instrument) created by Polyphone. If You add your .xml File and the file created by Polyphone to your information, I could try to find the problem you have or maybe someone else can help you.

An important thing is to give us information about what MuseScore version and operating sytem you are using.
I was creating my own instrument "Concert Castanes" als "pitched instrumenT" and as "Drum-Kit" and the two variants work under Linux (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS) and Windows 8.1. I can also select them in "my instruments" in the general list of instruments.

Of course, the .sf2-File must be stored under .../MuseScoreXXX/Soundfonts , XXX is the Version., and this user created sounfont will appear in the Mixer under "Ms Basic"-> Soundfonts -> MyDrumKit-Name when you want to use it.

I have make some experiments by exporting my "Drumkit Castanets" score to a MIDI-file, and then I was opening it in MuseScore, and it was notated correctly and the sound was also OK.

A have added some screenshots of my apllication, just in case they help you.

In reply to by puggbma

Thanks for the reply!
I'm using Musescore Studio 4 downloaded via Muse Hub, Windows 10 Home Build 19045, Sforzando for the soundfonts.

I was able move forward a bit by copying this person's .XML file. https://musescore.org/en/node/288701.
I'm attaching my version of the .XML file, a screenshot of what it looks like when I start a blank score with the custom instrument, and a screenshot of when I open the midi and replaced the instrument

What I'm having problems with now is when I open the MIDI file, it opens with two staves instead of 3. I would like to have Hi Percs on Staff 1, Mid Toms on Staff 2 and Low Toms on Staff 3.

Attachment Size
TEST Percs 1.xml 4.36 KB
Blank Score.png 333.42 KB
MIDI Import.png 226.68 KB

In reply to by sparceph

I can not test your .xml in my Musescore 4.4.2 because I do not have your Sforzando file, but in any case what i see once i have inspected your .xml, is that You have not defined a Staff 3. You have put the all the Low Toms and the Mid Toms on staff 2. If you change 2 by 3 at the lines 1,2,3,4 maybe You will get what You want.

!-- LOW TOMS -->

normal
1 --------------- 2
15
0
Low Tom 4
1

normal
2 ----------------------2
13
0
Low Tom 3
1

normal
3 ---------------------2
11
0
Low Tom 2
1

normal
4 --------------------------2
9
0
Low Tom 1
1

In reply to by puggbma

I am sorry, I think the content of my suggestion disapear. The changes I suggested are:

Put the Low Toms on staff 3 . In Your .xml file You are putting them on staff 2, the same as the Mid Toms (which I think is the reason why a 3th staff do not appear )

In reply to by puggbma

I was finally trying to test your .xml file on my MuseScore 4.4.2 and I realized that in the form You delivered it , it was making problems when i tried to enter the Hi Toms on the any staff. At this point MuseScore was allways crashing. After some trials I decided to inspect your .xml file more in detail, and I found the problem. In your .xml file , You have defined for the Hi Toms the parameter -voice- as voice 4. When MuseScore reads this file, it seems to add 1 to the voice, that means the real voice becomes 5, but MuseScore can not treat a voice 5, thatś why MuseScore seems to crash. I was expementing with your .xml file and I was changing the following:
1. I put all the "Low Toms" in staff 3
2. I put all the "Mid Toms" in staff 2
3. I assigned all the "Mid Toms" to voice 2
4.I put all The HIGH PERCS in staff 1
5. I assigned all the Hi Percs the voice 3.
When MuseScore reads my .xml file it converts the voices 0, 2, 3 to 1,3,4 and then MuseScore works OK with this file. It does not crash anymore and I cant created some scores using the 3 staves of your instrument with your different TOMS and HIGH PERC sounds.
If I exported the created score as .mid file and later I import the .mid file in MuseScore the content of the imported staves are correct and correspond to the original score.
Of course I did not tested what would be the result if I try to enter notes in MuseScore 4.4.2 directly from an external midi keyboard.

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