How to make an 'empty' key signature
How can i have a blank key signature on a score, so that all transposing instruments have a blank key signature, but are still transposed? If I select Cmaj key signature in the palette, then non transposing instruments obviously have a blank key signature, but Bb instruments will get two sharps etc.
Comments
Hmm nevermind I just worked out I can delete it....
Deleting it does work in 1.3, but it's not really supported, and you may find it gets converted to an ordinary transposing C major key signature at some point later while editing. Doing it as the very last thing you do is probably safest, and then check carefully for errors in accidentals.
In 2.0, deleting the key signature will definitely turn it into an ordinary transposing C major key signature, so that approiach won't work at all.
Instead, the way to go is probably creating a "custom" key signature that contains no flats or sharps, and using that. Custom key signatures don't transpose. In 2.0, you could then add this custom key signature to your palette. I've tried it and it basically works, but I haven't really tested to see how reliable it is.
In reply to Deleting it does work in 1.3, by Marc Sabatella
Hmm yes your right...
for example if I am looking at a score with a Bb instrument, and the key signature is set to C major, then The Bb instrument will have D major key signature. If I enter some notes, and now delete the D major key signature, accidentals are added appropriately, so If the Bb instrument had a notated C, then deleting the key signature puts a sharp accidental, so that is ok.
But now if I hit the 'concert pitch' button, the Bb instrument gets a Bb key signature! what I really want is no key signature anywhere, whether the score is set to concert pitch or transposing, but just accidentals as needed.
This is fairly common for modern music, maybe it should be a feature (I remember in sibelius there was an 'open key' option for key signature which worked exactly like this).
In reply to Hmm yes your right... for by JFrost
As I said above, it does seem that creating a custom key signature should work. It ddid when I tried it briefly a while ago. Have you tried this? I would love it if people tested that feature. If it works as well as it should, then maybe we could just add one to the palette.
In reply to As I said above, it does seem by Marc Sabatella
Yes it essentially works. I found it eventually, but is this actually documented anywhere? The handbook page on key signatures says nothing about it, the master palette page says nothing about it... so I did not even know it was a thing!
Anyway it works, but I have noticed if you export to xml, then import, every thing displays correctly when the score is set to transposing, but once again if you set it to concert pitch, transposing instruments' key signature is transposed (so a Bb instrument would get a Bb key signature when then score is in concert pitch, and no key signature when set to transpoising score).
edit: actually if you open the xml file and delete the key attribute, importing that still has the same effect. I dont know much about musicxml, or anything at all about the internals of musescore: but it seems like musescore seems to treat the absence of a key signature as an empty key signature that is transposed as if it was C key signature when you hit the concert pitch button.... except if it is a defined custom key signature...
In reply to Yes it essentially works. I by JFrost
MuseScore 2.0 isn't released yet; the documentation is still very much in progress. The custom key feature is only recently implemented. So I'm not surprised it's not documented. And the MusicXML export & import of custom key signatures is known to be incomplete. So I guess no huge surprise that doesn't preserve this "atonal" quality. But glad to hear it's working aside from that. Seems to be for me to so far.
So meanwhile, I went ahead and submitted implemented a change so an empty custom key signature is added to the palette by default. Assuming this change is accepted - and I don't see any particular reason it wouldn't be - it should hopefully start showing up in nightly builds soon. I'll look into what might be involved in getting to work with MusicXML.