how to label noteheads with scale degree? (aka, "notehead-anchored text")
Hi folks!
I'm trying to put together some theory material, including indicating the scale degree of specific notes in the indicated chords. Ie, the 9th, the b13th, etc. I'd like the degree to appear right next to the notehead, much like the fingering numbers work, if you turn off auto-place.
Is there a way to do this? I couldn't find any way to override the "text" of fingering indicators. I'd really like some text value that is anchored to the notehead.
Comments
A plugin can force any fingering you desire:
https://musescore.org/en/project/convert-staff-text-fingerings
and there is
https://musescore.org/en/project/chord-id-and-roman-numeral-analysis
But the chord analysis may not always be 'correct'
Is that what you want?
EDIT: the posted convert-staff-text-fingerings plugin only converts (012345) as requested by a user, but the attached version allows b9 & probably anything..
EDIT2: see also https://musescore.org/en/project/add-solfege-name-numbers-lyrics-wuxian…
EDIT3: Or better yet, https://musescore.org/en/project/note-numbers converts note names to staff text numbers base on key sig. But this can get tricky/ambiguous: see the discussion pages of the previous plugins: is the key Am or CM, b9 becomes 2b etc... And worse with voicings is (from lo to hi) (f a b eb) F7#11 or G7 b13?
In reply to A plugin can force any… by elsewhere
Thanks. This is my first plugin. In put it in the right directory, and then enabled it from within the GUI.
Beyond that, I can't figure out how to use it or how it works. As a reminder, I just want to put a little text right next to the notehead. Am I supposed to be creating a bunch of "Staff Texts" on that measure and hope that this plugin takes them in sequence and lines them up with notes?
In reply to Thanks. This is my first… by reggoboy
If you are on MU3.6 Click the Plugins menu> Plugin creator -> File>open and Run.
If you are on MU4 (I'm not): read the manual.
First try the note numbers plugin & see if that is OK. Manually correct things you don't like, or enter all staff text manually. (Try a small test score first)
Then run the staff2finger plugin.
If you are not happy with the fingering placement: open the qml file in Notepad++ (not in Word!!!) and experiment changing lines 160-61:
finger.offsetX = -2.00;
finger.offsetY = -0.44;
Let me know if you have problems.
EDIT the official note numbers plugin will not work in MU4 but the attached may.
My advice: enter staff text manually in a small test file and see if staff2finger works. Then try note numbers (attached)
In reply to If you are on MU3.6 Click… by elsewhere
Well, thanks for the help and suggestions. But this is way too awkward and confusing.
I ended up just using Staff Text and dragging them to where I want them to be, knowing that if I move things around everything will get messed up.
For the record, I just want something that I would call "notehead text". It's anchored to the notehead, and appears right next to it by default. Hit "x", and it flips to the other side.
In reply to Well, thanks for the help… by reggoboy
Sadly, the fingering is the closest thing that's built-in. And you already said that doesn't work for you.
Here then are two improvements you can make to what you have in the screenshot.
1) Add the actual flat symbol (and sharps when you need them). Create a text field as you have done above. Then double-click on one that you want to change. Get the cursor where you want to type that flat symbol. Open the Properties tab (upper left) and click the button to Insert special characters under the Alignment buttons.
2) Surround the scale degree text with frames that overlie the staff lines. Once all the text is created and aligned, click one of the text fields then Ctrl+click each of the remaining. With all of them selected, open the Properties tab, click to Show more. The second item under the (now) Show less button is Frame. Click it and all the text are surrounded by black frames. Change the color of the Fill and the Frame to "white" (lower right corner of the colors). Now each text field will be in a white frame that blocks the underlying staff lines; this makes it easier to read.
No help for what you really wanted, but it'll make your theory handouts a little more professional looking. And neither of them take much time ... at least compared to the time adding all the text fields to each note will *sigh*
In reply to Sadly, the fingering is the… by TheHutch
Thanks for the tips!
I took all your ideas, including moving them all to the right hand side of the noteheads.
Two more tips:
1) Right-Click > Select > Select Similar is a much faster way to select them all rather than Control-Click. One of the coolest MuseScore features.
2) With the straight-line glissandi there, they were not by default respecting the new white frames. By selecting them all and Properties > Appearance > Arrange > To Back, they all are now behind the text rather than crossing through it. I'd prefer some "white margin" around these lines so they stand out from the underlying and almost-parallel staff lines, but this will do.
Thanks!
In reply to Thanks for the tips! I took… by reggoboy
Right-click / Select / Select similar would get ALL Staff Text, so it might select items you don't want. I was assuming that you had other Staff Text in your score.
In reply to Right-click / Select /… by TheHutch
Good point. In my case, what you see here is basically it. It's just a brief instructional page.