Wrong key signature

• Jun 14, 2014 - 09:28

I have a piece of music I imported using the abc plugin. It is fine, except it has a D key signature when it is clearly written in C. I tried inserting a natural by the Cs that occur, but it won't let me, but what I really want to do is change the signature without changing the notes. That is to say I don't want the program to think I want to transpose the piece!

I have entered it into my library of tunes as "Lass o'Dallogill Wrong Sig" if anyone cares to look.

Comments

• Jun 14, 2014 - 09:52

Don't know why it went wrong on the import. Could you post a reply with the original ABC file attached and someone may know?

To fix, click on the key signatures at the start of each stave and Delete them. Then, I'm afraid, you'll need to click on each C# and F# and correct them - easiest way to do this is to click on each whilst holding down the [Ctrl] key and then let go of those keys and press the Down Arrow once.

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• Jun 14, 2014 - 16:52

When you say "clearly written in C", if there is a "K:D" in the ABC file, then it's in D regardless of what the notes themselves may imply. It's also possible the ABC file specifies the use of a transposing instrument somehow, and the converter is seeing this and therefore doing the transposition for you. if so, it's possible that putting MuseScore into Concert Pitch mode using the large button at top left would let you see the score in C. But we're just guessing until you post the score.

Generally, though, if you want to change the key signature of a piece without changing the notes, simply drag a new signature to the first measure.

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• Jun 15, 2014 - 00:20

Sorry. It wasn't an abc file. Took me a while to remember where I got the original, but I recognised it when I saw it and it was a midi file - I had to download it again just to make sure that it was the version I first got. Nothing wrong with the import: it was written wrongly in the first place and the same wrong version can be found at other places on the net.

I suppose it would be a kindness to tell the site owners about the mistake, but first I must correct what I've got. I had actually written it out by hand, properly in D, but I decided it would fit my instrument and my fellow muso's if it were in G. Usually, MuseScore does a transposition very quickly and efficiently, but for some reason with my score it keeps crashing. I tried just transposing the first 8 bars, but it still crashed. I must have offended it in some way. I have put my slightly different D version in my MuseScore file. Maybe someone else can transpose it and I can copy it back.

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