Changing Key for transposing instrument in orchestra score
I have a paper score for Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor and noticed that all instruments are in C Major except the A Clarinet which is scored in E flat major (3 flats.) The A Clarinet instrument change does this okay. The horns are E horns and scored as C Major. When I change the default horns to E horns, the key signature changes to A flat major (4 flats.) I also viewed an upload on the Musescore site for this piece and in that score the E horns are in C Major. I have no clue how to change the key signature for just this instrument as the score is entering notes as if it is in C Major. (Just experimenting with a few pages on large scores just for the experience and have little prior experience with this.)
Comments
Ctrl+ Key signature changes it for only selected staff.
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/key-signatures#add-key-sig-to-one-sta…
In reply to Ctrl+ Key signature changes… by sammik
Followed the instructions in the link and it did not work. Tried it for both the E Horns and the A Clarinet which was not an issue but wanted to see if it would change. It did not. However it did work for changing the single staff key for a non-transposing instrument. I could change the flutes from C Major to any other key and those staffs showed the new key. Something about transposing instruments keeping this from happening?
In reply to Followed the instructions in… by msokol
You have the concert pitch button pressed on the toolbar.
In reply to You have the concert pitch… by mike320
No. If I got to concert pitch all staves are C Major. It's as if the E Horns do not have the same pitch as I see in the Greig score I referenced. Further the key does not change when not in concert pitch. Everything was right out of the new score add instruments, followed by some instrument changes. The 4 flats for the E horns is the default when loaded. I read on a post somewhere that horns are often scored in C major with preference to using accidentals which is the way I see in in two versions of Greig's score, one created in Musescore.
In reply to No. If I got to concert… by msokol
In order to do more than guess, we'd need you to attach the score. But in general, Ctrl+click to add the atonal key signature for the horn staff only should do the trick - then you'll see correct transposition of notes, but no key signature whether in concert pitch or not.
In reply to Followed the instructions in… by msokol
Horns use to be written with no key signature.
![No_key.png]( "No_key.png")
So you need to set Open/Atonal Key signature to only Horn Staff.
Hold Ctrl + drag and drop Open Key signature onto Horn staff.
Now, horns are still transposed, but no key signature is printed.
When you click "Concert pitch", you will see it transposed to c.
See attached example.
In reply to Horns use to be written with… by sammik
Thanks Mark and sammik. It worked with atonal (which I had no idea of the purpose as not being a musician assumed that C major (since it looked just like atonal) would work. But I see it is really meant to be "without a key." Leaning a little bit every day.
In reply to Horns use to be written with… by sammik
Accept that "no key signature" is not standard everywhere. The practice came about as a hold over from Baroque music. Horn players carried a rack of crooks that changed the key of the horn. A piece in "D" required the "D" crook. One in "F" required the "F" crook. So The player never had to worry about what key a piece was in as long as the proper crook was installed. They always read no sharps or flats. The horn had no valves because it didn't need them for the most part. But to be able to play more chromatic music required the addition of valves. Valves have been in common use for over 150 years, yet this old type of notation is still around in some places. Except for special groups, valveless horns are no longer in use. I can see no reason to transcribe for them.