Create/Edit instrument defining the possible harmonic combinations

• Apr 2, 2020 - 13:47

Is there any way to define in the instruments.xml (either when creating or editing an instrument) the harmonic combinations that are actually possible for a given instrument?

Example: the harmonica is a "harmonic" instrument, it can play more than one note at a time, but there is just an exact amount of possible double/triple notes. That means that certain combinations of notes are physically incorrect.

I would like to be able to define that on the xml instrument definition, so the note combinations that are not possible are marked in red or any sort of mark.

Many thanks!


Comments

That isn't possible, only upper and lower limits, for amateur and professional, are possible, 'holes' in that range or disabling certain combinates is not

In reply to by jeetee

Well I am a developer, but haven't coded for musescore ever, I suppose I could take a look, but cannot promise anything on the timing :P so I will start by describing that rules perfectly, for the standard 12ve holes chromatic harmonica, and we will see.

That same behaviour will apply to many other instruments that, like the harmonica, can do some double/triple notes, but not all the combinations. The flute and the saxo too, for example, however with far more limitations.

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

They are chromatic when considering single notes but not when considering multiphonics. There are a limited number of note combinations that can be achieved using weird and wonderful fingerings. Which combinations are achievable is a matter of ongoing experiment and discovery among the woodwind fraternity. Some are fairly standard though. Here is an excerpt taken from Roger Heaton's article in The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet which shows multiphonics (to be played on a single clarinet - this is not a divisi part) and the suggested fingerings.

img20200403_11512296.jpg

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

Yes, mostly,but most woodwind instruments can play more than one note at once, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. Sometimes the results are tuneful, other times they are painful. Which notes can be combined is somewhat random though and that is the point of the suggestion that achievable combinations could be specified in the instrument definition. I guess that actually compiling a list of what is achievable would be quite a major task. As I said, for the clarinet at least it is an ongoing voyage of discovery and what works for one player/instrument combination may not work for another so it would be difficult to compile a definitive list.

In reply to by SteveBlower

So then, the idea would be to have a plugin that accepts a list of possible combinations, so everyone can copy/paste his own list if it's not predefined on a set of default lists?

For the chromatic harmonica, even if the list is quite long, it's well defined. I mean, there are no hidden combinations. For double notes, that list would be the following one. I would have to write down also de list for 3 and 4 notes chords, which is by far shorter than the list of double notes:

First octave possible double notes:

C4 C#4
C4 E4
C4 G4
C4 C5
C#4 F4
C#4 G#4
C#4 C#5
D4 D#4
D4 F4
D4 A4
D4 B4
D4 D5
D#4 F#4
D#4 A#4
D#4 C5
D#4 D#5
E4 F4
E4 G4
E4 C5
E4 E5
F4 F#4
F4 G#4
F4 A4
F4 B4
F4 C#5
F4 D5
F4 F5
F#4 A#4
F#4 C5
F#4 D#5
F#4 F#5
G4 G#4
G4 C5
G4 E5
G4 G5
G#4 C#5
G#4 F5
G#4 G#5
A4 A#4
A4 B4
A4 D5
A4 F5
A4 A5
B4 D5
B4 F5
B4 A5
B4 B5

Middle octave possible double notes:

C5 C#5
C5 D#5
C5 E5
C5 F#5
C5 G5
C5 A#5
C5 C6
C#5 F5
C#5 G#5
C#5 C#6
D5 D#5
D5 F5
D5 A5
D5 B5
D5 D6
D#5 F#5
D#5 A#5
D#5 C6
D#5 D#6
E5 F5
E5 G5
E5 C6
E5 E6
F5 F#5
F5 G#5
F5 A5
F5 B5
F5 C#6
F5 D6
F5 F6
F#5 A#5
F#5 C6
F#5 D#6
F#5 F#6
G5 G#5
G5 C6
G5 E6
G5 G6
G#5 C#6
G#5 F6
G#5 G#6
A5 A#5
A5 B5
A5 D6
A5 F6
A5 A6
B5 D6
B5 F6
B5 A6
B5 B6

Last octave possible double notes:

C6 C#6
C6 D#6
C6 E6
C6 F#6
C6 G6
C6 A#6
C6 C7
C#6 F6
C#6 G#6
C#6 C#7
D6 D#6
D6 F6
D6 A6
D6 B6
D#6 F#6
D#6 A#6
D#5 D7
E6 F6
E6 G6
E6 C7
F6 F#6
F6 G#6
F6 A6
F6 B6
F6 C#7
F#6 A#6
F#6 D7
G6 G#6
G6 C7
G#6 C#7
A6 A#6
A6 B6

That would be an extremely declarative approach :-(

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