Create/Edit instrument defining the possible harmonic combinations
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
This sounds like something a plugin would be good at as some verification mechanism
I suppose then that to create a plugin with these characteristics there's no other way appart from learning how the other plugins are coded?
In reply to I suppose then that to… by Rubén Ibñz Crmn
And/or very clearly state the rules that should be checked. Perhaps some plugin developer is willing to take up this task then.
Learning the QML/JavaScript plugin system is a hard task is you're not yet familiar with either of those technologies.
In reply to And/or very clearly state… 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 Well I am a developer, I… by Rubén Ibñz Crmn
All Diatonic instruments I think, some accordions and most harmonicas. Flutes and Saxes are Chromatic though as far as I know
In reply to All Diatonic instruments I… 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.
In reply to They are chromatic when… by SteveBlower
Flutes and Saxes are (usually) monophonic though, aren't they?
When seeing 2 notes at the same time in a flute staff, it is (mostly?) 2 instruments playing from one staff.
In reply to Flutes and Saxes are… 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 Yes, mostly,but most… 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 :-(
FWIW, a plugin that could do this in a general way would also be useful for checking violin double stops etc. Even piano chords.
In reply to FWIW, a plugin that could do… by Marc Sabatella
Definitely that would be the ideal solution, it's worth thinking a bit on which strategy would work better fot the plugin to be cross-instrument.