Display key of each instrument
Hi, I am sorry of this request has already been posted before, I didn't find anything like it through the search option.
My question is, would it be possible to display the key in which an instrument is tuned for all instruments?
Some of them already do have their key added to their names, e.g. "A Clarinet", "Bb Clarinet", and so on.
My struggle is that I play an instrument which I cannot find under its specific name in the list of instruments. It is tuned in "C-flat" (I would also be interested in finding an instrument tuned in "F-flat"). So having the notes for that part transposed a half step down before printing out is not an issue really but I never know which instrument to choose when I'd like to have it properly played for me by the program because I simply don't know for most of the instruments which key they are tuned in.
* I tried googling for the keys of some of the instruments to find out their standard pitch - however, how do I know if the one MuseScore uses is the same? Also, what if there are multiple possible keys for one and the same instrument? What if there are several instruments (with individual keys) going by the same name?
* I also tried out several instruments by adding some notes in concert pitch and then disable concert pitch to see where they get transposed to - which is not very efficient.
So just adding the standard key to every instrument seems reasonable for me (I am aware of my obvious lack of music theory education). I just don't know another way around this issue.
Or is there maybe some other simple resolution to get a random instrument in any key I choose? I read in another request to just change the name of the instrument but how would that change the key and thereby playback?
Regards,
vellichor
Comments
As a workaround for your instrument: pick an instrument that has a sound similar to yours, then use the staff properties window to change the displayed names and the transposition.
See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/staff-properties and https://musescore.org/en/handbook/transposition#change-staff-transposit…
What instrument is tuned in C-flat? Are these perhaps a form of bagpipes?
Anyhow, as mentioned, you don't need to find another instrument with the same transpositon. Just pick any instrument at all and change the transposition manually. So I am not sure there really ends up being a need for this feature, but it doesn't hurt to leave the request open.
Thanks for the replies!
@jeetee
I always thought staff transposition would only affect notation instead of sound... my bad. This is a good workaround, thank you.
However, in order to really use this function I would still need to know the standard key of the instrument I use to figure out how many steps I need to tune it up/down to get my desired key.
So the request is still current.
@Marc Sabatella
It's a kind of flute/fife, I play in a german marching band that doesn't include any brass instruments - snare drums, bass drum, cymbals, flutes/fifes and some type of chimes, that's it.
Depending on the size of the flute/fife, their standard tuning is F-flat - C-flat - F-flat - C-flat from highest to lowest.
I also play a concert flute which would be tuned in C as standard but I changed its tuning to C-flat to match with the rest of the band, it can substitute the lowest flute/fife and has a much nicer sound.
I also think that maybe this would help some other people being new to the software / to writing music in general. Even if it's just someone wanting to try out a new instrument/sound while composing but not knowing which key it would be tuned in because they never even heard of that instrument before in their life.
It does not even have to be stated in the name of the instrument, it would be perfectly sufficient to have it mentioned in the staff properties - simply having this information provided by the program ~somewhere~ is all I'd ask for.
Thanks again!
vellichor
You see the original transposition of the instrument you have selected when you open the staff proerties dialog, but it's irrelevant. You don't need to know the opriginal key - you just need to set the transposition for your instrument, which is always "1". Doesn't matter if the original was a Bb instrument, an F instrument, an Eb instrument, a G instrument, or something else - simply change the transposition to "1" and you're good to go.