Converting Simple Time to Compound Time
I'm not sure if this is a bug or two or simply an illustration of the basic level of my music theory but I had a couple of surprises when trying to create a score in 2/2 and then converting it to 6/4
1. Cut Time
- When I actually created the score I let it default to 4/4 .
- I changed this to "Cut Time" by dragging the symbol from the pallette.
- I right-clicked on the bar to check the Measure Properties. It was still showing as 4/4
- I tried dragging other time sigs. from the pallette and checking the Measure Properties. Each time the new time sig. was showing correctly. So I assume MS thinks cut time is the same as 4/4, which differs from my understanding that it is 2/2 or maybe 4/2. (the ABRSM in the UK defines it as "with a minim beat" if I remember correctly)
2. Converting 2/2 to 6/4
- I created a new score and selected 2/2 from the new score dialogue
- Having entered a couple of bars each consisting of a minim and a crotchet triplet I decided I wanted it in 6/4 to avoid the use of triplets so I dragged 6/4 from the pallette. I was expecting MS to dot the minims and show the crotchets as 3 separate individual notes
- What MS actually did was leave the minim and triplets alone and simply add a two beat rest to the end of both bars
- So I created a new score in 6/4 and tried copying my 2/2 score to the clipboard and pasting it in to the 6/4 version
- This time MS simply placed the first 3 beats in the first bar and left a crotchet triplet and half bar rest in the 2nd bar
- Surely both of MS' actions are incorrect as 6/4 is still duple time while MS seems to be treating it as triple time
Comments
Before dealing with specifics, I will say in general, Musescore simply does not support reamsofrmations of the type you are attempting. Sure, you cam change time signatures, but MuseScore will not automatically change the notated length of any notes. So you need to enter the music in the time signature you wish it to be in.
Regarding measure properties and cut time, that is a known issue: http://musescore.org/en/node/14548? Shouldn't actually cause any problems - a measure of 2/2 is visually indistinguishable from a measure of 4/4, but it is indeed incorrect.
In reply to Before dealing with by Marc Sabatella
"Musescore simply does not support reamsofrmations of the type you are attempting. Sure, you cam change time signatures, but MuseScore will not automatically change the notated length of any notes."
This is something that I REALLY wish there was a solution for. Often when I import MIDI files, they come through as a lot of 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32 notes. I need to bring them 'back to earth' as quarter notes, but I get the same results mentioned by the OP. The measures get cut or extended, but the notes don't pad the new space.
Is there any way to deal with this other than re-writing the entire score?
In reply to Transformation of note lengths by AntonLargiader
Put the MIDI file through a sequencer and quantise the notes first.
In reply to Put the MIDI file through a by ChurchOrganist
Thanks. Any recommendations? This should help the OP also.
I looked on Sourceforge but the first few projects I found (Jazz++, Tiny, and Alacrity) seemed to be abandoned
In reply to Thanks. Any recommendations? by AntonLargiader
There is a list here:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MIDI_editors_and_sequencers
Unless you're on the Linux platform there seem to be no Open source alternatives except Sekaiju, which I believe has a UI written in Japanese :)
I use Sonar 3 Producer which I bought several years ago - if you are intending to layout cash then IMO this is the way to go - I could never get on with the UI in Cubase :)
In reply to There is a list by ChurchOrganist
Sekaiju has a UI in English and it's pretty good for my purpose. Never tested the quantization though. But go ahead, try it!
"Surely both of MS' actions are incorrect as 6/4 is still duple time"
Now I'm not sure that that is the case.
As I understand it music in compound time is written in 6/8 9/8 or 12/8
OK, so you're using a minim beat, but does that mean that 6/4 is the compound time equivalent? I'm not so sure.
If I were writing your piece I would rewrite in 6/8 as MuseScore is more intelligent about beamings etc presumably because it has been told that this is compound time in the program somewhere.
I have always taken 6/4 to be a 6 beat crotchet movement - perhaps someone better versed in music theory would comment?
In reply to "Surely both of MS' actions by ChurchOrganist
I dug out my grade 4 material and it does say that 6/4 is the compound equivalent of 2/2 but I can see that it might also be seen as 6 crotchet beats to a bar. Having said that 6/8 could be seen as 6 quaver beats to a bar but we all recognise it as compound 2/4. Either way I wouldn't want to be categoric about it but I would assume that the ABRSM are more likely to be right than me. Still, if as Marc says, MS can't do this sort of conversion anyway I guess it's academic - or maybe I should raise a feature request for a facility to convert simple time to compound and vice versa. In the meantime I think you're right and 6/8 might be a better choice
In reply to I dug out my grade 4 material by fatwarry
Coming from a brass band background, 6/8 was always march time (aka 2/4) or for folk, jigs or pseudo-scottish music. 6/4 was always a "funny" time signature of ten used in the middle of a piece and only for short periods.