Larsen ITM Font
Whistle/Flute expert Grey Larsen created a system of symbols for ornamentation in Irish traditional music, gradually being used more and more widely, basically symbols for cuts, rolls, taps etc which would appear above given notes. A series of fonts were created for Finale which now allows the system to be used. Musescore would be so much more accessible for traditional music users if you could incorporate these symbols into the software.
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Comments
It just occurs to me that it could maybe be used in the same manner as the chord naming feature, but replacing the chords using another hotkey, with the series of symbols.
In reply to It just occurs to me that it by Mikethebook
Seems these are really just articulations and should simply be added to that palette - no need for a whole new subsystem.
Meanwhile, note that 2.0 allows you to create custom palettes, so if you create this as inidividual PNG's, you will be able to apply them that way. But unlike regular symbols, they won't resize automatically.
Sounds interesting :)
The font is available for free from http://www.greylarsen.com/recommend/resources.php It claims to be available for windows but the package contains a dfont and a mtt file, two mac font format. A ttf font can be created with a free tool like dfontSplitter.
The font can be used with MuseScore. I would modify the text style for staff text to use the Larsen font.
See attached a sheet music made with MuseScore 1.2 and the TTF font.
In next version, 2.0, MuseScore will let you create your own palette. We could imagine create a special palette for this notation and distribute it as a add on.
In reply to The font is available for by [DELETED] 5
After I'd posted my thoughts, like Marc I recognised that the ornaments could maybe just be added to the rest but didn't understand about resizing issues. So when, lasconic, will 2.0 be released? And do you think Musescore would be interested in creating an add-on for this notation? How would that be accessed then when it comes to adding symbols? Sorry for all the questions; I'm a beginner at Musescore.
Meantime please tell me what to do. I'm running Musescore on a Mac and have already downloaded the font. Is it just now a case of changing text style for staff text to Larsen?
Thanks for your help . . . and your patience.
In reply to After I'd posted my thoughts, by Mikethebook
Sorry, lasconic, I tried to edit the style for the stave as you suggested but it couldn't access the font so maybe I will have to try a .ttf file. When I opened your sample file, Bank of Ireland, complete with ornaments, I checked the stave style and found it to be Larsen.ttf - I'm not sure how given my software wouldn't read it. But when I tried to add further Larsen ornaments I realised I didn't know how. Would you mind telling me, walking me through it?
Thanks again.
In reply to After I'd posted my thoughts, by Mikethebook
Not sure if you are saying the resizing issue is still unclear. Ornaments are like any other notation elements in that they resize automatically if the score is resized (ie, if you change the size of the staves themselves via the "space" parameter in Layout->Page Settings). In 2.0 at least, text is also resized automatically. But I doubt elements that were placed as PNG graphics would be resized.
Ornaments are accessed by clicking a note (or as many notes as you like) then double clicking the symbol in the palette. Or dragging and dropping from the palette onto the score. A few ornaments (not enough in my opinion) also can be placed by keyboard shortcuts.
Yes, for now, you could enter staff text, change the font to Larsen, and it should work fine. If you knew you'd never need any "regular" text in that score., you could change the default for staff text as well, but assuming you might need some, I'd leave the font where it is and change it while you type your text. You'll also have to move the text into position manually. But it's better than nothing.
In reply to Not sure if you are saying by Marc Sabatella
From what you say Marc, the palette sounds the better way. How do you move text into position manually anyway? I'm still trying to get MuseScore to recognise the Larsen font and to actually try changing the stave text and trying it out. Back on the palette idea which seems quicker and the likely future anyway, how does one create PNGs from the font and import them into the ornaments palette. I'm not as computer literate as I thought so can you work me through this please?
In reply to From what you say Marc, the by Mikethebook
Okay, I've got the text method sorted but would be interested in how to import symbols into the ornaments palette from the .ttf file or however you do it.
In reply to Okay, I've got the text by Mikethebook
Customizable palettes will a 2.0 feature; you can't do it yet except in the experimental nightly builds. See this for a description of how they will work. Looks like SVG files will be supported, and will scale, so if you can figure out a way to save a font character as an SVG file, you'd be good to go, once 2.0 comes out. I would imagine maybe typing the character as text into a program like Inkscape then saving as SVG might be the way to go, but that's just a wild guess.
In reply to Customizable palettes will a by Marc Sabatella
Thanks Marc. Does anyone know a rough timetable of when 2.0 is likely to be released?
In reply to Thanks Marc. Does anyone know by Mikethebook
No. There is no official date yet.
In reply to No. There is no official date by [DELETED] 5
Marc, following up on your comments that SVG would be the way to go importing the Larsen font to the ornament palette when 2.0 is released, the internet appears to be riddled with free font to svg converters so I've come up with a file called Larsen.svg and have attached it in case anyone wants to try it out with the nightly builds.