Double sharp only defaults for some pitches
When raising a set of pitches in a sharp key using the keyboard Up arrow, the use of double sharp is variable.
For example in the key of E there are four sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#). Raising all the notes in a scale by a semitone (select and use the keyboard arrow) gives double sharps F## and C## but G# becomes A and D# becomes E, rather than being shown as G## and D##.
I can fix things by hand using the accidentals menu but it would be better if musescore did this by default.
I am using musescore 2.3.2 and have the "use double # and b" selected under Transpose.
| Attachment | Size |
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| test_of_double_sharp.mscz | 13.56 KB |
Comments
Having given this a little more thought, I realise that Musescore's behaviour is the best I could reasonably expect. There doesn't seem to be an option to withdraw a post, so please ignore the above post!
In the generic case it would not be user-friendly for the up arrow to add a sharp (e.g. B->B# rather than C) rather than move up to the next pitch, so the use of F## and C## is simply to avoid using G natural and D natural, given the key signature, rather than a partially filled wish to honour scale structure.
In reply to Having given this a little… by gemwand
Your analysis is spot on. There is no way to withdraw a post so your further comments are appreciated.
To clarify:
The algorithm is intended to be straightforward: when using the Up key, all non-diatonic notes are spelled by using raised scale degrees. That is, if you take scale degree 6 (assuming major key) and raise it with the Up key, you should get scale degree #6. Depending on the key signature, that note might happen to be spelled with a sharp sign (eg, A# in the key of C) or with a natural sign (eg, E natural in the key of Gb), or with a double-sharp (eg, Gx in the key of B). But all of this applies only to non-diatonic notes. If raising the pitch yields a note that is diatonic, it is spelled using the diatonic spelling. So indeed, in the key of E, rasing D# yields E. That is in most cases what one would want when using the arrow keys rather than Notes / Transpose. If you want a more literal transposition of a whole passage, then use Notes / Transpose rather than the arrow keys. The option you mention only affects that dialog, it doesn't affect anything else.