Capo Settings: add a "Detune" setting to emulate instruments below written pitch
Reported version
3.0
Type
Functional
Frequency
Few
Severity
S5 - Suggestion
Reproducibility
Always
Status
active
Regression
No
Workaround
Yes
Project
OS: Windows 10 (10.0), Arch.: x86_64, MuseScore version (64-bit): 3.0.0.4839, revision: cf1f5ce
There is a new "Capo Settings" feature in staff text. This property should also include negative values, for detuned instruments.
Comments
I'm struggling with this concept as it seems to make sense only for a virtual guitar. There is no way to apply a negative capo to a physical guitar. A guitar can be tuned, (detuned from standard), to many different alternate tunings, (e.g. drop-D, open-G, C#minor, etc), and a capo subsequently applied but the capo position would still be positive. Wouldn't you simply specify the alternate tuning at the start of the piece so that the player could set up their guitar accordingly?
Wouldn't you simply specify the alternate tuning at the start of the piece so that the player could set up their guitar accordingly?
In the examples you've given (and many others), the answer is yes. But suppose you want to use a standard-1 (D#, G#, C#, F#, A#, D#) tuning. If you leave the tuning in string data as EADGBE and set the capo to -1, the written pitch remains the same as a standard-tuned guitar, making the music easy to read.
In reply to "Wouldn't you simply specify… by geetar
Just transpose down a semitone?
To quote: "When a standard guitar is tuned down a half-step to Eb, it is still notated in standard pitch … In fact this is usually the case for any tuning in which all strings are tuned down by the same amount (1 step, 1½ steps etc.)" (Hal Leonard. Baritone Guitar Book).
So it is simply a matter of transposing. Then why not just use that?
You can do it that way if you wish (i.e. Staff properties > Transpose written pitches to sound) but "Capo settings" is much easier to understand and use.
I'm not sure a negative capo setting is easier to understand...
I guess though that it'd be very easy to implement
I don't use notation at all, only TAB, so I'm generally not aware of what the "written pitch" is anyway as I simply apply fret numbers relative to any capo. However, I can now appreciate what you're saying. Maybe MS could support both options.
Transpose is the workaround
In reply to Transpose is the workaround by Jojo-Schmitz
Sorry, I didn't intend to suggest otherwise. I didnt deliberately put a workaround box on my comment and don't know how it got there.
A better option perhaps:
It's not uncommon for guitars to be tuned down one or two semitones below written pitch.
In reply to It's not uncommon for… by geetar
Just change the string tuning and show it on the score so that guitarists know the tuning. A negative capo is a slightly confusing concept since it's not physically possible.
In reply to It's not uncommon for… by geetar
Just change the string tuning and show it on the score so that guitarists know the tuning. A negative capo is a slightly confusing concept since it's not physically possible.
Detuning the strings works for tab but not for standard staves or staff/tab combinations: see How To's instead.
Came up again at https://musescore.org/en/node/315060
Came up again at https://musescore.org/en/node/315377.
This comment is also relevant: https://musescore.org/en/node/328181#comment-1111022.