piano pitch bend down

• Feb 7, 2020 - 22:54

Is there a way I can get a pitch bend down effect for a piano instrument ?

Spire42

MuseScore can't bend downward natively (yet). But you can work around this limitation.

To bend downward (up to six semitones):

Silence the note.
Create a second, lower note, in another voice.
Add a bend to the lower note that starts higher by the same amount and then bends back down to the nominal pitch.
Hide the second note.

If your desired bend is two semitones or less, it's much simpler:

Set the tuning of the note lower.
Add a bend to the lower note that starts higher by the same amount and then bends back down to the retuned lower pitch.

I just tested both methods with a piano and they worked.

Thanks for the tip. So I set the tuning of the note, lower, by -100. That is one half-step, correct?

And I clicked the "bend" grid like this. Frankly I don't know how this grid works. Am I close?

Spire42

Yes, -100 is one semitone down. That part is good.

But your initial bend point is two semitones up, not one. Lower it by half (two grid units) and you're golden.

BTW, I would love to own one of whatever kind of piano you're trying to simulate here.

Awesome! Thanks!

I'm trying to make the sound of a music box when the lid closes. :-)