switch sound mid score for an instrument

• Nov 22, 2020 - 01:54

I have a part that I would like to sound as a bowed vibraphone (I found bowed glass or whistle to work as a replacement). However there are times in which the music switched back to the vibraphone using the mallet. Is there a way that I can incorporate certain sounds into the staff text properties for vibraphone to include these sounds like a stringed instrument would include pizzicato/tremolo? Attached is what I mean.

Attachment Size
vibraphone example.png 329.1 KB
string example.png 294.23 KB

Comments

Yes you can.

  • Add or change the instrument to a string instrument that has a similar range to a vibraphone
  • Right click the staff choose staff/part properties and change the long and short instrument names to match a vibraphone.
  • While you're there, make sure the amateur and professional ranges are reasonable, especially the bottom since I'm not sure how low a vibraphone plays but I'm sure both a viola and violin will play higher. (click OK to close the properties window)
  • Open the mixer (press f10).
  • At the top of the volume slider is an arrow pointing right, click that to reveal the 3 channels.
  • Assign vibraphone as the sound for the normal (arco) instrument and Bowed glass or whistle to the pizzicato channel. Leave the tremolo channel unchanged unless you decide a third sound will be useful. Note: the sound is assigned in the top left area of the mixer.

Now, by default the sound you will get for notes is the percussion vibraphone.

To change to bowed
* add a staff text that says something like "Bowed" (or whatever you're used to).
* right click this staff text
* choose staff text properties
* set the appropriate voices (that's what the numbers represent) and change the dropdown to pizzicato.
* click OK

To change back
* add an appropriate staff text
* right click this staff text
* choose staff text properties
* set the appropriate voices to arco (I know it's backwards from what you're hearing)
* click OK

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