Note Playback Only During a Repeat

• Jan 23, 2021 - 05:12

I have a score using MDL that has, let's say, 8 measures total. At the end is a repeat that goes back to the beginning of the piece. I have a quarter note on the down beat of count one in the first measure that only gets played during the repeat. So, it doesn't get played at the very start of the piece, only for the repeat. Is there a way for the playback, and corresponding mp3 file, to not hear that note at the beginning of the piece, but only when it repeats back to the beginning? I currently have a note that says "Only play during the repeat", but I also don't want to hear it either. Hopefully you can understand what I'm saying here.


Comments

For playback, or for making an mp3, first notate the 8 measures omitting "the quarter note on the down beat of count one in the first measure". Let's call it "note C".
Next, add a 9th measure containing the copied contents of the first measure -- but this time include "note C".
Then add D.S. al Fine to jump to measure 2 and play to Fine.

For brevity, here's an abbreviated example:
Note playback.mscz

In reply to by Jm6stringer

Ok, I see what you did there, but I'm not sure that will work with my score. What I'm doing here is that I have a two measure snare tap-off and then the whole line plays the warm-up. Then at the "end" it repeats back to the snare tap-off. The exercise actually just keeps repeating until someone cuts it off. But for visual and audio purposes I just did the one repeat with some notes. So anyway, when it repeats back to the snare tap-off, the rest of the sections play that release, but because it's written as a repeat, I have to add that first note so you can hear it on the audio and the players know they are supposed to play the release. Does that make sense? See pic for what I'm doing.

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Screenshot_20210123-212401_Gallery.jpg 709.22 KB

In reply to by Jm6stringer

The playback and mp3 export repeats exactly as it's shown, once. All I wanted to do there was show that it just keeps repeating with the snare tap-off in between. Typically when marching guys write warmups they don't even include a tap-off in the score or the mp3. But it really irritates me when I try and play along with an mp3 file and it just starts cold. In my previous comment back you I was actually going to tell you that I could do it as a 1st and 2nd ending, and I wrote it that way once, but I felt that was just too confusing for them. I just wanted to make it as simple as possible visually. If I start throwing in 1st and 2nd (or more) endings that's just going to confuse matters. I appreciate the help though.

In reply to by sday88

Notate the score "as simple as possible visually", so it's not confusing.
Make a different version - strictly for mp3 export - like the examples.
Then follow your simple paper score (not confusing) while playing along with the mp3. The mp3 does not have to "start cold" - and so it won't be irritating.

In reply to by sday88

Yeah, I guess I could do that. That second file wouldn't take long to change for that.
Bingo! My point exactly.

Text like "1 Person Tip-off" or "Only play (this note) during repeat" - as shown in your screenshot - are understandable to human players. A computer that synthesizes audio output has to be spoon fed exactly what you want it to play. The days of deep learning and computer AI are not here yet.

The exercise actually just keeps repeating until someone cuts it off.
Again, there is no way for MuseScore to even begin to create an mp3 for something so vague. That's why I posted an example with a repeat of 4 times. You can change repeats to whatever number you want, but you must specify something so MuseScore can render playback, or export as an audio mp3.

Regards.

In reply to by sday88

The audio part is possible. You just have to notate it exactly the way you want MuseScore (synthesizer) to play it.
Then the other printed score, passed out to the players, can be simplified and include written instructions for the "human" musicians.
So sometimes 2 separate scores - 1 for printout, 1 for mp3 - are used.

At other times a hidden instrument staff may be used. Check out the hidden "count in" here:
Count_in.mscz

Different solutions exist depending on one's specific needs.

In reply to by Jm6stringer

I guess I should have been more clear. The audio part is not possible the way I want to do it. But like we've discussed, there is a work around. I just need mine to look exactly like I showed, but not hear those extra notes at the beginning, only during the repeat and we've covered how to over come that.

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