Implementing operational "falls" and/or bi-directional bends

• May 17, 2021 - 00:01

I've been making good use of the "Full bend" feature under Articulations and appreciate that effect.

Unfortunately, I've been doing a lot of woodwind composing where pitch "drops" or "falls (i.e. a downward change in pitch from the initial "written" note pitch) is more the norm. I understand that I can get this effect by "cheating" using the (upward only) bend effect, but that makes for a lot of extra work--not to mention showing intentionally "wrong" notes on a staff (that are "pre-bent" upwards so a "fall" can be programmed later in the note sounding).

Given all that, is there a possibility of either:
1. Transforming the Bend Articulation so that the "middle" of the pitch graph vertically is the "home" pitch value (thus allowing both upward and downward bends from the originally written note)?
2. Adding real pitch functionality to the Arpeggio "Falls"/etc. with something like an inverse of the current Bend: written pitch at top of the graph allowing full range of downward pitch change, OR
3. Probably best so as not to interfere with scores currently using these symbols, perhaps a new "Bi-direction Bend" symbol acting as in case #1 above?

Ultimately, the fullest implementation would be for EVERY note in a score to possess the "Bend"-type pitch graph (with default straight line across the vertical middle signifying the written pitch, and then allow composer to freely mutate pitch of any note just by going into the inspector. (That could even then be used to add highly controlled vibrato to to notes!) I understand all that could wreak some havoc with however notes are currently defined in the system, so that might be a bridge too far? Though practically, I think the system could always handle changes like this by simply allowing a composer to turn on something like "flex note" as default when starting a new score--not doing so signifying the current state of Musescore notes?

in any case, note bending is very expressive, and I appreciate the current "Bend" articulation very much.
Just hoping to expand usefulness, ease, and score readability with at least one version of those suggestions!
Thanks!


Comments

Everything about the bends feature - most importantly, the way it is rendered visually - is designed for guitar, which doesn't bend down. For other instruments, that's just not the right symbol. Instead, see the falls and slides and glissandi on the Arpeggios & Glissandi palette. But indeed, only some of them currently playback. Hopefully someday, more will.

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