Tab stems

• Feb 5, 2022 - 18:34

Anybody know if it's possible to move, specifically, translate a tab stem? Or, maybe, not move the tab stem at all when moving its corresponding tabbed fret number?

Background: There is some strange behavior with the tab (5-str. common or full) for fretted 5th-string notes on banjo. As a workaround, I've found I can move a tabbed fret number from the 1st string to the 5th string, but the stem also moves a corresponding distance. It's possible to edit the stem. For example, it can be lengthened or even inverted if "grabbed" by its given "edit point." However, it remains anchored to its corresponding tabbed fret number a particular distance therefrom. I'm looking to close that distance!

Any help would be appreciated. Even another workaround!


Comments

It's not really clear what you mean here about moving the stem - you shouldn't normally need to touch those, as they are handled automatically. It's possible you did something wrong in how you moved the note itself - maybe you tried dragging it instead of using the commands meant for the purpose? If you attach your score and describe what you are trying to do in more detail, we can understand and assist better.

In reply to by etisdale

It appears from the picture you moved the note incorrectly and that why the stem moved - and also probably it isn’t playing correctly. When moving the note correctly everything works. If the GIF above doesn’t help, please attach your actual score instead of just a picture, then we can understand no assist better.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Hmm, I'm also wondering, why not simply enter the 14 on that string directly? If you are using an instrument definition that limits you to four frets, presumably that's designed for use with instruments that actually have that physical limitation. If yours doesn't, then simply alter the definition to allow more frets.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Unfortunately, MuseScore only allows fretting the short, 5th string up to the 4th fret. And the really weird thing to me is that this would normally be notated as the 9th fret for consistency with the fret numbering for the long strings.

If I can change the instrument definition, I sure would like to know how. The workaround only works if the 5th string is tuned a 4th above the 1st string. Fortunately, this happens to be most common (e.g., Open G, Standard C, Sawmill, Double C), but there /are/ some rather common tunings (e.g., Open D, f#DF#AD or aDF#AD) for which this workaround wouldn't work.

In reply to by etisdale

Take a look at this score, which you can download if your subscribed to museScore.com

If you still have trouble please attach an example score where you encounter the issue.

I just noticed an issue—perhaps an off-by-one coding error—though I think it is unrelated to the situation you're grappling with:

I can drag any fret to the 5th string except if the fret number is 24. Max fret is set to 24 so I expected that would me 24 inclusively. (However, I just checked and I can click the 5th string in Note Entry mode (Ctrl/Cmd n) and then type 24 and musescore accepts that.)

https://musescore.com/user/35880724/scores/7536404/s/ISZ66m

In reply to by etisdale

Again, if you attach your score, we can understand and assist better. But if I create a new score and add banjor tab the usual way, I find I can type "14" directly on the fifth string with no problem - no need to enter elsewhere then move it. But indeed, the arrow keys stop at 4. Not sure why, if that's something deliberate (I understand the banjo tuning is a bit unorthodox). I see if I type 5 onto that string, I get the same sound as if I typed 0. And the usual commands for moving notes between strings - Ctrl+Up/Down - seems to think it is tuned the same as the top string.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Hi, Marc. I believe you've come to the best workaround. Per your description, I've found I can type a "5" (or higher) onto the 5th string, thereby getting past the "4" limit for tabbed fret numbering on the 5th string. I can then adjust, if necessary, by the "up" or "down" arrows. The corresponding notes on the linked staff adjust accordingly.

So there is some sort of weird limit between "4" and "5" for the tabbed fret numbering. It would be nice if it would simply go from "0" to "6," then incrementally from "6" on, as expected, but I can work with this! Example_2.mscz

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