possibility to redefine symbol position in the accordion palette

• Mar 1, 2024 - 16:54

Hello! I notate a lot for accordion and have learned some tricks through past forum discussion help. Marc Sabatella helped me define my own custom palette for left hand markings. Today's question is regarding the accordion palette that can be called upon in Musescore. I find some default positions to not be ideal, and I'm wondering if I can personally redefine positions? I'd like to address the bellows pull and push symbols, as well as register setting symbols. Bellows pull and push symbols should show above the staff, as per the violin bow down bow and up bow symbols. I'm currently using the violin bow symbols, but I'd prefer to use the accordion symbols. Currently the accordion bellows pull and push appear above notes, and it looks pretty messy. As for the accordion register symbols, I've been manually moving them. Currently they appear near the notes (not above, but near). These symbols would be practical to be shown above staves also to avoid messiness. I can manually move them sideways as I wish if needed.

I've included two screenshots of an excerpt of one of my accordion compositions (Dialecte ©2021 Jesse S. Mea). One screenshot shows the violin bow markings, in the correct default positions, as well as register settings that I have manually moved into place. The other screenshot shows the accordion bellows pull and push symbols, as well as register setting symbols, all in their default positions.

If I could redefine the default positions, that would help a lot. I use Musescore 4.2.1 on Mac. Thanks for your input!


Comments

You're right. Setting default positions for symbols by type would be a useful feature. Not easy to implement since symbols are a class of objects that don't have specific properties by type. They're like dumb little graphics, all with the same basic settings. There are no symbol properties in the styles dialog options for instance.

Normally there is the option to set a position as the style default for notation elements (like fingering in the screenshot example [...]), then save that to your stylesheet, but not symbols.

Hoping someone else has a solution for you!

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In reply to by HotChocolateJazz

When I drag an up/down arrow or a register symbol they both function exactly the same way. They fix their position to the closest note. When I drag either to a measure, the measure is highlighted and an arrow/register symbol is added for each note.

I would think to achieve what you want you'd have to create a new class, say, "Registers" and give it properties you can work with. Like "Voltas" in the screenshot, just a random selection to demonstrate the properties issue.

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In reply to by daveburkevt

I'm starting to understand something, but I still don't know how to get there. All articulations have a Placement sub menu in the Properties panel. So what you mention about Voltas and Text, for example, means that these categories have their own specific sub menus in the Properties panel. If I could somehow generate a Placement sub menu for the elements in the Accordion palette, I could set up the symbols in the proper way. But as you mention, I'd have to find a way to create a category such that I can define what the sub menus are.

If I could find a way to 'trick' the Accordion palette symbols into 'thinking' they're Articulations, then I'd have control over placement. I wonder if somebody knows how to do this.

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