Plugin Request: Mirror Inversion of Notes Around Center D4 for Opposite-Hand Practice (Piano)

• Nov 6, 2024 - 19:22

Hello MuseScore Community!

I’m looking for a plugin that could be a huge asset for pianists aiming to improve technical skill and hand coordination. The idea is to have a tool that flips any imported score around a specific line of symmetry, which would be D4 (middle D). Essentially, the notes would mirror as follows:

D4 stays as D4 (acts as the symmetry center)
C4 would become E4, B3 would turn into F4, and so on across the full range.

Purpose and Use Case:
This plugin would be especially useful for pianists looking to develop both hands through opposite-hand reinforcement. By flipping a difficult piece this way, the left hand could play what would normally be the right-hand part, and vice versa. Practicing these mirrored parts indirectly strengthens the other hand, as the mirrored part maintains the same technical challenges but applies them in reverse.

For a bit more context, here’s a Tonebase video on symmetrical inversion in piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRi-u10zSkA&t=131s Additionally, here’s an inverted version of a Chopin étude to illustrate what the effect looks like in practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzpvtXy9-pA

Desired Features:
Flip all notes around D4: Any note below D4 mirrors upward, and any note above D4 mirrors downward.
Maintain Rhythm and Dynamics: The plugin should retain the original rhythm, tempo markings, and dynamics as in the imported score, simply inverting the pitch.
Single Command Execution: Ideally, the plugin would perform this inversion with a single button or command for ease of use.

Why This Would Be Valuable
This tool could be an invaluable resource for pianists and educators, providing a unique way to work on technically challenging pieces by enabling “opposite-hand” practice. The mirrored scores could also serve as a new sight-reading tool, presenting familiar material in an unfamiliar layout to further develop coordination and mental flexibility.

Thank you for considering this request! Any guidance or insights would be greatly appreciated, as I’m not a programmer myself but am excited about the potential for a plugin like this to support piano practice in a unique way.

Best regards,
Davide


Comments

This sounds quite feasible since plugin code can modify pitch information. The process would only need to go through the score and process each pitch, leaving everything else alone - temp, rhythm etc. I don't know what happens to a note when pitch change would imply a move to the other clef; whether this would happen automatically or whether the plugin would need to take care of it.

I have too many plugins on the go right now but you may find another taker before I have some time.
Is it for MuseScore 3 or 4? (I only use MS3).

Update Pitch:
https://musescore.org/en/node/320673#s8

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