Adding new staff to score inherits wrong key with transposing instruments & key of C

The score is in C minor. Alto sax is an Eb instrument, so it SHOULD have no sharps or flats in the key signature.

All of the instruments except the vocal part were created at the original "New" when I used the wizard and selected the "Big Band" template. So when I entered Cm as the key (by selecting three flats), it correctly created a key signature for the Alto sax with no sharps or flats.

However, when I added the vocal part, it should have known what the concert key was and created a part with three flats. Instead of looking at the first line of the score, which could be in any key depending on the instrument, Musescore should identify the concert key by at least looking for concert pitched instruments. In this case, for example, it could have grabbed it from the piano, guitar, bass or trombone. But even better, perhaps, Musescore should store the concert key of the piece and generate new parts from that depending on the pitch of the instrument.

So, to test the theory, I just added a Bb Clarinet part at the default location (bottom) and it has two sharps in the key. Instead it should have one flat.

Well, no I don't since the Alto (and bari) parts generated the correct *looking* key signature.

So, created a new one from scratch using the wizard. Process:

1. Create New
2. Added title of song, clicked Next
3. Selected "Big Band" template (automatically goes to next step)
4. Clicked on three flats in the Key Sig and no tempo, clicked Next
5. Accepted default 4/4, selected 1/4 pickup measure, entered 10 measures, clicked Finish
6. 17 part score created, Style -> General -> Score, select Display Concert Pitch, all staffs show 3 flats
7. Deselect Display Concert Pitch, go to Add -> Instruments..., remove Alto sax 2, Tenor sax 1&2, Trumpet 3&4, Trombone 3&4, Click OK (parts removed)
8. Select Display Concert Pitch, three flats displayed, uncheck again
9. Right-click on Alto 1 and Tenor 1 parts, remove the "1" from the instrument names from Staff Properties
10. Check Display Concert Pitch, three flats still show up, uncheck again
11. Go to Add -> Instruments... Select Vocals -> Alto and Add. Move Alto to the top.
12. Alto added with three flats. *yikes*

Great, can't reproduce it. See test file below.

So...how do I fix the score? I am creating a bunch of these and I will look to see if I can reproduce it again by really paying attention to the steps when I build the next one.

Not sure what combination caused it. I didn't change the measure count yet as I am still working through the score, so adds/deletes of measures.

The reason why I didn't want to just drop the key signature on the alto part was concern over the effect it had on everything. In my brain, once you declare the key of the instrument, the key signature is fixed. If you change it, all of the other parts in the score should be transposed accordingly. For example, if I have an Eb alto sax and change the key signature for a 17 part score, it really should transpose everything to the proper key for the respective instrument. I know the intent of Musescore is to be flexible to address unique and obscure scenarios, but sometimes accommodating the .5% case can break the 99.5% case!

EDIT:

Now I remember why I didn't want to drop the key signature on the Alto voice part: when you hover with the new dragged key signature over the first measure of the part, ALL of the first measures are selected, which means the behavior I said I wanted above actually happens - it looks at all instruments. When I dropped the 3 flats on the Alto part *ta da* it stuck and nothing else changed.

However, since you said that the sax parts (which are Eb) really had no key signature, I dragged a no sharps or flats key signature to the alto sax. This changed ALL of the other non-Eb instruments to another key: concert instruments were no sharps/flats, Eb instruments were three sharps. SO, this implies that the key signature that you drop applies to the whole score and is the concert key. I guess when I dragged the no sharps or flats onto the alto vocal it "fixed" the broken Eb instruments. Weird...

Well, after many moons I may (or may not) have a replicable scenario based on a new chart I started this AM using a NB I downloaded yesterday 1e46f45.

The steps:

1. Started a New score using the Jazz Combo template. I selected a key signature of Bb (two flats).

2. Once the wizard was complete I made my usual adjustments to the score, including adding three instruments: an additional Trumpet, Clarinet, Bari Sax and additional Trombone. I then repositioned them and saved. The original Trumpet part is now labeled Trumpet 1. The new Trombone part Trombone 2.

3. I started note entry. I created the first phrase (including the repeats) for the first four measures of the Trombone 1 line.

4. Since the Trombones play in unison here, I copied those four measures and pasted into the Trombone 2 part. It was then that I noticed the accidentals in the measure in the new pasted part, which should not be there since it was copied from the Trombone 1 part.

5. As you can see from the attached score, the Trumpet 2, Clarinet, Baritone Sax and Trombone 2 parts are in the same (and wrong) key of C concert. Even if Trumpet 2 should have inherited the key from Trumpet 1 (as mentioned in a previous reply), it should have made the Trumpet 2 part correct.

My conclusion is that new parts added are not inheriting the key of the score but rather default to the key of C concert.

EDIT: After I dropped the correct key signature on the Trombone 2 part, the entire score was updated so that all of the parts are now correct...