Replace "guitars" with "fretted strings" in the Instrument list?
I would to suggest that in future versions of MuseScore that the "guitars" category be replaced by "fretted strings" in the instrument list. Since the list of "guitars" already includes banjos, mandolins and ukeleles, none of which are "guitars", it would seem to make more sense to make this change in the category title.
I hope in future the list of fretted strings will include early music fretted instruments like the renaissance (and baroque) lute too. It was the most important instrument of its time occupying the place then that the piano holds today.
Thanks for a great open source project.
Comments
Can you give more information about these instruments? Number of strings, higher note for a professional or amateur etc...
Take a look to the instruments.xml file and try to add the instruments yourself. You can then share your file for future inclusion in the codebase.
In reply to Can you give more information by [DELETED] 5
OK, I have found the instruments.xml file and changed "Guitars" to "Fretted Strings".
I am trying to make sense of the instrument parameters:
Take the soprano guitar:
< instrument >
< name >Soprano Guitar< /name >
< short-name >S. Guit.< /short-name >
< clef >0< /clef >
< aPitchRange >52-93< /aPitchRange >
< pPitchRange >52-93< /pPitchRange >
< channel >
< program >24< /program >
< /channel >
< extended>1
< /instrument >
Tablature does not have a clef, but as a matter of interest, how do I determine which number corresponds to which clef?
How do I determine the numbers for the two pitch ranges of a lute? Is this the pitch frequency in hz?
And which program number should I use or would I have to wait for it to be coded specifically for the lute?
And why are there two pitch ranges for amateurs and professionals?
See this thread for info about the lute:
http://musescore.org/en/node/4034
Thanks.
In reply to Questions by Seanthesheep
The Pitch ranges are MIDI numbers. Wikipedia has a nice diagram in the MIDI article (see Diagram ).
The program number is a General MIDI instrument number. Wikipedia is a good reference again (see General MIDI melodic sounds ). Since lute is not a standard MIDI instrument, find the number of an instrument with the closest sound.
For lute the pitch ranges for amateurs and professionals are probably the same. For wind instruments and voice they are usually different.
The clef numbers are internal to MuseScore. I usually look at other instruments with the same clef to find the number I need. I believe 13 is "TAB" clef.
In reply to Numbers by David Bolton
Thanks for the clarification.
The problem with the lute is that the lower end of the pitch range gets lower over time during the renaissance and baroque periods as more bass courses (paired strings) were added as drones. It started out with 5 or 6 courses and ended up with as many as 19 in the baroque period.
I would have to do separate instruments for each number of courses.
In reply to Numbers by David Bolton
I attach a revised instrument.xml file which renames the "Guitars" group as "Fretted Strings" and includes a range of renaissance and baroque lutes up to and including the theorbo.
I am not knowledgeable about baroque lutes and I have relied for the pitch ranges on these Wikipedia pages:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lute#Tuning_conventions
and:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archlute
What is clear is that the numerous drone bass courses used in the baroque lute, the archlute and the theorbo were tuned to a variety of pitches according the key being used in a piece of music. The lowest course used by the famous 13 course baroque lutenist Weiss is reported by Wikipedia to be A"A' and so I have chosen this as the lowest end of the pitch range even though it might have been tuned to other higher pitches for certain keys.
The instruments I have added are
6 course renaissance vihuela
5 course renaissance tenor lute
6 course renaissance tenor lute
7 course renaissance tenor lute
8 course renaissance tenor lute
9 course renaissance tenor lute
10 course renaissance tenor lute
13 course baroque lute
14 course archlute
15 course theorbo
As I understand it, lutes with up to 9 courses were from the renaissance period. !0 course lutes were transitional between renaissance and baroque and more than 10 courses lutes were from the baroque period.
This is by no means comprehensive, but it is a start. People with more knowledge about barque lutes seeing this can modify the file as necessary.
Here is an article from Early Music journal titled "Chitarrone, theorbo and Archlute"
http://www.vanedwards.co.uk/spencer/html/index.html#Page%20408
In reply to Revised instrument.xml file including a variety of lutes by Seanthesheep
I noticed you included a bracket for each of the lute staves. Was this intentional?
In reply to I noticed you included a by David Bolton
No it was not intentional. I didn't notice it. I have changed the < bracket > parameter to 0 for all the lutes in the attached instruments.xml file.
In reply to Brackets by Seanthesheep
An edited form of your list will appear in tomorrow's nightly build . In the new score wizard it shows only one lute option (with the full range of possible pitches). If you mark the "show more" check box it shows your full list of Renaissance and other types of lute.
In reply to Committed in revision 3624 by David Bolton
Sounds good. I look forward to using it. Many thanks.
In reply to Committed in revision 3624 by David Bolton
I downloaded the nightly build and I see that the lute has been integrated into the instrument list. Many thanks.