Help needed: Chords in multiple part score
Hi all,
Forgive this naive question, but I have downloaded "Oh No" (Zappa) from the musescore webpage. This is a multiple part score, with each part clearly defined. I lack sufficient musical knowledge and need help with the following. The score has chords over the very top staff, which happens to be the "vocal" part transposed up a major second from the concert instruments, e.g., guitar. Am I to assume that these chords are in the concert key and not the "Vocal" key (up a major second)?
Thank you for your time and effort in your reply.
Bob
Comments
I don't think one could assume anything in particular. If you post the score - or a link to it - we could maybe guess from the context. That is, see whether the chords seem to match the music in concert key or transposed.
In reply to I don't think one could by Marc Sabatella
I'd be delighted to do so: https://musescore.com/user/4429771/scores/1337491
and thanks for the reply! BTW, if you look at the organ part, I believe its chords are a major second below the chord symbol. Just a guess.
In reply to I'd be delighted to do so: by Bob_B
OK, Vocal isn't really Vocal but rather Bb Trumpet (but using Synth Voice sound, very strange), so that should explain the major second transpositioning. Changing its transpositioning to none (prime) gets rid of the 2 sharps in that staff, which is consostent woth Guitar, Vobraphone, Organ and Bass Guitar, so seems correct.
My Musical thero knowledge is rather limited, but in the first measure we now find the notes E, D, G and B, I think that pretty much matches the Em7 chord symbol, doesn't it? (the notenames plugin to the rescue ;-))
Next measure, Asus2 chord symbol, notes A, B, F#, E, C#, sort of fits too?
In reply to OK, Vocal isn't really Vocal by Jojo-Schmitz
Thanks. Your analysis matches mine: the chords displayed are concert pitch. I appreciate the confirmation.
In reply to OK, Vocal isn't really Vocal by Jojo-Schmitz
This is due to the strange mixer instrument organization in Musescore. Could transpose to concert C easily. Love MS but think it needs work as far as instrument organization and presentation.
In reply to This is due to the strange by Mjmatthews51
See https://musescore.org/en/node/89541. I think you might be confused about how these things work, but it's actually quite strsaightforward. "Instrument" is about the abstractions needed for notation - name to display on staff, what clef to use, what transposition to use, usable pitch ranges, etc. It also selects the default sound to use for playback. The Mixer is just about changing the latter.
I fixed this. Explanation is with score as to why it was the way it was. Should have left comment on score so I would have seen it.