Forgive me if this has been addressed, I looked at many posts and didn’t see it. How do I implement a move where I tune, for example, the B string (string 2) down a whole step, so that it’s now at -2 compared to original tuning, and similarly, how to I show that the string starts out -2, i.e. A, and then gets tuned up to B. The tuning move is executed and sounds like a bend. Same idea on pedal steel or guitars with pedals or de-tuners, of course. Thanks for your help. PS Delighted that fretting on the 5th string is reflected properly. Yay! thanks.
Welcome to the forum, @montrsmu. You can’t change the tuning of an instrument midway through the music, I’m afraid. So you would need to assign two banjos to the player, each one with the desired tuning, and write the music in each instrument as needed in galley view. When you switch back to page view, Dorico will handle switching between the two instruments as needed.
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I am able to set up a second instrument with the B string tuned down a whole step to A, but how to I indicate what is played, namely the lower note A is played and then tuned up to the higher note B. It sounds like a bend, but it is achieved by tuning the string after striking it?
I think it will probably depend on how you want the resulting notation to look. Would you be able to show us an example of the sort of appearance you’re after?
Thanks much for the prompt reply. I tried to include 3 different versions of what it might look like, but got a posting error saying I can only do one. This is one of two ways I have seen it done in official publications, the other is basically the same except instead of the curved “bend” indicator there’s just an up or down arrow either beside or above the note. The way I did a work around in Finale, it simply showed as a bend in both notation and tab to or from -2 or (-2). I have pics of both the other versions if you’d like to see.
(Sorry for the slow reply.)
I don’t think there’s going to be a perfect solution here, unfortunately. If you want it play back you’ll either have to use some sort of guitar bend (or pre-bend/post-bend), which may be a problem if you’re using “real” bends elsewhere, or a glissando line, which will only work if you have a definite start and end note. Alternatively you could consider using some of the Jazz Ornaments, e.g. a Lift or a Fall - those won’t play back but they do give a fairly clear and distinct appearance.
No worries, thanks very much for your replies and assistance with this.
I’m not concerned about playback. Only concerned about appearance. I am fine with bend markings between the two notes, and as a last resort, I’d be fine if I can just enter an up arrow or down arrow next to the note. But at this point the problem is representing a note that’s below the original tuning of the string in tablature. I guess I should have explained more clearly, but in the example (as well as all published versions of this move) the tab shows a 0 for the original pitch and a 0 for the detuned pitch, because in both cases the string is un-fretted.
Ignoring the idea of playback, he issues to use the played change of pitch of a string (btw, this technique is the entire basis of pedal steel playing and occurs sometimes on regular guitar) are a) get the string to show in the tab as 0 for both pitches and b) to show the movement with some marking in the tab and in the notation.
There is a definite start and end note. If I can upload a few seconds of sound, you can hear what it sounds like:
(Attachment Banjo tuners.m4a is missing)
Is there a way to include a short mp3 file? So you can hear what I’m talking about?
I think the attachment failed in post #7 because you sent it by e-mail. You should be able to upload files on the website. If you find you can’t, read some more threads to gain a higher Trust Level.
If it shows up, this is what the move we’re trying to notate sounds like. And is the same lick that’s in the tab example posted earlier.
thanks Mark.
If I were doing this for my Dad, I would write the Tab just as it is played, put in the Scruggs tuners bend markings where they are needed. Name this staff Banjo Tab or something and in setup have ONLY the tab show for this staff because those notes would be wrong in conventional notation. I’d mute its playback too.
Then I’d creat a second Banjo staff and do sort of the opposite- showing conventional notation only and not the tab. I’d copy paste from the tab staff, fix the pitch of the notes where the tuners are actuated ( there are comparatively few of these right? At least on the tunes Dad played. ) And I’d make playback happen from this staff.
Then I’d group these two staves with the conventional on top.
I’m sorry about the extra work and breaking the Dorico model a bit, but I think both the printed and audio output would please.
Thanks very much for your reply. How do you write a bend in tab when it’s supposed to bend from and open string to the same string also open. If I correct the pitch so that it shows the correct fret position in the tab, it won’t show bend because it thinks it’s the same note. If I correct the note in notation so it will show a bend, it puts the note on the wrong string in the tab. Can you explain what I’m missing? Thanks.