Capo/Tablature Issues

Setup: Document for guitar with Notation above Tablature

The issue I’m having in Dorico 4x is that when I add a capo to the first fret, all of the tablature changes. The pitch of the note stays the same - when I play the file it sounds at the proper pitch - but the tablature is given 1 fret below the actual fret of the actual pitch. This seems to me to be a strange occurrence since the fretted notes do not change in pitch (written or aural) when adding a capo to my guitar in reality (If I capo the first fret, the tenth fret on the high E remains a D natural). I have searched the forums here and only found mention of this problem in Cubase (it seems to have the exact same issue) but nothing about Dorico for this problem exactly.

Here are some screenshots:
Without Capo


With Capo

Without the capo the F natural on the high E string is shown as a 1 (as it should, since that’s one possible place to play that note). With the capo it is shown as a 0 (as it should since there is now a capo at the first fret) but all of the other notes previous have moved down a fret. This is not how my guitar works. Am I missing a setting? I guess I expected this feature (adding a capo) to work as the guitar does and if I need it to work alternatively there would be a check box somewhere for the “alternative to reality” option. Am I missing some fundamental concept here?

Thanks for any help, sorry for my sarcastic tones - this seems strange to me…

Frazer

Hi Frazer, in Dorico, adding a capo to an instrument always affects tablature and (as far as I understand it) fret numbers on tablature for instruments with capos are measured in frets from the capo, rather than the instrument’s nut.

Capos added to instruments don’t affect notation staves. You can also update the pitches shown on notations staves if you like.

1 Like

Thank you Lillie, for your reply. That makes sense but played with my mind when I saw it at first. I will look through the links you’ve provided and move forward more knowledgeable. Thank you again.