When I create a new tonality system, as soon as I enter a note, the tonality system reverts back to the standard, default tonality system. I can save the tonality system but I can’t use it. I am new to using Dorico. I have a Macbook Pro - macOS Sonoma 14.1.2.
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Welcome to the forum @jcrandall010!
Can you just confirm that you are following the below steps precisely?
And that you are then doing this:
I believe that I have done all of that correctly.
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Before entering any notes you must add a key sig defined with the new tonality system.
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Thank you. We’re getting closer. That does cause the tonal system to remain after I start entering notes but I’ve got two new problems.
#1: I have defined my accidentals: bb = - 2/19th; b = 2/19; natural = 0/19; # = +1/19; x=+2/19… If I write a chromatic scale (in 19 ET): C,C#,Db,D,D#,Eb,E,E#,F… When I enter C#, the # doesn’t appear but it is playing C# when I play it back. Same with Db. The b doesn’t appear but it seems to playback as flat. When I enter E#, it shows me the double sharp accidental (x). If I enter Fb, it gives me a double flat (bb).
#2: The playback is still 12ET. That is, the C# sounds like Db even though their definitions are C# is 1/3 of the way up from C and Db should be 1/3 of the way down from D. They playback as the same note.
To diagnose those problems, I’d need to see an example file.
Black notes played on a midi keyboard are 12-EDO, not defined in 19-EDO. So Dorico accepts and plays back the pitch you entered, but it won’t show any accidental if that pitch hasn’t been defined in your custom system. When you want C♯ as you’ve defined it, you have to enter C and add the accidental from the panel.
I am not actually using a midi-interface. I’m just clicking with my mouse. I have now tried to enter the note and then the accidental. Same result. The pitch changes in the playback but I’m not seeing the accidental. I’ve uploaded my file. It’s just a few notes.
test2.dorico (999.9 KB)
We can’t enter non-ET accidentals from the keyboard either, sorry. The + and – keys make only 12-EDO ♯ and ♭. You have to click the accidental in the panel on the right. (0 for ♮ will still work.)
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Actually, I was using my mouse to click the accidentals on the panel. The signs aren’t showing up but the pitch does change but by 12ET intervals, even though it does now say that I’m on my 19ET tonality system. If I go into edit the tonality system to does confirm that the accidentals I’ve created are -1/19, +1/19…
When I select your second F and click the ♯ I get the correct pitch, and the accidental shows. I do the same for the following G♭ and it also works. I still don’t know what you might be doing differently.
BINGO! That was it. Those accidentals on the right were below my screen so I was using the accidentals in the left panel. I think I’m just to impatient to learn how to use the software correctly. Thanks everyone for taking your time to help me.
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You can change pitch of a note in your tonality system‘s delta increment by pressing alt-shift-arrow up/down
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Thanks klafkid… I’m finding that very helpful.
For some of us newcomers, it is worth noting that, to “add a key signature” at this point, one has to step out of the panels section, get back into the score, hit shift k, where the selection was made, then enter the new key signature, then press enter/return. I have been trying to do this by clicking on the “Key Signatures” buttons within the tonality system panel. It doesn’t work that way.
You have to add your own key sig from the Custom Key Signatures section of the panel. The standard Key Signatures section only works for the builtin 12 edo and 24 edo.
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It worked just typing a minor into the score. But thanks for pointing that out. The Custom Key Signatures section of the panel appears blank at the moment. I don’t know how to use it.
That section of the panel will be blank until you have created a custom key signature:
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