Ghost notes are added at every rhythmic position, in this case just quarter notes with stems and noteheads hidden
MusChant uses the Chorus Translation lyric style, set above the staff (using Shift-up). This allows regular lyrics to be added below the chant.
Single-note neumes are entered using simple numbers. Multi-note neumes are added using the easily-remembered formula x.y, where x is the location (1 is the bottom line, 2 is the space above it, 3 is the next line up, etc.). 0 can be added for the space below the line, and -1, -2 easily added for locations below that. The first time a neume is entered, that line of lyrics needs to be shifted down to the proper offset so 1 sits on the first line.
The number after the period refers to the contour of the neume. 1 is a single neume, 21 will be a clivis, and 12 a podatus, etc:
It’s then easily to adjust horizontal spacing as needed.
The goal is that the input should be as intuitive as possible, not requiring the user to know the names of the various neumes, or consult any sort of manual as they go.
Before I go any further, I want to make sure these are properly aligned vertically and look generally correct. @Romanos or others?
…by typing 6, 7, 6, 4.21, then the barline, then 5.12, 6, 5, 5.
Since these neumes are “lyrics,” they’re extremely easy to adjust left/right independent of the lyfics, which I guess would make it easy to work with very complex neumes. But I do plan on adding more as needed.
I’m using this for a recreation of the 1906 English Hymnal, which uses pretty simple neumes.
Hi Dan,
I’m quite interested in this, but don’t know that I’m the best to test it out, but I can give it a go. I do look forward to its release when you finish it. Hope to see it eventually on Notation Central.
Thanks. There’s not much to “test” yet per se, but I am interested in experienced plainchant folks giving feedback on the placement and design of the current neumes.
For starters, I’d love some feedback on how these look. Does the placement look good?
The notes are hidden (just quarter notes, hidden stems and noteheads). Then input the lyrics as Chorus… then use Chorus translation for the chant neumes.
I thought long and hard about how to hack Dorico’s functionality here… this method allows complete note spacing, as well as moving “lyrics” from side to side as easily as Opt-arrow.
Wow! Thank you! Looks good!
As a total Dorico noob who needs something like this, I’m hoping it can be developed into some kind of template or plug in; I don’t feel it’s time yet to personally try it.
Have you tried the porrectus yet, or quilisma? I don’t recall them in the English Hymnal.
How does one keep neumes from getting internally respaced? In Finale 27, I would enter them as chords, move the noteheads around the stem and then hide the stem. It worked after a fashion, but ugly in playback and in xml export.
It appears that the tenuto markings are a little off-center, to the right, and the rightmost dot is a little closer to the staff line than the others (whereas the leftmost one is a bit further away from the line).
How about the position of these porrecta? This is a difficult one. It looks like the tip of the first note is the crucial placement, but the final note looks wrong.
This is seriously impressive Dan and I’m so glad this is being developed! Out of interest, in future versions, do you think the chant spacing will follow the text more, or would this be adjusted with horizontal spacing in Engrave mode?
