I’ve started writing an SATB piece, and the default template for a choir uses some weird treble clef with an 8 underneath it. I’ll be writing for high school string players singing, so I’d like to use bass clef. Naturally, I figured I would just change the clef, problem solved. However, what happened was it acted as if the notation was a normal treble clef, and so transposed everything in the tenor line up an octave. The weird part is the midi is correct, so when I pop things down to the octave they should be, the midi is still transposing down an octave.
This makes it very difficult to compose and playback to check my work. Any easy fixes for this bug?
It could be argued that tenors should get used to reading in treble clef, down the octave, as that’s how 99% of SATB choral music is printed.
The question of the “8” below the clef is one of convention - whether it’s shown or not, tenors will assume that it’s what the composer/arranger/editor intended.
I remember that this discussion has been happening quite a short time after the very first release of Dorico 1.0.
The team argued that the clef with the 8 underneath it was the “correct” one, because the notes do really sound (or are sung) an ocatave lower. If you want to use a regular treble clef, you can easily compensate this shift up on the input side by adding a shift down on the output side: Go to Playback Mode, open the HALion player, find the Tenor channel and turn the octave shift knob to -1. Done
This is because the staff itself is hardwired with an octave transposition. In setup you can change the staff type to a non transposing one, and change the name as required.
I think it may be unclear what I am saying: if I enter an e above middle c, in the transposing clef, it should sound as e below middle c. It does. When I change it to bass clef, it notates it as e a full octave above middle C, as if the transposing treble clef were not a transposing clef. This is incorrect. In addition, the tenor line keeps the transposition down an octave, which is also incorrect. That is the bug I am referring to.
As to the argument that they “should learn to read it,” that is moot. I’m not in charge of that question.
The tenor "instrument” in Dorico transposes by an octave. If you don’t want this, create a bass or baritone instrument instead, and change its name via the Players panel in Setup mode to show “Tenor” instead.
