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Topic: CueHeads.ms (1.0) (Read 22229 times) previous topic - next topic

CueHeads.ms (1.0)

This plugin draws cue noteheads in the positions of any blank note space noteheads on a subsequent chord. If Class is set to StaffSig, then multiple chords will be notated, up to the next object occurrence. The size of the cue noteheads can be adjusted via a Size parameter.

Paste the following snippet into NWC 2.75, then go to Tools > Manage Objects to install the object.

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.75,Single)
|User|CueHeads.ms|Pos:1|Class:StaffSig|Size:70
|Clef|Type:Treble
|TimeSig|Signature:4/4
|Chord|Dur:Half|Pos:-7z,-4z,-3,-2,1,2
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-2,1,3z,5z
|Chord|Dur:8th|Pos:-2,1,3z,5z|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Chord|Dur:8th|Pos:-2,1,3z,5z|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|RestChord|Dur:4th,Dotted|Opts:Stem=Down,ArticulationsOnStem|Dur2:Half,Dotted|Pos2:-2,-1,1z,3z
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

There are a currently several known limitations/exclusions for this object:
  • The noteheads on the upper and lower portions of a split stem chord do not line up, since they are drawn relative to the existing stems.
  • The sizes of beams, flags, accidentals, ledger lines and augmentation dots are not adjusted/affected. You may wish to manually shorten the stems of notes/chords if they consist solely of cue noteheads.
  • All noteheads drawn by the object will be in the item color of the custom object.

I created this object primarily for use in choral scores, where there are alternate vocal parts or optional descant notes. Please let me know if you find other uses, or encounter any bugs.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.2)

Reply #1 –
The CueHeads.ms object has been updated, with the following changes:

  • Now supports split stem chords.

Please refer to the parent post for additional information.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.2)

Reply #2 –
I don't know if it's a bug or not, but it seems that object can't draw cueheads in both notes of a chords with only two notes.
I've also noticed that changing the notehead color will make disappear every cue noteheads, and changing chord color don't affect to the cue noteheads.

Here there's samples:
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.75,Single)
|User|CueHeads.ms|Pos:1|Class:StaffSig|Size:70
|Clef|Type:Treble
|TimeSig|Signature:4/4
|Text|Text:"4"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:6.5|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Chord|Dur:4th,Dotted|Pos:-3z,-1z,1z,3z
|Text|Text:"3"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:6.5|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Chord|Dur:4th,Dotted|Pos:-3z,-1z,1z|Opts:Stem=Down
|Text|Text:"2"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:6.5|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote|Color:1
|Chord|Dur:4th,Dotted|Pos:-3z,-1z|Opts:Stem=Down
|Text|Text:"1"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:6.5|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Note|Dur:4th,Dotted|Pos:-3z|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar|Style:Double
|Text|Text:"Normal"|Font:StaffItalic|Scale:50|Pos:11.5|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-2,1,3z,5z|Opts:Stem=Down
|Text|Text:"Notehead"|Font:StaffItalic|Scale:50|Pos:8.5|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Text|Text:"color"|Font:StaffItalic|Scale:50|Pos:7|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-2!1,1!1,3z!1,5z!1|Opts:Stem=Down
|Text|Text:"Chord"|Font:StaffItalic|Scale:50|Pos:11.5|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Text|Text:"color"|Font:StaffItalic|Scale:50|Pos:10|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-2,1,3z,5z|Opts:Stem=Down|Color:1
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
[...] y el mayor bien es pequeño: que toda la vida es sueño, y los sueños, sueños son.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.2)

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Lloyd –
changing chord color don't affect to the cue noteheads.
AFAIK, user objects are limited to two colors: Whiteout and Printer Default.
Registered user since 1996

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.2)

Reply #4 –
Quote
user objects are limited to two colors
Thanks Rick, I didn't know that  :D

in fact, now I realize that I was quite stupid trying change color directly from the chord, the object's color must be obviously changed in the object instance...
[...] y el mayor bien es pequeño: que toda la vida es sueño, y los sueños, sueños son.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.3)

Reply #5 –
The CueHeads.ms object has been updated, with the following changes:

  • Corrected numerous issues (2-note chords, colored noteheads, ties.)

Please refer to the parent post for additional information.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.3)

Reply #6 –
Thanks much for doing this, Mike. I came home from a rehearsal at which two performers had complained about the lack of cues in my parts, went into the forum, and found this. I expect to use it a lot. It doesn't solve the smaller-staff and short staff segments problems, but it's a giant step in the right direction.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.3)

Reply #7 –
Many many thanks for this! - it fulfills at least three quarters of my "small staffs" wish - maybe all of it. I'll try this out on my co-musicians in the next weeks!
Harald M.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.3)

Reply #8 –
I have a little problem with CueHeads in conjunction with my "ShowRanges" user tool: Cueheads does not show the heads in the note head's color (if the note head has a special color; in the text representation, this is indicated with !#, where # is 1...7 for Highlight1...Highlight7)

I searched the API documentation for "simply setting the font's color" - but I did not find anything that would help me.

So my question is: Is there a possibility to add correct notehead coloring to cueheads?

// Edit:
Mhm - one should read the thread, even if it is more than two years old ... it says "colored noteheads" 3 postings above - but I cannot make it work :(

Thanks!
H.M.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.3)

Reply #10 –
I assume you want to tell me that even though the score looks like this,
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|User|CueHeads.ms|Pos:-1|Class:StaffSig
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-1!1,1|Opts:Stem=Up
|Chord|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:-1!1,1
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-1z!1,1z|Opts:Stem=Up
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
(note the !1 on all three notes on position -1), I have to live with the result in the attachment ... well then, so be it ...
Thanks!

H.M.

Re: CueHeads.ms (0.3)

Reply #11 –
Quote from: hmmueller –
I have to live with the result in the attachment
Yes, unless you want to do something like this:
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposer(2.751)
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)|WithNextStaff:Layer
|User|CueHeads.ms|Pos:-1|Class:StaffSig|Color:1
|Rest|Dur:4th|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1z|Opts:Stem=Up
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff-1"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)
|StaffProperties|Channel:2
|User|CueHeads.ms|Pos:-1|Class:StaffSig
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:-1!1,1|Opts:Stem=Up
|Chord|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:-1!1,1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1z!1|Opts:Stem=Up
!NoteWorthyComposer-End
Registered user since 1996

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #12 –
The CueHeads.ms object has been updated, with the following changes:
  • Minor code improvements to take advantage of API changes that are present in version 2.75a.
Please refer to the parent post for additional information.

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #13 –
Sorry, guys, but I must be really dense. I have no idea how to get the cueheads to show up. I have installed the object.

Help??

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #14 –
First, insert the CueHeads.ms object at the beginning of the staff where you want to include cue-sized noteheads. It will show a label when you are in the editing view, to remind you that you are using the object, but it won't display that label when you print your score.

Then, go to any note or chord where you want to have a cue-sized notehead. Right click on that notehead, and choose Noteheads > Blank Space. This will hide the original notehead, and the plugin will draw the cue notehead in its place.

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #15 –
Mike, I am doing that, but I am getting an alert that it has been suspended and that I have to download an upgrade?

Sorry to be so stupid but I am musically great, but not so much technically!

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #16 –
And thanks for the help, btw. If I can get this to work, my life will take on a rosy glow!

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #17 –
The current version of the CueHeads.ms plug-in on the forum requires the latest version of NWC, which is 2.75a (actually 2.75a.2). There should be instructions on how to update to the latest version when you choose Help > Access Noteworthycomposer.com. Once you are running the latest version, everything should work as expected.

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #18 –
Hallelujah!

I was doing everything right, just not the most recent update to 2.75!

Thanks, this is fantastic!!!!!!!!

Now, what other new tricks should I be learning????

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #19 –
Regarding cues:

What stem size do you recommend? Is there a standard? They definitely need to be shorter when they are stand alone cues.

Thanks,

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #20 –
Quote from: SEBC –
Regarding cues:

What stem size do you recommend? Is there a standard? They definitely need to be shorter when they are stand alone cues.

Thanks,

If you are adding a cue notehead to the top/bottom of a chord (i.e. an optional harmony part) then stem length probably doesn't need to be adjusted. If you are doing standalone notes, I think it depends on the notehead size factor you are using. For the default value of 70%, I would scale the stem length by the same amount. Since default stem length is 7 spaces, that would give 4.9 (round it to 5).

Of course, one of the limitations to the CueHeads object is that it does not scale other aspects of the note, such as ledger lines, beams, flags, dots, articulations or accidentals. However, NWC's grace notes will correctly scale all of those. For that reason, I will sometimes use a series of grace notes when I want to show a standalone series of notes (such as for an introduction), inserting spacers or invisible rests between them. Doing this won't give correct alignment between multiple staves in a system.

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #21 –
Thank you. Would you be able to post some examples?

I haven’t been using cues but I know that it’s helpful and expected.

The pieces I’m notating are for Clarinet and Piano. The Wind instrument sometimes has long measures of rest. I’m not sure how much to put in for showing the piano part. Another piece has choir, piano and clarinet. I have the cue show a measure of the melody for the choir in the clarinet part. I made the cue stems go the opposite direction as well as labelling it “choir”.

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #22 –
I may have misspoken. The technique I described doesn't allow the grace cue notes to be beamed - I thought I had tested this, but apparently I did not.  Upon further reflection, you might have a better time using @hmmueller's CueStaff plugin to do this. That approach will give the proper alignment between staves, although it might be more work to setup. You can see examples of that plugin on its topic thread.

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #23 –
Mike, I just wanted to say thank you.  I used your CueHeads.ms for real for the first time today, and it does the job perfectly.

d

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #24 –
In another thread on this forum someone suggested posting "how-to" questions in the General forum. But this thread already has a lot of "how-to", so I am adding this question here: With a split stem chord (higher note stem up; lower note stem down; both same duration), is it possible to shorten the stem of the cue note without shortening the main note?

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #25 –
Quote from: fathafluff –
In another thread on this forum someone suggested posting "how-to" questions in the General forum.
Good advice.
Quote from: fathafluff –
With a split stem chord (higher note stem up; lower note stem down; both same duration), is it possible to shorten the stem of the cue note without shortening the main note?
No. Use a layer.
Registered user since 1996

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #27 –
Regarding different stem lengths on split stem chords, in the past I had considered creating a custom object that would allow different stem lengths on the chord which follows it. To use it, you would set the stem length of your split stem chord to 0, and the object would draw in the two stems, based on parameters. If the object detected CueHeads.ms and encountered a blank space notehead, it could also render the note's stem accordingly, including drawing the correct flags for eighth notes and shorter durations.  This might be useful for situations where there are only a few notes that require differing stem lengths, and the overhead of creating and managing another layer was undesirable.

Let me know if this is something that you think people might find useful.
 

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #28 –
Quote from: SEBC –
...
The pieces I’m notating are for Clarinet and Piano. The Wind instrument sometimes has long measures of rest. I’m not sure how much to put in for showing the piano part. ...

If I recall correctly, in a clarinet/piano duet, the clarinetist reads a single-instrument chart - just the clarinet system, with appropriate rests during the tacet bars.  The piano part has three staffs, with the clarinet line above two piano staffs. 

Assuming the piece is a clarinet solo with piano accompaniment, the pianist should play in such a manner that the clarinetist doesn't have a problem counting rests; hence there's no need to put the piano staves on the part printed for the clarinet. Since such arrangements are usually for performance, you can assume both musicians will be well rehearsed and the soloist will not need cue notes nor the equivalent of a full score. 

If piano cues are needed for the clarinet, I would suggest the clarinet part employ collapsible staffs so only the last couple of bars of piano solo is printed on the clarinet part.  The clarinetist shouldn't need more than a bar or two each time.

I don't have any comments regarding a duet between clarinet and piano where the piano part is more than accompaniment.  I don't have any serious thoughts about adding a choral part to the mess, except to comment that too much paper makes for too many page turns, not a problem for a chorister, perhaps, but certainly an issue for the instrumentalists. 

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #30 –
Quote from: David Palmquist –
... you can assume both musicians will be well rehearsed and the soloist will not need cue notes nor the equivalent of a full score.  ...
My experience both as a reader and a writer of scores is that cue note writing is an art in itself (I think there are citations around saying this).

The first "problem" is that musicians think in phrases; writing half of such a phrase in cue notes is of no help, because the reading musicians cannot "jump into the phrase" when its middle is suddenly played by someone. But what the right phrase is, is often unclear; and music from later periods - starting with the romantic age - gets more and more muddy with respect to useful phrase boundaries.

The second problem is that many musicians cannot read notation for other instruments: Many singers, string and wind players - even professional ones - cannot read chords, so piano cue chords are not much help for them.

What I see (therefore?) is that "single voice" players actually count through even long stretches of rest bars, and are astonishingly precise - in contrast to "continuous" (or continuo?!) players like organ and piano players, who mostly do not have such rest runs.

I have tried to ask musicians what would be most helpful for them to find their entries more reliably - but the answers were haphazard and unhelpful. Thus, I have stopped writing cue notes ... if someone wants them; I will write them; but on the whole, the effort seems not to be honored that much.

H.M.

Re: CueHeads.ms (1.0)

Reply #31 –
This discussion has been helpful.

My soloists seem to want cue notes so I have been giving them the melodic line for about two measures before their entry.  The cue notes tool is really helpful.

I would really like a tool to create smaller staves as well such as for piano reductions or optional parts.