Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: note is extended longer than it's supposed to be (Read 2848 times) previous topic - next topic

note is extended longer than it's supposed to be

When I play back some of the NWC files I make, in some measures a note will keep playing in the following measures and not stop. I'm not sure if it will keep playing til the end of the piece, because usually I will stop playback right away because it sounds so horrible. Anyway, what is going on?

Re: note is extended longer than it's supposed to be

Reply #1 –
More likely than not, you tied a note across a measure, and it has an accidental in one measure but not the other. The notes may look the smae, but since the pitches are different, a tie is not legitimate. Thus, the program continues the first note for a long time, because the tie does not actually have and ending.

Solution: Untie any notes like that. If you want them to have different pitches, use a slur (not tie). If you want the same pitch, then be sure that they have the same accidentals.

Re: note is extended longer than it's supposed to be

Reply #2 –
Thank you so much. I just have one more question. I did want them to be the same note, so I put an accidental on the tied note in the next bar, and it appears gray in color. But when actually reading the music and playing it on an instrument, should the second accidental in the next bar be actually showing on the paper, or should it be hidden? Is it understood when you're playing a tied note like that that you're not changing notes, or would you read it assuming it's a slur and play it changing the notes? I probably should know this, but for some reason I forgot.

Re: note is extended longer than it's supposed to be

Reply #3 –
A tie is always on the same note, by definition. When crossing a barline, you have to be sure that the same note is on both sides, otherwise you get the stuck sound you observed. The greyed-out accidental is provided as a courtesy to you, to help insure that it is indeed the correct note; it does not show up on the printout.

However, a slur is a different constuct, and can be applied to as many or as few notes as you like. It is to indicate phrasing (a more legato feel, in most cases*). You can tell the difference by the fact that a tie practically touches the noteheads, whereas a slur is drawn with a noticeable gap.

* One exception that comes to mind is guitar notation, in which slurs are used to indicate hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Re: note is extended longer than it's supposed to be

Reply #4 –
So then, the hidden accidental does not need to show up on the printout for you to play it as a tied note?
 

Re: note is extended longer than it's supposed to be

Reply #5 –
No, that's why it's hidden! It's only displayed in the editor screen to make it easier for you during editing.

By the way, the "Find" function has an option for locating ties with incorrect accidentals.