Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Melismatic.nw (Read 13255 times) previous topic - next topic

Melismatic.nw

Melismatic.nw will detect melismas in a staff and automatically draw an extender line that spans the notes contained within the melisma. Only a single Melismatic.nw object is required. Simply add it to the start of any staff with lyrics, and the rest is automatic.

You can turn off Melismatic.nw at any point in a staff by adding a Melismatic.nw object, then assigning its Visibility to Never.

This object was inspired by the original work of Rick G on his rg_LyrEx object. The Melimatic object would not have been
possible without his original effort.

To get started, copy and paste the following object into a staff:

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.75,Single)
|User|Melismatic.nw|Pos:-11|Class:StaffSig
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

To turn off the Melismatic.nw process, simply copy and paste the following into the staff at the point where the processing is no longer required:

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.75,Single)
|User|Melismatic.nw|Pos:-11|Class:StaffSig|Visibility:Never
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #1 –
I'm now working on a song with in one staff many long ooh's and aah's, ending in a single whole note, with in another staff many syllabs and eight notes per measure.
So I have one small change request for the melismatic object: is it possible to extend the extender line so it spans right until just before the next note/chord/rest or bar, like a crescendo or decrescendo?

Thanks
Always look on the bright side of life!

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Opagust –
I'm now working on a song with in one staff many long ooh's and aah's, ending in a single whole note, with in another staff many syllabs and eight notes per measure.
So I have one small change request for the melismatic object: is it possible to extend the extender line so it spans right until just before the next note/chord/rest or bar, like a crescendo or decrescendo?

Thanks
What you are describing does not seem to be standard engraving practice for extender lines. Can you post an example clip or screen shot that shows what you are trying to do?

Perhaps Melismatic can be coaxed to do what you are asking, by using a hidden muted grace note:

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposer(2.7498)
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff"|Group:"Standard"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Section Close|Visible:Y|BoundaryTop:12|BoundaryBottom:16|Lines:5|Color:Default
|StaffProperties|Muted:N|Volume:127|StereoPan:64|Device:0|Channel:1
|StaffInstrument|Trans:0|DynVel:10,30,45,60,75,92,108,127
|Lyrics|Placement:Bottom|Align:Standard Rules|Offset:0
|Lyric1|Text:"Oo\nAh\n"
|User|Melismatic.nw|Pos:0|Class:StaffSig
|Clef|Type:Treble
|TimeSig|Signature:4/4
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1^
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-1|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1^
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1
!NoteWorthyComposer-End

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #3 –
Melismatic stops at the end of the last note. It generally can't be made to go farther without tricks such as shown by Mike.

Essentially, Melismatic will extend through any "syllable opt out" notes as if they are irrelevant, but won't enter the air space of a note that starts a new lyric syllable.

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #4 –
Quote from Mike:
Quote
Can you post an example clip or screen shot that shows what you are trying to do?

The example is in the last measure of your clip. On has to sing the last note until the end of the measure. So I inncluded another  grace note in the last measure and thet did the job! I found the slur is not really necessary.
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.7498,Single)
|User|Melismatic.nw|Pos:0|Class:StaffSig
|Clef|Type:Treble
|TimeSig|Signature:4/4
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1^
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1^
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace|Pos:-1|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Bar
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Quote
Perhaps Melismatic can be coaxed to do what you are asking, by using a hidden muted grace note
That would be nice!
Always look on the bright side of life!

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #5 –
Hi,

first of all: thanks for developping the Melismatic tool! This is something that I really missed through all the years I've been using the program!

Unfortunately the Melismatic tool does not work well for me: although it detects some of the melismas, it doesn't find all of them. But perhaps I am making a mistake when using the tool? Is there someone who can help me? I attached one of the files to show the problem, as well as a pdf Version in case you can't open the nwc file.


Thank you!


P.S.: English is not my first language, so there are probably some mistakes in the text...

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #7 –
Echoing Rick's question, I would mention that melisma lines for ties and slurs will not be drawn for a syllable that ends in a hyphen; they are generally only added for the final syllable of a hyphenated word. I am guessing that those are some of the ones you were expecting a line for.

Mike

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #8 –
Hi,

thanks for your quick answers!
Well, you're right, that's what I had wished to get (melismatic lines for all syllables)
So, in this case: do you know a way to make the program produce more hyphens between the syllables in case of long melismas?

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #9 –
Quote from: jfb-from-germany –
do you know a way to make the program produce more hyphens between the syllables in case of long melismas?
There is currently nothing automatic. In the past, I have simply used text.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #10 –
One way to add extra hyphens is to put them in the lyrics, separated by spaces, and then set several of the interior notes of the slur to have Lyric Syllable = Always set. For example, in the bottom staff, change the first "im-ple-vit" to "im-ple - - - vit", and set Lyric Syllable = Always (via notation properties) on the first, second, fourth and sixth notes (C, Bb, G, E) of that slur. You can set more (or fewer) hyphens as needed.

Let me know if this works for you.

Mike

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #11 –
Hi all,
(coming in as a first-time poster, but year-long reader of this forum, and reg. user since eons)
there seems to be a simpler solution to jfb's problem of non-final melismatic syllables:
In the lyrics text box, just add a blank to each such syllable, keeping the associated hyphen attached to the following syllable,
e.g. change "im-ple-vit" to "im -ple -vit".
The result can be seen in the first staff of the attached file, where I left the 2nd staff unmodified for comparison.
Maybe it doesn't meet strict engraving rules, but to my eyes, at least, it appears quite nice.
On the first occurrence of "dimisit", staff 1 also demonstrates what results if the trick is inadvertently applied to a non-melismatic syllable: Not the standard look, but not too weird either.

Horst (btw: from Germany)

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #12 –
The plugin has been updated. It now supports minimum lengths down to 0.

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #13 –
Quote from: NoteWorthy Online –
The plugin has been updated. It now supports minimum lengths down to 0.

Not in beta 9 on my machine. It won't let you set it to 0.

BTW. To get the melisma to work you need a slur or tie on the first note. It will then extend over all notes with lyric turned off (by default or force), even if not slurred or tied, until it comes to a rest or note with lyric turned on. This is useful for oo's and ah's, but they don't necessarily have a slurs or tie on the first note. You can get round this by tying an invisible grace note to the first note and setting its lyric to always.
 

Re: Melismatic.nw

Reply #14 –
I think that the melisma line should extend to the end of the bar at a system break, although I can't find anything definitive except some printed examples. It's easily achieved with the hidden grace note trick (above) but you need to know where it happens. Better if it were automatic.