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Topic: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords (Read 24059 times) previous topic - next topic

Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

My biggest wish is for < and > crescendo symbols.
I have seen the suggestion of using text with a "music thingy" font.
If this is the way to do it, could someone make such a font available?

The other problem I encounter is trying to hold a note on a staff while
other notes play. This can be done by make a chord with two notes
in the same place (eg whole note and quarter node). Most music
I see would put a quarter rest under the whole note, which
looks nicer. So the wish is to place rests in chords.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #1 –
I agree with your first wish !

Re your second problem, this is possible now and you don't need to wish for it.

Enter the rest first (also assigning a stem direction even though a rest does not have one)
Then enter the second note as you would a normal chord member (Ctrl and enter) making sure that the stem direction is the opposite to the one selected for the rest.

You will now have a chord consisting of a rest and a note.

As Eric says - Hope this helps.

Richard

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #2 –
In my experience, this works only if the note is longer than
the rest. Have I missed something?

Paul

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #3 –
I also agree with the < and > symbols, especially if they are working models, i.e., they will cause a gradual change between levels inserted before and after the symbols.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #4 –
The problem of writing crescendo and decrescendo signs can
be solved by using the drawing capabilities of an other
program. I use Word 6.
The principle is :
- preview the page where you want to add cresc and decresc
signs
- select "copy" to copy this page to the windows clipboard
- open a new document with Word
- paste the saved page on this new document
- the drawing of the cresc and decresc signs needs a good
practice of the drawing tools of Word and lot of patience
but the result is quite good.
Good luck.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #5 –
It is a lot faster to draw the symbols on the paper by hand.
I am really hoping there is some way to get them in a font.
I wish they were done correctly.

This is a wonderful product! This is the only significant
limitation I have found.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #6 –
I agree.
The ability of writing hairpins should be included in a
future version of NWC. Waiting for this future version, the
bypass I describe may help people who need very clean
printouts today.
I agree with your last statement : nwc is a wonderfull
product.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #7 –
The program is very good, especially now v 1.5 is out. All that it needs is the ability to put hairpins in!

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #8 –
Hairpins could be done the same way as slurs: mark a group of notes, and pick Crescendo or Decrescendo. They are drawn the same way as slurs - a stretched shape. (Slurs should really tilt with the position of the notes, but what we have is good enough for me.) The only difference is the user must select the position, which would be the insertion point before the selecting began.

Easy for me to say, but it does not look too hard, or anything really new.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #9 –
"Hairpin" is a term used in this forum for crescendo and decrescendo symbols (< and >). I guess they look like slightly opened hairpins. NWC does not do them. It should.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #10 –
Downloaded my first NWC program earlier this evening; it's now 2:00am and I can't stop reading these messages...have barely scratched the surface on what this thing can do, but am learning lots just reading right here!

Dumb newbie question: what's a hairpin??!!

Is this forum too advanced for beginning MIDI questions? I downloaded this thing just so I could notate a few lines of music...now it looks like it may cover most if not all of my needs for my Alesis synth, but I'm barely getting started and know NOTHING!! Maybe I'd better start a special reply section for myself...

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #11 –
Yes, I agree with the use of hairpins, I've always drawn them in with my scanner and paint shop pro

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #12 –
HAIRPINS Cresendo- Diminuendo(Decresendo)
Let me suggest a method to implement, similiar to another composing program I have used.
Since line drawing capability is in NWC, as seen in Bar Lines al-be-it about twice as wide as needed for hairpins, let's draw the hairpins with perhaps the following procedure:
INSERT
Cresendo
Diminuendo Select one
Let's select Cresendo -- Cresendo Dialog Box 1 appears
Select Start Point(position)
Lower insert cursor to a point below the start note
Hit Enter A . will indicate point.
Cresendo Dialog Box 2 appears
Select End Point (position)
Position insert cursor to righr of start point and
above or below the start point position
Hit Enter NWC will now draw 2 lines from the
start point to the endpoint above and below the
start point (example: 2 cursor positions above
and 2 cursor positions below
For Diminuendo (Decresendo) Reverse process for drawing
the 2 lines.

Example for Cresendo:
. End point selected
Start point selected . draw 2 lines
. End point determined

If this seems reasonable, perhaps NWC could implement actually quite easily.

Don Ruckman email ruckdr@jps.net

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #13 –
HAIRPINS Cresendo- Diminuendo(Decresendo)
Let me suggest a method to implement, similiar to another composing program I have used.
Since line drawing capability is in NWC, as seen in Bar Lines al-be-it about twice as wide as needed for hairpins, let's draw the hairpins with perhaps the following procedure:
INSERT
Cresendo
Diminuendo Select one
Let's select Cresendo -- Cresendo Dialog Box 1 appears
Select Start Point(position)
Lower insert cursor to a point below the start note
Hit Enter A . will indicate point.
Cresendo Dialog Box 2 appears
Select End Point (position)
Position insert cursor to righr of start point and
above or below the start point position
Hit Enter NWC will now draw 2 lines from the
start point to the endpoint above and below the
start point (example: 2 cursor positions above
and 2 cursor positions below
For Diminuendo (Decresendo) Reverse process for drawing
the 2 lines.

Example for Cresendo:
. End point selected
Start point selected . draw 2 lines
. End point determined

If this seems reasonable, perhaps NWC could implement actually quite easily.

Don Ruckman email ruckdr@jps.net

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #14 –
This seems a little complicated, and does not follow the NWC style of doing things. NWC should know what a crescendo symbol is and how to draw it. The user tells NWC where it should go. Selecting the range of notes should be sufficient.

The dialog should have the standard hide-when-printing and position spin control options. In addition, you should be able to specify the dynamic level (eg. piano, forte) at the end of the crescendo.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #15 –
Blair, I agree with you that NWC should treat the cresendo, decresendo as any other element once it is formed.
The only reason for suggesting this 'draw' method is that it allows for long narrow cresendos(de...),covering many measures or notes, and/or short fat symbols covering as little as one note or measure. This should not preclude the insertion of dynamics at cursor positions before and/or after the symbol. Yes, the dynamic levels, could be asked for in the dialog boxes for start(if any desired), and for ending(if any desired). Sorry about my above example, the formatting of the reply did not match as input here in the reply box.

Don Ruckman ruckdr@jps.net

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #16 –
The length could be determined by selecting the notes the same way it is done for a tie or slur. Vertical position determined by where the insertion point was before the select, and can be changed in the dialog that pops up after the crescendo command is picked.

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #17 –
Blair, Selection of notes and initial (verticle)position by where insertion point is before select is fine; are you then assuming the opening of the symbol to always be the same(at beginning or end) which is probably OK. We have all seen cresendos/decresendos with variable openings, depending upon dymanics at start and end. Probably not necessary with dynamics at beginning and end.

I agree, let's get it done.
Don Ruckman ruckdr@jps.net
 

Re: Wishes: Crescendo Symbols; Rests in Chords

Reply #18 –
I think de/cresc. would fit nicely on top of the select-the-notes-and-add-the-attribute model. Note, though, that a de/cresc. is not really a note attribute like slurs (more like a channel-wide attribute, like volume, though really it affects the velocity of the notedown event), but could be treated as such for ease of use. I'd prefer to do this over - say - dragging the mouse, as horizontal scrolling could become a real nuisance, esp. on the really fast machines.

Andrew