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Topic: Transposing from C major/A minor (Read 6248 times) previous topic - next topic

Transposing from C major/A minor

Has anyone else noticed that when transposing from C major/A minor, the key signature is not changed, although the notes move, requiring the user to put the new key signature in manually?

I assume this is a bug (and I've submitted a request to the wish list), or does anyone know differently.

It's no great hassle to put it in manually, but it's an annoying idiosyncrasy.

Phil.

Re: Transposing from C major/A minor

Reply #1 –
The key signature for C major/A minor is the same. The A minor scale is the Aeolian mode of C major. The tonic emphasis is different, but the signature is the same. I suspect you are thinking of either the harmonic are melodic minor of A, which I consider alterations of the Aeolian A minor. I prefer the current behaivor of NWC in this respect.

Re: Transposing from C major/A minor

Reply #2 –
I think Phil meant that when you transpose FROM Cmaj OR Amin ie NO KEY SIG, you don't get a new key sig.
I agree that it's a pain, and that NWC could be made smart enough to add a sig where none exists before transposing.
The easiest work around is, as Phil says, adding the key signature manually, though adding a C maj signature (single F natural) before transposing is probably the best way.

Andrew

Re: Transposing from C major/A minor

Reply #3 –
Adding a Cmajor key signature when the staff is in that key is mandatory if you intend to transpose otherwise NWC does not know what key you are in and therefore cant add a new key signature for the transposition.
Adding a Cmajor key signature is not a work around it's essential.

Re: Transposing from C major/A minor

Reply #4 –
I misread Phil's message originally. But I still think there is a certain advantage to the way NWC handles the key signature transposition: that is transposing a key signature only when there is an explicit key signature (the single F natural for C major/A minor). I'm thinking specifically of nontonal music where a key signature could be considered superfluous aside from ease of reading issues. Perhaps whats needed is a global preference to defualt to either no key, or a particular key such as C major. But having written that, it occurs to me that setting up templates with the desired could accomplish the same thing.

Re: Transposing from C major/A minor

Reply #5 –
.... setting up templates with the desired default key could accomplish the same thing.

Re: Transposing from C major/A minor

Reply #6 –
Adding a key signature when writing in C major is essential, and it's no problem, because nothing shows when you print out. It displays as a natural sign when you're working in NWC just so that you know that it's there.

Re: Transposing from C major/A minor

Reply #7 –
Here's one for you all

I have got a solo for Bb trumpet with piano accompaniment.
Trumpet in 2 flats and piano in 4 flats.

I typed in the solo and the piano part as they appeared on the original. Playback was fine.

Next, because I play Eb altohorn, I transposed the piano part down 5 semitones. Looking for the key signature to be 5 flats as the Eb parts in the same sounding pitch have one more sharp than the Bb. To my surprise I was presented with the key signature of 7 sharps. This proved to be enharmonically the same as 5 flats but probably harder for a pianist to read.

Any suggestions for changing the key to 5 flats without having to fiddle with the part too much??

Cheers

Sergio