Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Bells Used Chart (Read 5367 times) previous topic - next topic

Bells Used Chart

I am writing music for handbell choir, and I need to put a "Bells Used Chart" below the title of my piece and before the start of the music. Normally it is done as a Grand Staff (with treble and bass clefs), with solid noteheads with no stems, showing all the pitches (handbells) used in the piece. Is there a way to do this in NWC? I've downloaded the 1.70 beta 3 (I am a registered user). Thanks for any help!
p.s. I just discovered the "layering" technique, and am fairly thrilled with this ability - since another requirement in handbell music is a fixed split (at C#5/Db5), now I can enter the more complicated rhythms on 2 staves and then layer them.

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #1 –
Hi Mel,

From your description, it sounds like you could use the NWCV15 font as one of the user-fonts, and insert 'noteheads' as text where you want them on the staves. (Of course, this would be for printing only and wouldn't play.)

(I'm not familiar with handbell notation, so please forgive if I've misunderstood your post...)

Sue

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #2 –
I can imagine that working - but how do I show it as a separate staff, before my piece starts, without having it count as measure #1? And noteheads won't "play"?
Sorry to be so ignorant about NWC - I have been using it for awhile, but not to do these more complicated edits.
---Mer

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #3 –
Start your song with enough hidden rests on both staves so they take up the first line.
Then you can insert what you want as text. If you use hidden quarter or eighth note rests you have better control where the text goes. Bar lines can be hidden. You can insert a (non-hidden) Section Close bar line at the end of the top line if you want.
When you play back there will be a long wait, unless you insert a very fast (hidden) tempo, then set it right at the start of the second line.

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #4 –
From Mel's comment "And noteheads won't 'play'?", I deduce that he's unfamiliar with the use of NWC for MIDI sequencing and has been using it for notation only.

Mel: If this deduction is right, you're missing half the fun. Assuming your setup is right (a topic too large for me to go into here, but many many people will be willing to help), you can use your computer's soundcard (or external MIDI device) to play back the music you're notating in NWC. I find this invaluable for finding errors by ear that my eyes haven't caught, and just for the sheer enjoyment of immediate feedback.

If I've misconstrued your comment, please excuse me.

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #5 –
Thanks everyone for the responses. Now, if I use the hide-it method, how do I get measure numbers for the "real" part of the piece to show up? Also, is there a way that I can have every measure numbered? That is also the convention in bell ringing music.

The midi capability is GREAT for catching wrong notes, I've been guilty of quite a few, nothing like hearing it to tell.
---Mer
p.s. I'm a she, and it's Mer, not Mel.

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #6 –
Oops. Sorry, Mer. My eyes must have been crossed. (I was reading "Mel Boer"!)

If you use hidden measures as suggested above, you're probably out of luck when it comes to measure numbering. There's currently no way to exclude hidden measures from the measure count. (Several people have recently requested enhancements to cover this situation, but none has been implemented.) If you need numbers and don't mind the extra work, it would probably work to insert the measure numbers as text items by hand.

Alternatively, you could notate the music in one .nwc file and the bell list in another, paste the "print previews" of the two files together into another program and print from there. I haven't personally done this so I can't offer instructions, but I've seen postings from people who have and they might be able to help.

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #7 –
Hi Mer,

(Sorry for my initial typo to your first post. It's probably what got everybody started calling you 'Mel'.)

Re: "Noteheads won't play". I had recommended using the NWC supplied font as TEXT... so that you could get a notehead without the stem. Since they would be considered TEXT symbols by NWC, and not real notes, during MIDI playback you would not hear them. That's what I meant.

But having read through all the posts, I think the two separate NWC files is a great idea, then you can notate in whatever way you'd like for the "Bells Used" file (and who cares about playback!), and still have measure numbering etc. in the actual score since it would be separate.

Hope we've helped you, please post back if you have more questions. Good Luck!

Sue

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #8 –
I don't know exactly what you want the first line to look like.
If you don't need staff lines in it,
you can start numbering the measures at zero,
and force a line break after the first measure.

Re: Bells Used Chart

Reply #9 –
Some great ideas, THANKS. I may try some combination of these to see what the effect is. This is one great bunch of helpful folks!
---Mer