Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: my new updated wish list (Read 2551 times) previous topic - next topic

my new updated wish list

Hi, people!

I saw that some of my wishes were somewhat miss interpreted.
so, I decided again, to concentrate all explanations about them in an additional message.

and a second thing:
I had many problems in editing notes until I "met" NWC.
I think all together it's a wonderful tool, and some features, like the Transpose staff and the force/audit accidentals are absolutely amazing.

OK,
and here goes :

here and there I managed to gather some peoples views about several things they had wished for.
but since I can't brows the actual "Wish List",
I gathered my wish list for you people to tell me if there's something left for me to submit
to the actual wish list.

maybe some of the things here are already in place and implemented and it is just
me who don't know how to use them ...
I know that some of the thing has, at least, a partial way to go around them.
but this is a wish list ... or at list the draft of it ...

another idea is that maybe some of those things, if implemented, would even damage some concepts of working with NWC,but, again, these are just suggestions.

because this will turn out to be such a long message -
I forced myself to make do with only one line for each wish, otherwise I don't think anyone would read it...
but, of course, if someone wants me to elaborate on any of them - I'll gladly do so.

thanks .

problem with triplets
---------------------

1) mark triplets on several bars.

exp.:
of course we all now NWC has problems with importing triplets from MIDI files.
so, after importing, I need to mark all triplet notes and press the "triplet" button.
but, currently I need to do this bar after bar, separately.

2) improve the midi import to triplets.

exp. : I think this speaks for itself.

a way around: to increase the note resolution in the import properties.

3) to change the direction of which the 3th mark is written.

exp. : sometimes the 3th mark hides notes in neighboring staffs.
I found that I can't determined the direction( down or above the staff)
where the 3th found.

a way around: Shift+up/down to change beam directions.

4) to allow a triplet (like 3 quarters) in concurrent with a "duo" (like 2 quarters) on the same staff.

exp. : from above - 2 8th : A and B.
from bellow - 3 8th : F, E, D
played at the same time on the same staff.

a way around: use layering or two staffs.

I made an example for this.
it is found here :
http://www.geocities.com/illubator/music/nwcforum/triplets.zip

I had put it in a zip format - because this server can't accept .nwc files ..
It's from Rachmaninoffs Cello sonata op. 19, 3rd movement.
staffs 2 and 3 from above belongs to the right hand, and should have been written
on the same staff.
for more on this - press the Information button (i) for this piece in NWC.

enough with triplets ...

5) to influence the why in which grace notes are played.

exp. : it seems to me that I don't really can influence the tempo in which those grace notes are played - who is faster who is slower, and in general they don't really obey my "Tempo" orders.

a way around: use hidden staff with notes that aren't "graced" and mute the graced.

problems with lyrics:
--------------------

6) keep lyrics hidden - but not deleted.

exp. : I put a lot of effort in writing lyrics.
once I decided I'm not interested in them at a particular time (e.g. line count: none)
- they are gone for ever.

a way around: use a hidden staff with the lyrics or use an "empty" staff with just the lyrics.
but then it doesn't assure me they would fit the notes.

7) to allow lyrics editing on the score itself.

exp.: this is a very big problem.
let's say I have in front of me the sheet music with the words - every word belong to a certain note. now let's say I have the song lyrics from the internet.
now, I'm doing copy-paste into the Lyrics in NWC.
I compare it to my sheet music - and of course it doesn't match.
now I need to go from the lyrics to the score, time after time, to see how my added "spaces"
and words splits influenced the outcome.
this is exhausting ...

8) to allow lowering or raising a specific word in the lyrics, when it hides a note.

exp. : this is very straight foreword.

a way around: use an additional hidden or layered staff.
but this is very awkward.

enough with lyrics ...

9) to enable marking and manipulating several notes of different length.

now, about this wish -
it can seriously damage some NWC concepts that helps us users to avoid mistakes.
maybe fulfilling it requires another button, like the "persistent note tools" button.

exp. : OK, I see some had trouble understanding that.
let's say I have a 2th a 4th an 8th and a 16th notes.
now, let's say I want to make all of them to be 8ths.
currently I need to mark and do it separately to each one of them.

a way around: mark them all and press the (-) or the (+) until they are all of the same length.

10) to allow deleting of the second note in a tie without the tie going crazy on me ...

exp. : sometimes in editing, deleting the second note is much more convenient.
why won't the tie just disappear after that ?

11) to allow for chords where the edges are of the same length and the middle is shorter.

exp. : At present, we can have just two different note lengths in a chord.
one length above, and the other from under. this is not enough.

a way around: again .. layering, but it just won't do suitable enough here.

12) to delete a rest within a chord without having to delete the whole chord.

exp. : now, in order to insert a rest to a chord, we must first write the rest
(with stem at one direction) and only then write the notes.
maybe this is why we need to delete the whole chord in order to reach and delete the rest.

13) somewhere I remember seeing a slur within a slur ...

exp. : this can't be done in NWC.

a way around: maybe add a text expr.

14) transfer between clefs to be more automatic.

exp. :let's say I have notes written in bass clef.
now, I play, among other things, the recorder (soprano one).
so I have to take all notes one or to octaves up.
this wouldn't do with bass clef - I'll need to move to the treble one.
currently I need to mark the clef, then press Ctrl+E or Alt+Enter,
then change the clef, the decide how many semitones should I move the notes,
then mark all notes and then Ctrl+Shift +(PageUp or PageDown) them accordingly.
so, I wish it was more automatic.

15) to allow preferences in the "enharmonic spelling" tool - this is so important.

exp. : indeed, from all my wishes I'll do with this one alone
( like what we say in HAGADA of "Passover" - if anyone knows ... )
I saw people didn't understand that, so I'll explain and I made some examples.

I'm not so educated about music theory, and many times I find my fingers pressing the right piano keys without me knowing why it is like that.
ok, I admitted my ignorance ...
but when I play concerto of Mozart or a piece by schubert there are certain patterns
that I know what to expect with out reading all the note.
now, when I have a score in NWC, everything seems fine, until I print it and takes it to the piano.  suddenly chords of  Schubert seems like they had been written by prokofieff.
It is hard to play like this.
I noticed that the "audit enharmonic spelling" changes all sharps to flats if my Key-signature
has flats, and vice versa with sharps.
this is not right !!!
sometimes I'd like to have a B-flat major key signature ( B-flat and E-flat)
and still  keep my C#'s without turning them into D-flat's.
(b.t.w. - where is the keyboard sign for flat ? )

I added 3 examples here :
http://www.geocities.com/illubator/music/nwcforum/enharmonic.zip

go to the Information button (i) for each piece to see more.

a way around:
some people suggested the transpose-zero method.
this won't do.
some people somewhere wrote about find and replace all.
this is very dangerous, since replacing notes with flat,sharp or natural marks  in front of them effects the rest of the bar - and will surely result in mistakes which will be hard to correct later on.

16) for several specially written helpful flats and sharps not to be deleted after applying the
"enharmonic spelling" or the "audit accidentals" tools.

exp. : if I'm using the score for playing, I want to be able to mark some flats and sharps to help me remember there is a flat or sharp here, no matter that it doesn't requires from a musical rule point of view.

17) a tool for merging staffs.

exp. : this speaks for itself.

a way around : you can set those staffs on the same channel number,
then save it as midi type zero, and then open it with a large "maximum single track chord size".
or  you can use Layering.
but both has it's own problems.

18) a tool to compare two staffs.

exp. : sometimes I achieve midi's from several sources - I cut and paste whole staffs -
and I want to compare for mistakes or for a more interesting ways of writing it.
nowadays, I need to put them one under the other and watch bar after bar.

a way around: play and here. - but it won't do accurately enough here.

19) for tools (like "transpose" or "MPC:pitch" ) to work on the whole score/channels at once.

exp. : let's say I am playing with accompaniment of a digital orchestra, and my tool
( piano, recorder, what ever ) doesn't really adjusted to the computer.
another problem: let's say I'm playing a song- with the digital orchestra accompaniment is on channels 2 3 and 4. now, on a second song with those channels - MPC:pitch will keep
it previously changed pitches. but if my new channels were to be 2, 3 and 5 -
I'll get a mess ( somes' pitch would be changed - and somes' won't)

a way around: don't be lazy and initialize all at start, and then change what ever you like.
but this is not really good - wish list is all about allowing us to be lazier ...

20) to change all my previous written tempo to be played faster or slower.

exp.: I was very good and added a "conductor" staff just for tempo changes.
now, I heard a recorder of the piece and found out it all should be played 10 tempo points faster. so what? should I write the whole tempo staff again ?

21) to change all my previous written dynamics to be played stronger or weaker.

exp.: this is somewhat similar to the previous. but it needs to be explained,
otherwise you'll all tell me just to turn around the volume button of my sound blaster ...
let's say I already wrote all the dynamics for all staffs.
now, for the second staff I choose the voice of a flute.
flute however, sounds pretty weak - so I want to enhance it, but keep my previous dynamics from three reasons: 1) I have already made the effort and relatively to this staff itself the dynamics is OK. 2) the original dynamics as they were written by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert or others
are just those, and I'll feel to be violating something.
3) when I print this score - I want those marks to appear - and not others.

and please don't tell me again to use a hidden staff ...

22) to change the volume of a long note during its performance.

exp.: I think this speaks for itself.
I used the MPC:volume, and it doesn't work.
I think I have a not so old sound card.
could it still be my problem ?

23) to allow me in any point on the staff, maybe within the right click -> staff properties,
to know in what tempo, volume and other things am I at this point.

exp. : let's say for example I'm now editing my tempo-conductor staff.
I get to a point I decide I want this to be 5 points faster, but I can't remember: faster then what ?
so I go back to the last tempo mark - and now I don't remember where was the point where I wanted to accelerate ... tedious ha ?!

24) to allow zooming for every size ( I can do 4,6 and 8 - but I can't do a 5 and a 7 ).

exp.: I just can't do it using the "specify zooming Level" button

25) in the score review - it will be much helpful, for me at least,
to see the NAME of the instrument instead of some patch number.

exp.: when editing scores fore orchestra it can be quite an effort.

26) to allow marking of distinct fragmented segments of a staff at once
( like the Ctrl and the Ctrl+Shift in windows explorer )

exp.: let's say I want to reverse the beam of some 16th in the score.
currently I have to seek them one by one and press the Shift+Up/Down button
for each time. I would have like to mark them all - and then press the Shift+Up/Down button
just once.

27) to copy a staff - but just the dynamics - without the notes.

exp.: this may sounds ridiculous - but I found it can be quite useful if applied.
for example- I marked the dynamics of the flute.
no I turn to the clarinet that plays together with him.
so, those dynamics, in this case would do just fine for the clarinet too.
another example, left hand and right hand of the piano.

a way around: use MPC, for the piano case.

28) I couldn't find marks like "Andante" and "Allegro". is it possible there aren't ?

exp.: I know there are many signs like that.
I don't remember them all, but I think it would help if there was a way to brows through them,
maybe I'll find something I want.

a way around : use the "text expression" for signs you remember.
and in that particular case - use "insert tempo" also.

finally - this is something regarding the "NW Player" :
29) can it be set to start playing from any point and not just from start ?

exp.: I edited some pieces - and I want to give it to some friends to practice their parts.
but, every time my a friend of mine encounters a problem - BAM ! he stops and has to start all over again.
now, if it is the bwv. 243 magnificat  by Bach - it is a long way back.

a way around : just let them install the Composer.
but this is problematic.
some of them are old and completely ignorant with computers.
they press wrong buttons and the score changes and damaged.

OK, enough, that's it !
Tell me what you think.
BYE

Re: my new updated wish list

Reply #1 –
Ori, your suggestions/wishes are very good.

Regarding #6
a/- I think it would be nice to be able to turn the display of lyrics for a particular staff on or off - this could be achieved by having a toggle box in the Staff properties dialogue box, View tab.  It would be nice also to be able to display some, not all, lyrics attached to a staff.  This could be achieved by allowing the various tabs within the Lyric Editor box to be set to hidden or visible.  So, for instance, if you had 4 verses and only want to show/print the last one, you would set tabs 1, 2 and 3 to be hidden.

b/- you mention the layered staff workaround doesn't assure the lyrics will fit the notes.  If you send me your email address, I'll send you a small file (ori'sfile.nwc) which might show that it can.  You can email me at davidpalmquist@dccnet.com

Regarding #13
I agree with you.  The second (bigger)curve  is needed for marking a "phrase"

Regarding #16
I agree with you.  These are known as "courtesy accidentals" and are frequently encountered in the jazz scores I've been working with.  I would like your suggestion to be enhanced by having an option to put parentheses around the courtesy accidental, like so:
(#)

Regarding #21
Until such time as they become available in NWC, here are two possible workarounds for your flute example:
a/- When you place a dynamic marking, you can edit it using Ctrl-E, and override the note velocity, or
b/- you can actually place 2 dynamics beside each other, the first one being what you want displayed, the second one will be what you hear on playback.  Make the second dynamic invisible.

Regarding #25
If you've named the staff (staff properties - general)you will see the name of the instrument for the active staff in the status bar at the bottom right corner of the screen.  If you wish to see it in the print preview window and on the printout as well, then use File, Page Setup, Options, Staff Labels.

Re: my new updated wish list

Reply #2 –
Okay, this is a great list!
Here are some comments:

3) I think this might be the same problem as when accents and stacatto dots are used but can't go in the direction desired - maybe with the 3 mark, just open it up in a graphic editor by copying the print preview and deleting the 3 in the triplets but before that, insert 3 in the desired place(s) with a text expression.
One thing regarding scores- a lot of times, much of it consists of triplets and the 3 isn't written after the first bar. Unfortunetely, Noteworthy doesn't give you the option of not writing the 3 mark for triplets. Imagine wirting Moonlight Sonata, 1st movement with every triplet having a 3 mark! It'd look horrible!

10) also, it would be useful to be able to highlight a chord and having every one of its members to be tied at once instead of creating a tied chord one note at a time

13) I have never seen a slur within a slur! Are you sure it wasn't a tie within a slur?

Your comment about something being written by Schubert turning into something written by Prokofiev - I hope you're not dissing him, man!

19) Yes, this is a wonderful idea when working with numerous instrument parts

23) wonderful! that would make life a bit easier

here's some stuff to add:

30) the ability to have two notes played on the same line but not have separate stems- I'm not sure if you know what I'm talking about, but it looks like branches of a tree

31) beamed notes over an actual bar line, not text bar lines

32) the ability to recognize two staves as one(like sheet music for the piano)
anyone will recongnize that piano sheet music is about impossible to print and look right
what I mean is to have a shared note between the treble and bass staves(like two eighth notes beamed together but opposite ways, between the two staves)

33) similar to 32, have one member of a beamed group to have an opposite stem to the others

34) have legato lines that aren't so stupid looking- they need to bend and be a bit closer to the notes

despite the power of this program and its usefulness, it's futile to do some things, like printing piano sheet music.
some changes need to be done!

Re: my new updated wish list

Reply #3 –
to allow deleting of the second note in a tie without the tie going crazy on me ...

exp. : sometimes in editing, deleting the second note is much more convenient.  why won't the tie just disappear after that ?

I think this is a very convenient "feature".  Often you want to tie a note to another note that occurs further down the score, separated by several other notes or chords.  One of the few ways to do this is to temporarily add a note immediately following the leftmost one you want to tie, make the tie, and then remove the temporary "scaffolding" note.  The resulting tie then searches for its partner, finding the intended one.

Re: my new updated wish list

Reply #4 –
Hi,
I would like to add these two small wishes:
1) addition of "breve" symbol (that is a note with duration = 2 * whole; it is very, very used in ancient music)
2) the possibility to short stem length; expecially when notes with different duration are beamed together (for istance 1 eighth and 2 sixteenth) stems become too much long

Thanks for your attention,
Marco