Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Muting chord members in string harmonics (Read 5633 times) previous topic - next topic

Muting chord members in string harmonics

Is there a way to mute selected chord members?  I'm thinking of string harmonics where (except for the first natural harmonic) you notate the fundamental and the pitch fingered.  You don't normally notate the pitch sounded, but it's a good idea as a curtesy to the player.

If you notate all three pitches, is there a way to mute all but the pitch sounded?  I guess you could mute the whole chord and put the pitch sounded on a hidden staff, but that seems an awkward way to do it for an isolated note.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Peter

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #1 –
G'day Peter,
the only way would be to have 2 staves.

The first would be muted and have the visible notation.  The second would be hidden but it would be the one making all the noise.  This staff would only have the notes you wanted to hear on it, so you would still notate your chord, but leave the 'silent' notes out.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #2 –
Quote
the only way would be to have 2 staves.

On yer bike!

Code: [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:0^|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:Whole|Pos:-2,0|Opts:Muted
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

does the trick. And if you don't want to print the sounding note make it headless. You might have to play around with stem lengths however.

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #3 –
G'day Peter,
good one.  You are, of course, quite correct.

<See reply #4 for a correction>
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #4 –
Peter,
An update, I've found a small problem...  Unless there is a subsequent note of the same pitch, you end up with a hanging tie...

With your example, unless you specify an instrument capable of sustain, you don't notice it.  Change the staff instrument from default to say, violin, add a few additional notes (that are not on the centre line) and you'll hear what I mean.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #5 –
Thanks for the great idea!  Let's say you have a series of several notes, of which only the first is a harmonic.  Notate the harmonic as usual, and mute the chord.  Preceed it with a non-printed but sounded grace note tied to another non-printed grace note on the same pitch immediately before the second (sounded) tone.  That does the trick perfectly.

Thanks again,
Peter

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #6 –
This approach will solve the hanging tie problem
Code: [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Instrument|Name:"Flute"|Patch:73
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:-2^|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:0X^|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:Half|Pos:-2,0
|Rest|Dur:8th
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:0^|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:2z^|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:16th,Triplet=First|Pos:0,2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:-1^|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:1X^|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:16th,Triplet|Pos:-1,1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:-2^|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:0X^|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:16th,Triplet=End|Pos:-2,0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Rest|Dur:4th
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
Registered user since 1996

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #7 –
Yes, that works. Just a pity it's a bit more complicated.

To summarise:

Insert a hidden tied grace note or chord for the notes you want to sound (this makes them start at the right time).
Insert a muted hidden tied grace note or chord for the notes you don't want to sound.
Inset the chord as normal with appropriate note heads as required.
 

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #8 –
The note which is just "touched" to produce the harmonic is often diamond shaped.  Is there a way to do this?
Since 1998

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #9 –
Continuing on from Rick G.'s sample, I thought to try a simplification.  I simply left out the hidden-tied-grace-note for the sounding note (Peter Edward's first step in his summary).   THIS DOES NOT WORK - the triplet is sounded staccato.

Code: [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Instrument|Name:"Flute"|Patch:73|Trans:0|DynVel:10,30,45,60,75,92,108,127|Pos:8
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:0X^|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:Half|Pos:-2,0
|Rest|Dur:8th
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:2z^|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:16th,Triplet=First|Pos:0,2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:1X^|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:16th,Triplet|Pos:-1,1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:4th,Grace|Pos:0X^|Opts:Muted|Visibility:Never
|Chord|Dur:16th,Triplet=End|Pos:-2,0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Rest|Dur:4th
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Re: Muting chord members in string harmonics

Reply #10 –
Quote
The note which is just "touched" to produce the harmonic is often diamond shaped.  Is there a way to do this?

NWC2 allows diamond shaped noteheads.