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notes without stems

We are evaluating NW for use in preparing the parish Sunday bulletin. Often we need to include an antiphon or refrain for psalms. The usual notation for these does not include stems on any of the notes. How can we show black notes (quarter notes without stems) in NW?

Chip

Re: notes without stems

Reply #1 –
I can't think of any way to do that. There has just been a long discussion (https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=914) about different shaped notes, but of course it is just speculation. If you can live with regular notes, I have had good success with this product.

Re: notes without stems

Reply #2 –
NWC does not provide any method for hiding or removing the stem from a note.

Re: notes without stems

Reply #3 –
If you plan to use NWC scores into another software (word processing, ...), in that case there is a solution:
from the Print Preview, use the _C_opy button and export either as clipboard (then paste into your other document) either as .wmf file.
In your other document, "edit" the .wmf file or its result (double click on the picture in Word, for example) to remove the stems you do not want.
Do this when you're sure you're done with the NWC work, since you'll have to do it each time you import the .wmf !

Do not hesitate to ask me for more details if necessary.

    NWCly yours

Re: notes without stems

Reply #4 –
Ahem...
I just read the mshg 1073, and cannot figure out what ARE shaped notes. Does someone have a .gif/.jpg to refer to?
AfaIk, DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, SI are the NORMAL names of notes, at least for french, italian, spanish people. (It is translated as C, D, E, F, G, A, B in many other countries. But I remind that for vocalises, you use DO, RE, ME, FA, SO, LA, TI as note names... for simplicity sake? ;-)

So i can't figure out what IS the interest of writing DO instead of the note symbol at the proper place, especially if the "shape" depends on tonality...

For your knowledge, the note names are the first syllable of each 7 verses in the St John the Baptist' hymn , in latin. Except that DO is UT in that case (as we still use for the clef name, or other cases). Here it is:
UT queant laxis
REsonare fibris
MIra gestorum
FAmule tuorum
SOLve polluti
LAbii reatum
Sancte Iohannes.
Gui d'Arezzo, a benedict italian monk, chose that hymn, at the XIth century. UT became DO at XVIth century (probably 'cause it sounds better).

NWCly yours

Re: notes without stems

Reply #5 –
Marsu,

I also didn't know anything about shaped notes, but I found several pages by searching with altavista (I don't remember which ones were interesting).

What I think I understood, is that you don't have the french correspondance DO=C, RE=D, MI=E, and so on. This is true only in C major. In any case, you have DO = 1st degree, RE = 2nd degree, and so on.

For instance, in F major, DO = F, RE = G, MI = A, FA = Bb, and so on. For a french musician, it means this strange thing:
DO = fa
RE = sol
MI = la
FA = si bemol
SO = do
LA = re
TI = mi

I don't know what is the correspondance (if any) for minor keys.

I believe this also has a certain relationship with the so called "musica ficta", but I'm not sure.

About the DO instead of UT, I think it's because DO is the beginning of DOMINUS. Again, I'm not certain of that.

Re: notes without stems

Reply #6 –
I have e-mailed a GIF file, with a short extract from the Harvard Dictionary of Music. (Is there any way to attach GIF files to a forum posting?)

Shape notes were used as a way for musically untrained persons to sing hymns, by associating (sp?) different shaped note-heads with different notes of the scale.

Cyril

Re: notes without stems

Reply #7 –
For minor keys, the notes are positioned as for the related major key: that is, for a-minor, the "do" shape is on C.

Re: notes without stems

Reply #8 –
Sort of a long time ago, but . . .

There are two systems:

1. Moveable "do" meaning that the first note in a key will always be "do" meaning a major scale will always be do-re-mi . . .

2. In France (perhpas much of Europe) there is a "fixed" "do." Meaning that C is always "do."  This contributes to learning "perfect pitch."  C is always do, C# di, D - re, D# ri, etc.

Both systems have merit.  Moveable do is most simple

PAX!