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Graphic score notation

I’m going to be doing some experimental scores for a graduate project. What capabilities does NWC offer for this type of thing?

I have an example from Roger Dean’s Creative Improvisation”.  The lines of beamed notes are diagonal as opposed to straight across.

I’m unable to upload the photo example for some reason. 😞

There are other possibilities I’m interested in as well.

Thanks

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #1
In general, I would say that what NWC offers is the facility for creating a custom plugin that will draw just about anything you can imagine. And some things you can't imagine until you see them :)

If you can figure out how to share that example, I am sure one of us can suggest an approach that should work. If the forum won't let you upload the image, you should still have my email address, and you can try sending it to me that way.

Mike

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #2
Hey Mike

I am going to try using my computer instead of my phone.

If you are interested, there are some cool looking scores in this article:
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/graphic-scores-art-music-pictures/

I'm not necessarily looking to be that avantgarde...

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #3
Harald Muller has done some of these with his Beam.hmm user plugin

Suggest you install beam.hmm and then go through all of the examples on the first and second posting .
I think the example you gave is very similar to his "speed variation beams".

Easiest way to try this would be to download SpeedVariationBeams.nwctxt from the posting and it will then encourage you to download beam.hmm if you don't have it.

https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=9745.0

HTH

 

Rich.

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #4
The Beam.hmm object has an example how to create slanted beams.

Regarding other established "new notations" as described in "Behind Bars" (BB) by Elaine Gould, NWC cannot, as far as I know, help you much - be it the various cluster notations (BB pp.326-329), microtones (BB pp.94-98), various "wavy lines" (BB p.147 for vibrato, p.334 for pedalling, p.406 for bow pressure), (exact) proportional spacing (BB p.629 and following - ok, spacers could make it work) and "free graphical notation" (e.g. BB p.595, p.606) and aleatoric notations.

However, as all this is not standard, you can invent formats that actually can be done in NWC, explain them in text - and voila, NWC can do "everything"!

H.M.

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #5
You might try:
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposer(2.751)
|PgSetup|Zoom:6
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)|WithNextStaff:Layer
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=11,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=11,Beam=End
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff-2"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)|WithNextStaff:Layer
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=11,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=9,Beam=End
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff-2-2"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)|WithNextStaff:Layer
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=11,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=7,Beam=End
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff-2-2-2"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)|WithNextStaff:Layer
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=11,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=5,Beam=End
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff-2-2-2-2"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=11,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,StemLength=3,Beam=End
!NoteWorthyComposer-End
Registered user since 1996

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #6
Thanks for some suggestions. I didn't even think to look in BB for examples of notation. I shall do that and attach some photos. Would it be possible for someone to develop tools for NWC to enable these notations?

I have already experimented with removing all stems, bar lines, and reducing the staff lines to 1, then using colours on the noteheads with a legend explaining the colours. It looks slightly different but not alarmingly so. It leaves it up to the performers to determine some things like actual pitch and quality. It's totally exploratory for me at this stage.

I like the heart score. It is very old (14th century, I believe)


Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #7
BB Cluster might look like this:
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposer(2.751)
|PgSetup|Zoom:6
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)|BoundaryBottom:8|Lines:1|WithNextStaff:ConnectBars
|TimeSig|Signature:2/4|Visibility:Never
|Spacer|Width:25
|Boundary|Style:Gap|Width:200|SystemConnections:N
|Spacer|Width:50
|Bar
|Chord|Dur:4th,Dotted|Pos:7g,9g|Opts:NoLegerLines
|Chord|Dur:32nd|Pos:1g,3g,5g|Opts:Stem=Down,StemLength=10,Beam=First,NoLegerLines
|Spacer|Width:0|Color:1
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-5z|Opts:Stem=Down,StemLength=0,Beam=End,XNoteSpace=1,NoLegerLines,Muted
|Rest|Dur:32nd|Visibility:Never
|Bar
|Rest|Dur:Whole|Opts:VertOffset=-2
|Bar
|Chord|Dur:8th,Staccato,Accent|Pos:7g,9g,11g,13g|Opts:NoLegerLines
|Rest|Dur:8th
|Rest|Dur:4th
|Bar
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff-2"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Open (hidden)|BoundaryTop:8|Lines:1
|TimeSig|Signature:2/4|Visibility:Never
|Spacer|Width:25
|Boundary|Style:Gap|Width:200|SystemConnections:N
|Bar
|Rest|Dur:4th
|Rest|Dur:8th
|User|Hairpin.ms|Pos:-8|Span:3|EndOffsetY:-4|EndOffsetX:-1.5
|Rest|Dur:32nd|Visibility:Never
|RestChord|Dur:16th,Dotted|Opts:Stem=Down,StemLength=10.8,NoLegerLines,HideRest|Dur2:4th,Dotted|Pos2:-5g,-3g
|Bar
|Rest|Dur:8th
|Text|Text:"f   "|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:-12.5|Justify:Right|Placement:AtNextNote
|Chord|Dur:8th,Staccato,Accent|Pos:-9g,-7g,-5g,-3g|Opts:NoLegerLines
|Rest|Dur:4th
|Bar
|Rest|Dur:Whole|Opts:VertOffset=-2
|Bar
!NoteWorthyComposer-End
Registered user since 1996

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #8
Thanks, Rick. That's a good replication. Did it take very long to accomplish?

I tried to reproduce some proportional notation but it's tricky to get the thick lines longer. Here are some examples of trial runs.


Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #9
Another approach that might work for the proportional extender marks would be to use the Glissando.ms object. You can remove the text, change the line weight, and change the X and Y offsets to keep the line horizontal (or, you could add hidden mute notes to serve as the anchor points). The only problem is that the line drawing function for NWC plugins draws the ends of the lines as rounded. It would probably make sense to create a separate "extender" object that draws them as rectangles with sharp corners (and makes it easier to keep them horizontal).

I've attached another example I was playing around with. The one with the fancier curve was created using a SlurCubic where I allow negative Strength values. You could create the same effect with two back-to-back slurs with an invisible note between them.

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #10
Oh, I like those options, Mike!

Could you show me what you mean with the gliss object? The thickness is supposed to be the same as a beam.

 

Re: Graphic score notation

Reply #11
Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.751,Single)
|Note|Dur:4th,Slur|Pos:b0|Opts:StemLength=0
|User|Glissando.ms|Pos:-1|Class:Span|Weight:4|Text:|StartOffsetY:0.3|EndOffsetY:0.3|ap:2|StartOffsetX:0.2|EndOffsetX:-0.3
|Spacer|Width:1000
|Note|Dur:4th,Slur|Pos:b-1|Opts:Stem=Down,StemLength=0
|User|Glissando.ms|Pos:-1|Weight:4|Text:|StartOffsetY:0.4|EndOffsetY:0.4|ap:1|StartOffsetX:0.2|EndOffsetX:-0.2
|Spacer|Width:225
|Note|Dur:4th,Slur|Pos:b-2|Opts:Stem=Down,StemLength=0
|Spacer|Width:50
|Note|Dur:4th,Slur|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Down,StemLength=0
|Spacer|Width:50
|Note|Dur:4th,Slur|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Down,StemLength=0
|User|Glissando.ms|Pos:-1|Weight:4|Text:|ap:2|EndOffsetY:-1.5|StartOffsetY:-0.6|StartOffsetX:0.1|EndOffsetX:0.9
|Spacer|Width:450
|Marker|Pos:6
|Chord|Dur:4th|Pos:b-1,b3|Opts:StemLength=0
|Spacer|Width:475
|User|Glissando.ms|Pos:-1|Weight:4|Text:|StartOffsetY:4|EndOffsetY:4|StartOffsetX:0.2|EndOffsetX:-0.2|ap:2
|User|Glissando.ms|Pos:-1|Weight:4|Text:|StartOffsetY:0.1|EndOffsetY:0.1|StartOffsetX:0.2|EndOffsetX:-0.2
|Rest|Dur:4th|Visibility:Never
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End