New Written Scores not transposing on playback

[ColinGee]

After writing a new score on Overture 5 Playing back the tracks are all in the wrong keys, I have changed the keys to suit the applicable instruments, but still sounds not transposed.

2nd Post: After writing a score, playing it back is not in the proper keys .Why .. All tracks have been transposed to suit various instruments ec Flute C, Clarinet Bb, Alto Sax A.

[John Fallas]

Hi,
You have to make sure the transposition is set correctly in the Inspector (Ctl/Cmd-Shift-I): Track tab/Settings.
Using the templates to create a score should normally produce the correct settings.
Here's a very simple example (General Midi instruments):

[Dean K.]

Hi Collin,

John beat me to it but here is a supplemental video clip using a simple piano and Bb Clarinet example from scratch. So in the case of the Bb Clarinet (being transposed) and sounding a minor second below the concert pitch, we then raise it 2 under the Transposed Playback section of the Track Inspector for the Clarinet.

Transposing Playback.gif (3.95 MiB) Viewed 246 times

[DrLeonard]

@ Dean: Correct me if I'm mistaken, but if the piano is in C the Bb Clarinet would be in D. and its playback would be down a whole step (minus 2 in the settings). That's how it work in my scores, anyway.

@ Collin: I have not had this problem, and I write my scores in transposed keys proper for each instrument. Are you sure you have adjusted the track playback settings? For example, for clarinet, in "Track's Inspector/Settings" the transposed playback is -2 (minus 2). Or for French horn in F it is -7, or for contrabass it is -12.

[Dean K.]

Hi Dr. Leonard,

This would be a manual approach/new from scratch. Not using a template as Jon described or as you may also be using?

In the example of the piano and Bb Clarinet, you'll notice both parts start with the same notes (in C) and once the clarinet is transposed it is brought down a minor second.

At this point, if you were to play it back it would do so a minor second (-2) lower in playback and be out of pitch the way I believe Collin is describing.

In order to maintain the transposed notation but have it "sound" or playback at the concert pitch, in this case, we are using the Transpose Playback option (which will now technically need to be a +2 not -2) because the notes have already been lowered a minor second (-2) in the previous step of transposition. In other words, the pitch needs to be brought back up by 2 (raised digitally but not the notes) to hear it play back in the right key.

[ColinGee]

So Far ... So Good ,... Thank You So Much Colin

[John Fallas]

Hi again,
I'm glad you've got something that works for you.
What I don't quite understand is why you need to transpose or change the keys to suit the instruments.
Are you using general midi for playback or a virtual instrument? At any rate it shouldn't make much difference (except that with plain midi, the instrument range will be the entire range C0-G9 rather than the instrument's real range - at least that's what I get).
Attached is an example score I set up from scratch, choosing just Treble clef to start with. I assigned GM Flute to it as the instrument.
I then added 2 more tracks, choosing Clarinet and Alto Sax as the instruments.
In the Track Inspector/Settings, Transpose Part shows 2 for Clarinet and 9 for Sax.
I just wrote my notes in C (as for Flute), so all my score is in C and I can easily see the real harmonies.
Then I click on the Show Transposed Score button (centre right on the main control bar at the top), hey presto! The Clarinet part appears in D and Sax in A. Likewise, the individual parts are correctly transposed.
When I play back the score or individual parts, they sound correctly.
Also maybe have a look at what the User Guide says about the Transpose numerical and the Playback numerical (p.132).

Transposing.ovex

(7.05 KiB) Downloaded 7 times

Best regards
John

[TenorAlan]

Greetings,

Just a little bit about the Inspector>Track>Settings:Transposition:Transpose Part and Transpose Playback values.

The Transpose Part value tells the interval (in semitones) from the notation as shown on the "not transposed" view to the notation shown on the "transposed" view.

For example, on a Bb trumpet part, as normally set up by Overture, in the "not transposed" view the notation is at sounding pitch. In the standard setup the Transpose Part field is prepopulated with (+) 2. That means, among other things, if we switch to the "transposed" view, all notation is 2 semitones higher than in the "not transposed" view. This is of course what a trumpet player would expect on a conventional Bb trumpet part.

The Transpose Playback value tells, the interval (in semitones) from the notation as shown on the "not transposed" view to the sounding pitches in playback.

Again, on a Bb trumpet part, as normally set up by Overture, in the "not transposed" view the notation is at sounding pitch. In the standard setup the Transpose Playback field is prepopulated with 0. That means that playback sounds at the pitches seen on the "not transposed" view (appropriate to this score setup).

L'shana tovah.

Best regards,

Alan

[TenorAlan]

Greetings,

Note that when we speak of transposing instruments, we mean an instrument for which ordinarily the sounding pitch is not the same as the pitch notated on the players part.

Or we may only say that when the sounding pitch class is not the same as the pitch class notated on the players part. For example, guitar parts are often written one octave above sounding pitch, But since when the player plays what is notated as C4 on the score the instrument sounds a C3, and both pitches are "C", it is often thought that this is not a transposing instrument (but it is nevertheless written an octave above the sounding pitch). In any case, assuming that notation convention, the guitar is a transposing instrument.

But for some transposing instruments, Overture by default sets up the part track so that (in the "not transposed" view), the notation is at sounding pitch; in the "transposed" view this notation becomes what is customarily seen on the player's part for that instrument.

This leads to the situation I described in my previous message, where Transpose Part has a non-zero value and Transpose Playback has a zero value.

But for other instruments, Overture by default sets up the part track so that (in the "not transposed" view), the notation is at the same pitch as is ordinarily seen on the player's part for that instrument.

Now, if we switch the view from "not transposed" to "transposed", we see no change in the notation. And in that case, Transpose Part ordinarily has a zero value, and Transpose Playback has a non-zero value.

(There are also some unusual cases in which both Transpose Part and Transpose Playback have non-zero values, but I will spare the reader discussion of those.)

In any case, it is good to be alert to these two cases.

Best regards,

Alan