Venezuelan Cuatro

[aguevara]

All,

I play the Venezuelan cuatro which is a 4-string instrument which is tuned "B-F#-D-A" (Si-Fa#,Re,La). It looks like a ukelele to many people albeit it is tuned differently and the strings are nylon strings.

I have some partitures for guitars which I would like to use to create the partitures for the "Venezuelan" cuatro.

In Finale, I believe one can define/create a new instrument, such as the cuatro, and then specify the number of strings, tuning for each of them as well as the number of frets, but I don't know how to do this.

I have also heard that Finale can create the tablature for the instruments which I would also love to learn how to go.

Please let me know the steps to do the above or point me in the right direction.

Also, please let me know if there is a tutorial which walks one through the questions above.

Thanks,
Angelo
anye@caripito.com

[Peter Thomsen]

...In Finale, I believe one can define/create a new instrument, such as the cuatro, and then specify the number of strings, tuning for each of them as well as the number of frets, but I don't know how to do this...

I'm afraid I don't understand, what you mean by the words "define/create a new instrument, and then specify the number of strings, tuning for each of them as well as the number of frets"?
Do you mean layout or playback?
What do you want, exactly?
Please be as specific as possible.

...I have also heard that Finale can create the tablature for the instruments which I would also love to learn how to go...

Tablature is created with the Staff Tool.
In the dialog box "Staff Attributes", in the pop up menu "Notation Style", choose "Tablature", and click the button "Select...".

[aguevara]

What I want to do is to able to generate a part for the Venezuelan cuatro and be able to see it in standard notation as well as tablature.

For example, I have a MIDI which shows a part for the piano when I open it up with Finale, I would like to be able to have it show a part, in standard and tablature notation, for the Venezuelan Cuatro also so that we can have a person playing the piano or a guitar and another person playing the Venezuelan cuatro.

Also, when I bring up the instrument list, the Venezuelan cuatro is not on the list; I would like it to be part of it. How can I get it in there? that's what I meant by create. I believe I would have to tell Finale that it is a 4-string instrument has 14 or 17 frets as well as tuned B-F#-Re-La.

BTW, I tried your instructions on changing the staff attributes to tablature and that worked quite nicely. Thanks.

Thanks,
Angelo
anye@caripito.com

[aguevara]

Peter,

I was able to create a new Stave and go through the Staff Attributes to create a new instrument with 4 strings and the proper tuning for each string.

I clicked on the "Select" button next to the Notation Style, notice I selected "Tablature" for the notation.

Once in the "Tablature Staff Attributes", I clicked on "Edit Instrument" .. name it "Venezuelan Cuatro", set the number of strings to "4", frets to 14 and pitch to "81, 74, 66, 59" which correspond to Si, F#, Re, La.

Then I clicked on OK twice.

Now, three (3) questions:

(1) I expected the number of strings showing up to be four (4), there are 5 lines

(2) The new staff/stave shows up, but there is nothing on it .. I expected to see numbers on the lines indicating the fret ..

(3) When I go into "Windows-Instrument List" I don't see the "Venezuelan Cuatro" on the instrument list. I like to not have to go through "Edit Instrument" all the time, but just do it once ...

Thanks for the help. Please advise.
Angelo

[miker]

Angelo,
If you open the instrument.txt file (in the component file folder, in the program files), you can add the Cuatro. Just duplicate the uke, and change the relevant text. Then it will show up on the list, although I'm not sure if your TAB will work that way.
You could also set it up the way you want it, and then save it as a template. That should preserve all your customized settings.
To use the TAB, create your music in the standard staff. Select it, and drag it to the TAB staff. Your fret numbers should then appear.

[aguevara]

I can't find the instrument.txt file you describe, I searched through my entire hard drive; I am using version 2009b.r3.

Would you happen to know where it would be in my version? perhaps it goes by another name now.

Thanks,
Angelo

[Peter Thomsen]

...(1) I expected the number of strings showing up to be four (4), there are 5 lines...

It can be difficult to guess the culprit without seeing the actual Finale document.
I suggest that you attach the document here.
NB:
The forum doesn't allow attachments in .MUS format, but it allows .ZIP format.
Before you attach the document, you must compress it as a .ZIP file.

My guess is that the staff is still a standard 5-line staff, In Other Words that you somehow haven't finished the TAB setup.
But rather than guessing I would really prefer to take a look at the actual .MUS document.

...(2) The new staff/stave shows up, but there is nothing on it .. I expected to see numbers on the lines indicating the fret ...

The TAB staff isn't "linked" to the standard staff above it.
To get TAB notation (= "numbers on the lines indicating the fret"), copy the music in the standard staff down into the TAB staff.

...(3) When I go into "Windows-Instrument List" I don't see the "Venezuelan Cuatro" on the instrument list. I like to not have to go through "Edit Instrument" all the time, but just do it once ...

miker has given a good answer to that.

The text document "instrument.txt" is used by Finale's "Document Setup Wizard".
If you add the Cuatro to "instrument.txt", then the Cuatro will show up in the Document Setup Wizard.

NB:
The file "instrument.txt" contains a section with instrument definitions - INS fields - but it also contains a section with different instrument groups - GRP fields - and different "score orders" - ORD fields.
You can find the GRP fields and the ORD fields at the bottom of the text file "instrument.txt".
To make full use of the Document Setup Wizard you should not only add an INS fields with the Cuatro, but also add the Cuatro to the GRP field "Frets", and also add the Cuatro to the different "score order" fields.


A different idea:
You can also avoid doing the same setup steps again and again by creating a template with all the (layout and playback) settings you prefer.


Just to clarify:

The dialog box "Edit Instrument" you get to via "Windows > Instrument List", is different from the dialog box "Edit Instrument" you get to via "Staff Attributes > Tablature".

"Windows > Instrument List > Edit Instrument" is a dialog box where you can define a "playback instrument" - with name (e. g. "Cuatro"), channel, and patch (= playback sound).

[aguevara]

First of all, thanks a lot for the help and prompt responses.

I was able to create a new staff for the cuatro and selected "tablature" as its notation. I then followed the steps you mentioned and "copied/dragged" the standard notation down to my new cuatro staff which worked nicely.

I created a template as well as a MUS file, the zip file was over 100KB so it would not allow me to upload it thus I copied them into my web server. You can find it at http://www.caripito.com/musica/caballoviejo.ftm and http://www.caripito.com/musica/caballoviejo.mus.

1) Question: How can use this template from now on? read the MIDI file in and then "apply" the template?

2) Question: I could not find the instrument.txt file on my hard drive, please let me know how else I can find it.

3) Question: On my new cuatro tablature staff, can I have Finale just show the numbers? it is also showing the notes over the top of the numbers which makes it hard for me to read the number.

4) Question: How can I have Finale also generate the "standard" notation for the Venezuelan cuatro as I did for the tablature?

Thanks again,
Angelo
anye@caripito.com

[Peter Thomsen]

...(1) I expected the number of strings showing up to be four (4), there are 5 lines...

After having examined your template I can see that you haven't finished the TAB staff setup.

There are two ways to finish the setup:

1) The "quicker-and-dirtyer" "Let-Finale-decide-for-me" way:
In my step 4) about the dialog box "Tablature Staff Attributes" I wrote (Jan 23, 2009):
"Consider a choice for all the other options (Default Lowest Fret, Capo Position, Show Tuplets, Show Clef Only On First Measure, &c.)."
You can finish the TAB setup by selecting the option
< On "OK", Reset Staff's Attributes To Tablature Defaults. >

2) The "slower-and-preciser" "I-will-decide-myself" way:
The above mentioned option (On "OK", Reset Staff's Attributes To Tablature Defaults) will make several changes to the Staff Attributes.
You may not want exactly those changes, but you can manually choose what you want.
The option (On "OK", Reset Staff's Attributes To Tablature Defaults) makes the following changes (in the Staff Attributes):

A. Next to "First Clef", click the button "Select...", and choose a TAB clef.

B. In the pop up menu "Staff", choose "Other...".
Set the number of Staff Lines to 4, and increase the Line Spacing to 9 Points.
You can select "Points" as Measurement units in the pop up menu "Units".
You may also like to change the default placement for the top repeat dot from -3 Points to -1 Points.

C. In the pane "Options" de-select "Display Rests in Empty Measures".

D. In the pane "Items to Display" de-select "Augmentation Dots", "Key Signatures", "Ties", "Time Signatures".

...1) Question: How can use this template from now on? read the MIDI file in and then "apply" the template?...

When you open the MIDI file, Finale creates music notation in a copy of the default file.
I'm not sure whether there is a faster way, but you could create a new document from the template (File menu > New > Document From Template...), and copy the music from the "MIDI copy of the default file" into the "new document from the template".

...2) Question: I could not find the instrument.txt file on my hard drive, please let me know how else I can find it...

Finale 2009 folder > Component Files folder.

...3) Question: On my new cuatro tablature staff, can I have Finale just show the numbers? it is also showing the notes over the top of the numbers which makes it hard for me to read the number...

I don't see any noteheads "over the top of the numbers".
Do you mean stems?
You can de-select "Stems" from the pane "Items to Display" (see above).
Or you can click the button "Stem Settings..." to specify, exactly how you want the stems to display.

...4) Question: How can I have Finale also generate the "standard" notation for the Venezuelan cuatro as I did for the tablature?...

If you also want "standard" notation for the Cuatro, you should add a standard staff above the TAB staff, and copy the music into the standard staff.

[aguevara]

Peter,

Thanks for the information, I have been able to follow your steps successfully.

I have edited the instrument.txt file, I copied and pasted the UKULELE entries, but am not sure about what I should be entering for PATCH; I left it at 24 as shown below.

Once I have made all the changes, I am assuming I can then re-start Finale and be able to see the Cuatro entry under "Windows->Instrument List", is that correct?

The MIDI file I read in has parts for PIANO, TROMBONE, BASS, etc. How can I just see a couple of them (i.e. PIANO, TROMBONE)? I tried Document->Manage Part and just selected the ones I wanted to see, but all of them are still there.

Thanks again!

[INS:Cuatro]
Name = Cuatro
Abbr = Ct.
useKeySigs = 1
Transposition = 0
StaffType = standard
Clef = treble
Patch = 24

[INS:Cuatro TAB]
DisplayName = Cuatro [TAB]
Name = Cuatro
Abbr = Ct.
useKeySigs = 1
Transposition = 0
StaffType = tab
Clef = tab1
FretInst = Cuatro
Patch = 24

[Peter Thomsen]

...I have edited the instrument.txt file, I copied and pasted the UKULELE entries, but am not sure about what I should be entering for PATCH; I left it at 24 as shown below.

Once I have made all the changes, I am assuming I can then re-start Finale and be able to see the Cuatro entry under "Windows->Instrument List", is that correct?...

No, that is not correct.
Your edits in the text file "instrument.txt" affect the dialog boxes in the Document Setup Wizard.
You can get to the Setup Wizard in this way:
File menu > New > Document With Setup Wizard...

...The MIDI file I read in has parts for PIANO, TROMBONE, BASS, etc. How can I just see a couple of them (i.e. PIANO, TROMBONE)? I tried Document->Manage Part and just selected the ones I wanted to see, but all of them are still there...

I'm not sure what you want here.
Is this a layout issue or a playback issue?
Do you want to delete all the staves except the staves for PIANO and TROMBONE?
Or do you want to keep all the staves in the document, but only view the staves for PIANO and TROMBONE?
Please describe exactly what you want.

[aguevara]

Peter,

I want to double check that I have edited the entries in the instrument.txt file correctly, I don't know what to enter for Patch; the rest of it may be correct. The following is what I put in:

[INS:Cuatro]
Name = Cuatro
Abbr = Ct.
useKeySigs = 1
Transposition = 0
StaffType = standard
Clef = treble
Patch = 24

[INS:Cuatro TAB]
DisplayName = Cuatro [TAB]
Name = Cuatro
Abbr = Ct.
useKeySigs = 1
Transposition = 0
StaffType = tab
Clef = tab1
FretInst = Cuatro
Patch = 24

As to your questions,
- Do you want to delete all the staves except the staves for PIANO and TROMBONE? Correct

- Do you want to keep all the staves in the document, but only view the staves for PIANO and TROMBONE? I also would like to learn how to do that

[Peter Thomsen]

...I don't know what to enter for Patch...

I suggest Patch 25.
Patch 25 is a guitar sound in the General MIDI system.
You can see the GM list of patches in the window Instrument List.
Choose "View by Staves", and click the triangle in the rightmost column.

...- Do you want to delete all the staves except the staves for PIANO and TROMBONE? Correct...

To delete staves, switch to the Staff Tool.
When you are in the Staff Tool, you can see that each staff has a staff-handle on the top staff-line.
To delete a staff, select its handle, and hit the delete key.

...- Do you want to keep all the staves in the document, but only view the staves for PIANO and TROMBONE? I also would like to learn how to do that

To view only specific staves, switch to Scroll View.
Select the handles on the staves you want to view.
Hold down the Option* key (Mac Finale), and go to
View menu > Program Staff Set > Staff Set 1
Now only the selected staves display in Scroll View (you can still see all the staves in Page View).

*) It's the Option key in Mac Finale.
I don't know, which modifier key you should hold down in Windows Finale (perhaps the Alt key?).