Parenthetical key signature

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vlaw
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Post by vlaw » Wed Jan 16, 2019 11:12 pm

On some music in my library, a piece will have a parenthetical clef and key signature.

For example, if tuba and bari sax have the same part, a publisher might elect to, instead of providing a separate part for each, print only a tuba part. Then on that tuba part, after the bass clef and key signature (say, A-flat), the publisher will put in parentheses a treble clef and a key signature of F. This indicates that the bari sax player can read the tuba part as if it is in treble clef in the key of F, and it totally works. It's rare, but I'm a music librarian and this does turn up occasionally.

Is there a way to achieve this effect in Finale? It happens to be just what I need right now.


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miker
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Post by miker » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:40 am

I did this with text expressions. Just took a couple of minutes.
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N Grossingink
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Post by N Grossingink » Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:07 am

vlaw wrote:…and it totally works.
Well, not quite.

Some accidentals will be naturals in the Tuba part, but sharps in the Baritone part–Tuba A natural will be Baritone F sharp, E natural will be C sharp, etc. The lowest note on a Baritone with the low A key is concert C–anything below that must be played up an octave. Not all Baritones have the low A key and are limited to B flat (concert D flat). Experienced players will work around these easily–others might have problems.

Given the ease with which you can make transposed parts natively within Finale, I'd urge you to make a separate properly notated Baritone Sax part with range adjustments done with good voice leading.

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vlaw
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Post by vlaw » Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:48 am

I like the text expressions ... that's some next-level work-arounding.

Actually, I'm doing some experimenting with lead sheets. It is my particular desire to produce an all-in-one lead sheet for my B-flat, E- flat and C B.C. instruments, rather than doing separate ones for each. Instead of doing three staves, I'm doing two and letting the trombone player read the alto sax line. I thought a parenthetical key signature would be a nice reminder. The tune is short enough to fit on one page and diatonic enough that there aren't any accidental troubles. It's supposed to be memorized in a couple of weeks anyway.

I also have half an idea to do another tune in a similar way, which will have an upper line for trumpet and alto sax, a middle line for trombones, and a bass line. I want to put the trombone line in layer one and the bass in layer two of the bottom staff; then have the trumpet line in layer two of the upper staff and the same line transposed up a fifth in layer one on the same staff for the alto sax(with a parenthetical key signature). I'm hoping that having a sort of condensed score that everyone can read from will make the tune easier to get together, and parts easier to keep track of. Maybe it'll be too weird, but I'll have a blast trying.

cindyharp
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Post by cindyharp » Wed Oct 23, 2019 3:15 pm

miker wrote:
Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:40 am
I did this with text expressions. Just took a couple of minutes.
Miker, could you please describe the Text Expressions process? I was trying to find the parentheses and how to use them, and I'm having no luck. (I need this exact type of thing for a exercise snippet in G pentatonic with G as its tonal center. I want to parenthesize the G major key signature.) Thanks!

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miker
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Post by miker » Wed Oct 23, 2019 8:37 pm

The parentheses are in the times New Roman font. The treble clef, flat, and 4/4 time signature are in Maestro.

In this picture, I left the handles showing, so you could see that it's 6 separate entries.

If you could post a picture of what you want, I can be more specific.
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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:04 pm

Then on that tuba part, after the bass clef and key signature (say, A-flat), the publisher will put in parentheses a treble clef and a key signature of F.
Any musician past high school and some high schoolers can do this without any extra music notation. We routinely do it at our high school.
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