accidentals

[musicus]

On the attached page, see meas.3, the last note, which is an Eb.
I played an Eb and I know how to put a courtesy accidental on that note.
However, it would be nice if the program or settings put it in automatically.
Is there a way to make that happen?

[motet]

Only the Cautionary Accidentals plug-in, and JW Accidentals.

[musicus]

I have courtesy accidentals and naturals checked, and still they don't appear in score. Can't find JW Accidentals. Where is it? Possibly I have checked the wrong cautionary accidentals? Maybe I need some acci-dental work.

Only the Cautionary Accidentals plug-in, and JW Accidentals.

[motet]

This puts a cautionary where you want it.

[motet]

The plug-in uses poor terminology. What it calls "Courtesy accidentals" is not something I think many people would want. It restates an accidental within the same measure. Maybe for very beginning players.

[ebiggs1]

Maybe for very beginning players.

Well, even advancing players benefit form it when a not so common key is played. Db or E major for instance. Just sayin'!

In our community band sometimes the concept of an accidental in the beginning of the measure goes to the end of the measure gets overlooked.

[motet]

Sure, there may be special cases where it's warranted, even for more-advanced players. You can do that with the * key. But applying it wholesale is not something I think people would generally want to do, since it adds clutter.

[ebiggs1]

I have always composed or arranged with the thought of success. How can I make the piece successful for the group that will be playing it? I totally agree with you when I have an advanced or pro level group.
But most of the musicians I do work for have been playing for years. SOme 30 or 40 years but they are not pros.
Here is a piece I am doing for Bones Midwest for their Easter Concert.

It is a piece in Ab.

[ebiggs1]

Also if it is an uncommon note for the instrument like B natural.

[Anders Hedelin]

To return to the OP, a simple * with the numeric keyboard would do it. A global solution like those in the, not perfect, plug-ins might be useful, if you have a lot of courtesy accidentals, otherwise not I would think.

[N Grossingink]

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I have never seen this. It looks like a mistake - like one of them should have a flat or sharp.

[motet]

There are those who advocate for doing it by hand, and since the plug-in has some problems, there's something to be said for that.

I deal with large pieces--thousands of measures--so don't trust myself to catch them all. Perhaps it's time to bite the bullet and write a Lua script to do the thing I want, which is "courtesy naturals", as the plug-in calls them.

[miker]

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I have never seen this. It looks like a mistake - like one of them should have a flat or sharp.

I’d agree; it doesn’t look right to me, either.

A question, since I don’t write “no key signature, show all accidentals.” When doing this, do you still follow the rules of not repeating an accidental on a following note, and not on ties over barlines?

[motet]

A question, since I don’t write “no key signature, show all accidentals.” When doing this, do you still follow the rules of not repeating an accidental on a following note, and not on ties over barlines?

Yes, same rules apply, but perhaps one would repeat them as cautionaries in certain situations (probably never on a tie, though).

[ebiggs1]

I have never seen this. It looks like a mistake - like one of them should have a flat or sharp.

You have never seen two B naturals in a measure? Hmmm...! The piece is in the key of Ab. Again restating, perhaps poorly, I compose and arrange for the group that will be playing the piece. If this makes them more successful than that is what I do.
If you think cautionary accidentals is warranted you should use them, if not don't. Simple.

Just because a person plays and instrument for years, perhaps many years, does not make them a professional player or even a pro level player. If it makes the group better, I do it. When I do stuff for KC Bones for instance, all performance majors, I don't.

[motet]

It doesn't hurt, but I can't imagine anyone, no matter how inexperienced, playing a B-flat if the second natural is missing.

[ebiggs1]

You just might be surprised! Perhaps in your world you deal with only experienced players. I, however, deal with all levels from 5th grade middle school to octogenarians. Again, I write for the group that will be performing the piece. That's not that difficult to understand is it?