Alternative jazz articulation libraries

General notation questions, including advanced notation, formatting, etc., go here.

Moderators: Peter Thomsen, miker

User avatar
Chops
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2021 8:15 pm
Finale Version: 27
Operating System: Mac

Post by Chops » Sun Jul 24, 2022 3:29 pm

I am dissatisfied with the meager selection of, or control over, symbols for falls, squeezes, and scoops in the Jazz and Broadway copyist articulation libraries. These tend to be too large, placed wrong, and often don't come in shallow enough angles or light enough weights to make them work. I need more subtlety than is available in these two libraries.
I have taken a few stabs at making shape-based scoops with only partial success. I don't understand the shape tool well enough for it to be useful to me.

Can anyone point me to other similar fonts/libraries that might have symbols I like? TIA.

P.S. I don't use these for playback, so I wouldn't care if they have no effect (or the wrong effect) on playback.


User avatar
N Grossingink
Posts: 1786
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:50 pm
Finale Version: 27.3
Operating System: Mac

Post by N Grossingink » Sun Jul 24, 2022 5:21 pm

Take a look at the "Golden Age" font. A generous member of this forum has made it available in a newly compiled version at no cost for the download:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20786

There's assortment of scoops and falls which fit the staff pretty well. Don't forget that you can increase (or decrease) the point size of a character in the articulation designer window. So far as placement, you might have to adjust the "Handle Position" settings to get them just right.

I have a library that uses symbols from several fonts. It took a long time to arrive at a selection and get everything adjusted but was worth the effort. Sadly, I can't share it because it uses a publisher's custom fonts.
N. Grossingink
Educational Band, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble a specialty
Sample: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFF5OeJDeLFGHMRyXrubFqZWXBubErw4/view?usp=share_link


Mac Mini 2014 2.6 Ghz, 8Gb RAM
OSX 10.15.7
Finale 2012c, 25.5, 26.3, 27.3

User avatar
Chops
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2021 8:15 pm
Finale Version: 27
Operating System: Mac

Post by Chops » Sun Jul 24, 2022 5:43 pm

I'll give Golden Age a try. Thanks for the referral and for the advice about font size. Don't know why I didn't think of that. Why is it always the obvious that escapes me? :roll:

User avatar
miker
Posts: 5993
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:28 pm
Finale Version: Finale 27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by miker » Sun Jul 24, 2022 6:13 pm

You might also have a look at Bravura. It's available online, but it might be easier if you download a demo of Dorico, which includes it, I believe.

An app like PopChar is invaluable for this sort of thing!

https://www.ergonis.com/products/popcharx/
Finale 27 | SmartScorePro 64
Mac OS 13.2.1 Ventura
Copyist for Barbershop Harmony Society

User avatar
Gilberto Rey
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:13 am
Finale Version: FINALE 27.3
Operating System: Windows

Post by Gilberto Rey » Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:42 am

miker wrote:
Sun Jul 24, 2022 6:13 pm

An app like PopChar is invaluable for this sort of thing!

https://www.ergonis.com/products/popcharx/
Not with Finale 27 on a Win10 PC though... :( Installed the Try version of PopChar Win v.8.7 and it works fine in all my applications (Word, Adobe InDesign, Notepad and so on... but not in Finale! Darn!
I would have bought it if it could, for instance, insert chord diagrams from the Seville font into text blocks in my Finale files. When I try that, nothing happens except focus returns to Finale and the cursor is blinking... but no character is inserted.

Does anyone know an alternative for Windows that can do the same as this otherwise excellent program?
Finale 27.3
Windows 10 Home 64-bit
“Life is a disease: sexually transmitted, and invariably fatal.”
- Neil Gaiman -

User avatar
miker
Posts: 5993
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:28 pm
Finale Version: Finale 27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by miker » Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:11 pm

Will it work for copy/paste, rather than a direct insert?
Finale 27 | SmartScorePro 64
Mac OS 13.2.1 Ventura
Copyist for Barbershop Harmony Society

User avatar
motet
Posts: 8225
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:33 pm
Finale Version: 2014.5,2011,2005,27
Operating System: Windows

Post by motet » Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:50 pm

I use WinCompose, which is free.

User avatar
Gilberto Rey
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:13 am
Finale Version: FINALE 27.3
Operating System: Windows

Post by Gilberto Rey » Mon Jul 25, 2022 4:01 pm

miker wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:11 pm
Will it work for copy/paste, rather than a direct insert?
I don't think so, but not 100% sure since I uninstalled it. Meanwhile I use Windows built-in CharMap. It can copy and paste and also show the code for each symbol... But I would have preferred the "click to enter" feature from CharMap.
motet wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:50 pm
I use WinCompose, which is free.
Motet, se my reply to miker.
Finale 27.3
Windows 10 Home 64-bit
“Life is a disease: sexually transmitted, and invariably fatal.”
- Neil Gaiman -

User avatar
motet
Posts: 8225
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:33 pm
Finale Version: 2014.5,2011,2005,27
Operating System: Windows

Post by motet » Mon Jul 25, 2022 4:57 pm

WinCompose is not the same as PopChar.

Post Reply