Non-traditional key signatures
Moderators: Peter Thomsen, miker
- motet
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A while ago I made a how-to for non-traditional key signatures, surely one of the most arcane areas of Finale. I've revised it, but can't find where I posted it before, so I offer the revised version here.
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- Peter Thomsen
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Nice work, motet!
You can also create the non-standard key signature as a Linear Key Format.
It will not be correctly transposeable along the {circle of fifths}, but it will work in that particular transposition, and it will play back correctly.
You can also create the non-standard key signature as a Linear Key Format.
It will not be correctly transposeable along the {circle of fifths}, but it will work in that particular transposition, and it will play back correctly.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996
- Peter Thomsen
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I, too, am not sure why they are called “linear” and “non-linear”.
But the basic facts are:
Linear always, “automatically”, plays back correctly, since there is a “linking” between layout and playback.
In the non-linear key signature there is no linking between layout and playback.
This means that in a non-linear key signature Layout and Playback are fully independent.
You can have a Playback that is completely different from the Layout.
But the basic facts are:
Linear always, “automatically”, plays back correctly, since there is a “linking” between layout and playback.
In the non-linear key signature there is no linking between layout and playback.
This means that in a non-linear key signature Layout and Playback are fully independent.
You can have a Playback that is completely different from the Layout.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996
- motet
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I'm not sure I understand this right. 1-2-3-4 and 5-6-7-1 have the whole steps and half steps in the same place in a major scale, but not in a minor scale. Yet a minor scale is one of the hardwired linear key formats.as long as the upper and lower halves of the scale are formed by the same sequences of whole and half steps (such as the tetrachords in a standard diatonic scale), the system of keys is considered a linear key format.
It seems like a linear key system is a definition of a whole set of keys, like the majors keys are a set of keys.
- Peter Thomsen
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This is a quote from the manual, trying to explain Linear Key Format.as long as the upper and lower halves of the scale are formed by the same sequences of whole and half steps (such as the tetrachords in a standard diatonic scale), the system of keys is considered a linear key format.
That particular section in the manual is more confusing than helping.
I my opinion that section should be deleted from the manual.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996
- motet
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I wonder if there's anyone left at MakeMusic who understands the non-standard key signature. It must date back to the early days.
It seems like the linear format lets you modulate to different keys with the same intervals in their scales, but I suspect such a mathematical system would have limited use, especially if the tetrachord requirement really is true. The non-linear thing I documented seems to work, but doesn't have the modulation feature.
It seems like the linear format lets you modulate to different keys with the same intervals in their scales, but I suspect such a mathematical system would have limited use, especially if the tetrachord requirement really is true. The non-linear thing I documented seems to work, but doesn't have the modulation feature.
- Peter Thomsen
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You will only get the same intervals in all the scales if the scale pattern is diatonic.motet wrote:… It seems like the linear format lets you modulate to different keys with the same intervals in their scales, but I suspect such a mathematical system would have limited use …
In Other Words:
You will only get the same intervals in all scale transpositions if the scale is a church mode (ionian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian, locrian).
The tetrachord requirement is not true.motet wrote:… especially if the tetrachord requirement really is true …
Generally that section is misleading, and that particular sentence (about the tetrachord requirement) is directly wrong.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996
- motet
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For fun, I tried to do the "harmonic minor" example above and have a B natural in the time signature (not possible with non-linear), but got strange playback--about ever other note was some high pitch.
Anyway, since I'm unlikely to ever use any of this, it's mainly for fun.
Anyway, since I'm unlikely to ever use any of this, it's mainly for fun.