Quarter tone accidentals

[finalizer]

Where are they?

.

[motet]

If using the SMuFL Finale Maestro font, they're around 0xe270. If using the Maestro font, they're in the separate font "Maestro Percussion." See the manual for how to achieve the proper playback.

[Peter Thomsen]

finalizer,

Your thread title is “Half tone accidentals”.

Your attached graphic shows quarter tone accidentals.

You are asking “Where are they?”

If I understand you correctly, you can only find the quarter tone accidentals (which you have found, and shown in the graphic) - but not the ordinary half tone accidentals (= flat and sharp).

- right?

Please describe your steps to find accidentals.
What music font(s) are you using for accidentals?

[finalizer]

I meant quarter tone, sorry for the confusion, I corrected the title.

I open a default document.
I enter a note.
How do I add the symbol for a quarter tone lower?

[Peter Thomsen]

… I open a default document.
I enter a note.
How do I add the symbol for a quarter tone lower?

If I understand you correctly, you just need a single quarter tone flat accidental (only layout, no playback) in a document that everywhere else uses the ordinary half tone accidentals (= flat and sharp).

- right?

In that case I would enter an ordinary flat accidental.

Then, edit that very occurrence of the flat accidental, and replace the font character with the quarter tone flat accidental:

Special Tools Tool.
Sub-tool Accidental Mover Tool.
Click in the measure/staff, and a handle will appear on the flat.

Select the handle, and hit Return. The dialog box Accidental Settings appears.
De-select the option {Use Default Character}.
Then, click the button {Select…}. You get to the Symbol Selection.

If you - in the left pane - click on {Standard Accidentals (12-EDO)}*, then you will only see the standard accidentals.
But if you instead click on {Other Accidentals}, then you will see all the quarter tone accidentals.
Just an idea:
You may like to make the Symbol Selection bigger (drag the window sides, to change the window size).

* Take a look at the attached Finale document (in v27 format).

QuarterToneFlat.musx

(109.11 KiB) Downloaded 49 times

*) The pane is quite narrow, and it is too narrow for a longer title like Standard Accidentals (12-EDO).
To read the entire title, position the cursor in the pane, and drag horizontally.

[BuonTempi]

Finale does seem to have the capability to create custom key signatures (though the interface seems typical byzantine). Would this not be the best way? Even if you do create a suitable tonal system, does it 'understand' quarter tone accidentals, beyond just changing the character of a 'standard' accidental?

[Peter Thomsen]

Finale does seem to have the capability to create custom key signatures (though the interface seems typical byzantine). Would this not be the best way? …

I made the attached Finale document years ago.
In this document there is a custom quarter tone key signature.
You can enter all the quarter tone steps directly.

Quarter-toneKeySign.musx

(69.12 KiB) Downloaded 40 times

Whether this is “the best way”, depends on the user’s actual needs.

My guess is that a custom quarter tone key signature would be “overkill”, if the user only needs a single quarter tone accidental in an otherwise ”half tone based” Finale document.

… Even if you do create a suitable tonal system, does it 'understand' quarter tones?

By your word ‘understand’ you mean playback - right?

Quarter tone playback is a matter of playback device.
Can the playback device assign a quarter step to each MIDI number?
If the playback device can assign a quarter step to each MIDI number, then it can play back my attached Finale document - with correct pitches.

Playback software usually is designed for “half tone based” playback (example: SmartMusic SoftSynth).
This means that the playback software can only assign a half step to each MIDI number.

With such “half step based” software quarter tone playback is possible only via a workaround with PitchWheel.
It is doable, but time consuming.

[BuonTempi]

By your word ‘understand’ you mean playback - right?

I was mostly thinking of the ability to 'move up and down' through successive accidentals.

But yes, also playback and export of XML.