Dear K_B,
“If one thing can also mean the opposite - depending on its context.”
Ah yes, that is exactly how music notation also functions! Like language!
“”“”“”“”
Thanks for your kind words! I have recently begun migrating to Dorico from Ss and am still working hard to come to terms with its completelly different concept, using a collection of Weckmann-sonates and an act of a Rameau opera as testcases. I have a long way to go still, but I am convinced that with this migration I am (as a 62 year-old) part of the future!
Early Music does indeed contain its own millions of conventions of notation, which may often seem difficult to “translate” into modern use. But I feel that Dorico is very well equipped for that.
If one wants to extend this conversation, probably a new thread is the best place for that general subject, so let’s stick to the “Figurato”-theme here. I have no idea how far Dorico’s own work on this subject progresses (or even if my thoughts below are relevant), but I have pondered a bit further this morning about specialized FB-requirements (the list below is probably not exhaustive!):
Concept
FB-behaviour must be related to lyrics behaviout, but NOT imitate it (more than one “syllable” per note, dash must not advance caret at input and vertical placement must be editable better than using lyric-type baselines (not bass-lines…)
Figures available:
Came up with more than 20 possible modifications of each basic “number”! Some of these are probably not necessary, but generally available should be (most of) the following:
Numbers:
1-14 (the present Figurato-limit of 12 is sufficient for everything except late 16th/early 17thC-stuff)
Modifiers:
A) Accidentals (flat, natural, sharp and x (modern double-sharp looks best in Figurato, but possibly also the letter x) before or after number
“+” before or after number
B) Dashes “/” and possibly “-” (which must be available as a separate character as well!) superimposed on number
C) Various special appearances of e.g. 4,5,6,7 with the “+” integrated into the number (Figurato already has some of those)
D) Brackets (round or square, ditto)
E) Lines (not “-”). Probably the present lyric-like Space-Key-function, with or without a number as “placeholder” in all stacks and with line placement editable
F) (Too luxurious?): The possibility of smaller-font “x”, double sharp or letter, before or after a note (baseline and superscript)
Input:
A) A consistent figure-input method for all of the above. The present Figurato-state, where two different inputs (e.g. 5+ and 5/) produce the same figure, is understandable, but not ideal.
B) Several figures per note must be automatically possible, so input must probably be based on the rhythmic grid.
C) Arrow keys (or something, NOT dash) must advance the caret.
Engraving:
A) Vertical placement MUST be editable and not anchored to base-lines. The present (understandable) anchoring to a baseline per system is not flexible enough.
A1) Sometimes various combinations of modifiers (eg. natural and flat) in different layers cause unpredictable collisions. Consequently each “stack” must be editable, and/or it must be straightforward to input several independent figures per “FB-event”.
B) Horizontal placement. With figures in more-than-one line this is THE developer’s nightmare! I don’t think one can make a catch-all-solution, but with these engraving possibilities in place at least the user has the freedom to “nerd”.
Playback:
Don’t bother!
very much agree!
This is getting more than long enough! Have a happy weekend,
Lars Ulrik