Discuss Notion Music Composition Software here.
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I teach pedal steel and I want to save an instrument that has 10 strings tuned to the E9 tuning. I'd also like to customize the tab so that I could write in pedal changes on the tab as opposed to having the fret move when it would be pressing a pedal on the same fret.

any thoughts?

here's an image
[img]/Users/maxbutler/Dropbox/Screenshots/Screenshot%202016-10-17%2020.23.13.png[/img]
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by Surf.Whammy on Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:40 am
maxdylan wroteI teach pedal steel and I want to save an instrument that has 10 strings tuned to the E9 tuning. I'd also like to customize the tab so that I could write in pedal changes on the tab as opposed to having the fret move when it would be pressing a pedal on the same fret.


This NOTION 6 score has the native 7-String Electric Guitar modified to have 10 strings tuned to E9 for pedal steel . . .

"Pedal-Steel-Instrument-Score.notion" (NOTION 6 Score)

This is the 10-string E9 tuning I used, which is in scientific pitch notation where "Middle C" is C4 . . .

[NOTE: As you know, guitars usually are transposed in notation, so depending on the way you have NOTION 6 configured, everything will be an octave lower, but so what. You get to this pane by going into Score Setup and clicking on the gear icon. I changed the instrument name to "Pedal Steel" on the "Instrument" pane. I use the term "pane" instead of "tab", since it's a user-interface thing and avoids the confusion of "'Notation Tab' tab". "Notation Tab" pane reads better. It's a window, and windows have panes, so it works . . . ]

Image

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Code: Select all
B2 D3 E3 F#3 G#3 B3 E4 G#4 D#4 F#4

[NOTE: For folks who are new to Scientific Pitch Notation, this Wikipedia link explains it . . . ]

Scientific Pitch Notation ~ Wikipedia

THOUGHTS

The way it works is that you get a string for each note you enter in scientific pitch notation in the "Tab tuning" field . . .

There probably is a limit to the total number of strings, but I think it's good for 12 strings, at least, and I did a quick experiment with 48 strings, so it will work for a 48-string Autoharp, albeit perhaps a bit oddly, but so what, because other than me, nobody is going to have a 48-string tab . . .

The logical next experiment is to create an 88-string tab for a grand piano, which mostly appears to work . . .
:P

You can use Text fields to indicate lever and pedal actions, and you can change the tuning in Score Setup on the "Notation Tab" pane . . .

[NOTE: I added a series of dashes in a Text field and moved it upward to one of the higher strings, and I added Text fields with "P2" and "P3" to indicate pedals, although since I don't know a lot about pedal steel guitars, other than I like them, this might not make sense, but it's useful to show what you can do with Text fields and that you can position them with precision, since NOTION 6 has more advanced layout capabilities than previous versions . . . ]

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If you want to move everything up a few levels and need a custom alphabet of lever and pedal actions, there is a product that makes it possible for you to create your own custom type family . . .

[NOTE: Fontographer is a bit on the expensive side, but it works nicely and makes it possible to do some very useful things with custom typography . . . ]

Fontographer (Font Lab)

The way this works is that you create a custom type family which has alphabetic characters plus symbol characters (arrows and so forth) . . .

Then this is the type family you use for Text when doing lever and pedal actions . . .

You also can do this by using two type families without needing to have a custom type family, but it will require two or three Text fields for one action, something like "P3⬇︎" "P3⬆︎" to indicate Pedal 3 down and Pedal 3 up . . .

On the Mac, the "P3" part is regular text, but the arrows are special arrow symbols, so "P3⬇︎" done this way is two Text fields, one for "P3" and one for "⬇︎", and then you move them side-by-side, so it's a bit more work and not so easy to do compared to having a custom type family that has characters and arrows or whatever makes sense . . .

If you need help making sense of this, post a follow-up in this topic with more information . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by brittnewsome on Tue Nov 29, 2022 7:13 am
I commend your creativity on this topic.

However, using text to indicate a pedal or lever change is not only cumbersome, but it does not result in the correct tone within the musical notation.

Notion simply needs to find a way to incorporate pedal steel guitar as a standard instrument. It's just that simple.
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by acequantum on Tue Nov 29, 2022 4:56 pm
brittnewsome wroteI commend your creativity on this topic.

However, using text to indicate a pedal or lever change is not only cumbersome, but it does not result in the correct tone within the musical notation.

Notion simply needs to find a way to incorporate pedal steel guitar as a standard instrument. It's just that simple.


Maybe... but it is a solution for notating the pedal steel right now. I believe even in Guitar Pro you have to create a custom tablature and use Text markings for the pedal presses.

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