Hey everyone, a quick notation query if anyone has any suggestions... one of my pieces has a simple repeated triplet pattern here and there. I beam in 6s but my software groups as 2x triplets, which is technically correct but groups the notes a little unidiomatically.
I can't, for whatever reason, simply notate them as 6s. So I'm asking if the current notation is clear enough for the players here? If it comes to it I can hide the triplets and create the 6s manually, but it's extra work. If the current notation works, everyone wins.
Tempo is 70, 4/4, and the instruments are flutes and oboes. Thanks!
Replies
What's the reason your software can't notate them as 6-tuplets? That would be the ideal solution in this case.
The current notation looks needlessly complex and not comfortable to read.
If I knew, I'd probably have been able to fix it! As it stands, all my research leaves me clueless. But I can manually 6s if I have to.
Dave, I don't know if you use ChatGPT but I find it usually quite helpful for answering questions like these (common-language queries about how to do something in certain software, especially if I don't know exactly the right terms to search for)
I haven't tried chatGPT myself for things like this, but I'd exercise some caution as it's been shown to sometimes produce very convincing, but factually wrong, output. If I want to know something for sure, I wouldn't depend on generative AI for that. For general guidelines or just pure entertainment, sure, no problem. But I'd double-check the facts before believing what it tells me.
Sure, but we're talking about changing notation in music software--either it will work or it won't! Also. I basically only use GPT4 (not 3.5, which is I find almost unusable for these reasons)
Oh OK, I thought you also included advice about using triplets vs sextuplets. For the latter I'd look in the Gould as the definitive answer.
A man needs at least one principle, and mine is not using ChatGPT. *spits*
you mean like this?
I don't know which software you're referring to but surely any competent notation programme should be able to input tuplets as requested as here in Dorico. Of course it's prefectly readable anyway....
Like that, yes. I suspect it's less the software (Logic Pro) than my unfamiliarity with the tuplet function, which I've attempted to remedy without success.
So that's one vote for readable and one for uncomfortable...
Notated like this I would emphasize the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th note like it were 4 separate triplets. Notated as a 6-tuplet the emphasis would be different. Well, on a piano. I don't know much about flutes and oboes, but I gather it's safer to notate these patterns as 6-tuplets if that's what you're aiming for. Finale has no problems with it.