Thanks to everybody for the comments, the suggestions and the knowledge. I think a short description of how I see the general matter might be useful, being the original implementor of the tab / string / tuning support. Specific answers will follow.
1) Data about strings is currently only used in tab context; however they provide relevant pieces of info about the instrument itself and may in future come more into play. For instance, it would be nice to have the pitch range automatically coupled with the string data. Therefore I believe it useful to provide them for as many stringed instruments as possible, regardless of tabs; of course, it is preferable to have them as 'correct' as possible in the first place (we are speaking of a few dozen of instruments, after all, not hundreds). 2) Practically any stringed instrument has been used with non-standard string setups (number and tuning of strings), even the most standardized ones like the violin; in the great majority of cases, though, there is one string setup which can be considered standard or primary and usually its usage greatly outnumber any other setup. The current MuseScore implementation allows the user to modify all the details of the string setup of an instrument, on a per-score basis; if a 'customized' instrument is needed repeatedly, the template feature allows re-using it in as many scores as needed. Then, I believe preferable to keep the instrument list within a manageable size and provide 'out of the box' as few instrument variants as it makes sense. There is a margin for compromise here, of course; the contrabass / acoustic bass split being a good example: the instrument is the same, the setup is the same, but their usage and their 'audience' are different enough to warrant two different entries. The same could be said for a possible 4-string / 5-string electric bass split. Currently it is possible to add a fifth string to an electric bass used in a score; but if the 5-string variant is used widely enough, it may make sense to add a ready-made entry for it and spare some menial work to a significant number of users. 3) The possibility to attach 'faked' string setup to non-stringed instruments seems to me debatable. As I see the string data as info about the instrument, a non-stringed instruments should not have string data. Each of us has his own peculiar ways of working, but I do not think MuseScore should necessarily support them out of the box. __________________________________ Some specific answers. @Andrei: MuseScore already supports changing the string setup (number and tuning of strings and number of frets) of any stringed instrument (for which string data are supplied in instruments.xml); this can be done in an easy to reach dlg box and with a user interface as simple as I could figure out; of course, improvements are always possible and suggestions are always welcome. For frequently re-use of 'customized' instruments (or for adding entirely new instruments), a user-supplied instruments.xml can be specified in the Preferences. Of course it would be nice to make persistent modifications to the instrument list easier than that. An 'instrument editor' has been suggested several times, but so far there have been higher priorities. Maybe in the future? - - - - - - - - - - - - @vgstef: The fact that the term "tab(u)lature" is used in other cases too, does not necessarily mean that they are the same thing. In modern practice, the term usually refer to a way of notating strictly coupled with the physical features of the used instrument. So, whatever the term used, I think tablatures for non-stringed instruments are a different thing, based on entirely different principles and entirely different physical characteristics: I don't think there is a way to make the current (stringed instrument) tab concept "customizable enough" to accommodate them too. For instance, in earlier times, the term was also used for the so-called German Orgel Tabulature, which is again based on a concept totally different from the string-based tablature or the button-based tablature. If anyone feel inclined to implement these additional notations, is welcome! I am already busy enough with the current tab concept! I believe the current (stringed instrument) tab feature is able to support, partly our of the box and partly via user customization, any stringed instrument, almost surely all the stringed instruments you quote. If something is missing or if I overlooked something, reports and suggestions are always welcome! - - - - - - - - - - - - @Marc Sabatella: I have so far taken the <init> tag mostly as a black box; I assume exactly the same meaning you described; as I'm probably going to use it more often, I'll check it indeed does what it is expected to do. Contrabass / acoustic bass: luckily nobody so far asked for any 'special' variant of it (at least, as far as I know); so no plan to multiply it further... Electric bass: there have been requests for a 5-string el. bass out of the box; I have no idea of the numbers involved in the player total in general and in the MuseScore user base in particular. This is why I asked. - - - - - - - - - - - - @ChurchOrganist: I never managed to make some sense out of the MIDI terminology, so I just quoted the <channel> tag used in the file itself. I believe the relationships between the various instruments is now clear. No choice is in question, I think; the point might now be to spare any other dealing with file to go through the same Quest of the Saint Bass... This is why I thought of using <init> tag. 5-string bass: On one hand, as I said above, string data are not necessarily tied exclusively to tab. On the other hand, an instrument with 5 strings is physically different from an instrument with 4 strings. So I see 3 scenarios, for this point: A) We do nothing: the user requiring a 5-string bass will have to *) use the 4-string instrument, *) add a string in the staff properties, *) add a line to the 4-line tab provided with the bass. B) We provide a 5-line tab template only: the user will have to *) use the 4-string instrument, *) add a string as above, *) select the 5-line tab template. Note the 3rd step without the 2nd is likely to lead to inconsistent results. This would probably be the messiest solution. C) We provide both a separate 5-string bass entry and a 5-line tab template, linking them in the instruments.xml: the user will have to *) select the 5-string instrument and this is all. I do not like B), which is likely to raise user support concerns (many users will forget the 2nd step; probably they will not even think of it!). the choice between A) and C) is mostly dependent on the user base we are dealing with. And I have no hints about this. Thanks, Maurizio -- View this message in context: http://dev-list.musescore.org/Bass-guitars-in-instruments-xml-tp7578800p7578821.html Sent from the MuseScore Developer mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Learn Graph Databases - Download FREE O'Reilly Book "Graph Databases" is the definitive new guide to graph databases and their applications. Written by three acclaimed leaders in the field, this first edition is now available. Download your free book today! http://p.sf.net/sfu/NeoTech _______________________________________________ Mscore-developer mailing list Mscore-developer@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/mscore-developer
