Guitar: capo, tuning and transposed instrument

[ShibuyaCyana]

We could have these tickboxes for guitar treble clef properties:

• transposed notation with capo
  • transpose key signature
• transposed notation with non-standard tuning
  • transpose key signature

and this for tablature:

• fret number count from capo

This is the current state with 4.2:

1. Guitar with capo is treated as transposed instrument, not responding to concert pitch and causing this issue;
2. Alternative tuned guitar is NOT treated as transposed instrument. Manually set transpose will mess up tablature numbers (looks like they're directly calculated from notated pitch and string tuning, ignoring transposition);
3. With capo, tablature numbers are also "transposed", which is following guitar pro behavior.

Transposed notation of both treble clef and tab won't make much sense if it's a partial capo; and, personally, I prefer "absolute" tab numbers with capo, since I find frets with side dot or muscle memory, and none of them will move with capo.
(I don't use capo often, I guess this kind of notation makes sense if mostly playing close to capo)

So:

1. Support concert pitch notation with capo, should also help solving the aforementioned issue.
   1.1. transposed notation may optionally use transposed key signature
2. Support transposed notation for down tuned guitar, which would also benefit things like baritone guitar, as long as following standard tuning interval;
3. Support optional absolute fret number with capo, which should also make partial capo easier to read.

Since notation for guitar has no globally agreed rules, I think it would be better to put these option in staff properties, rather than responding to the global concert pitch toggle.

[scorster]

Re: 3. Support optional absolute fret number with capo

There's an in depth discussion about absolute fret numbering on the .org forum and specifically how it pertains to a partial capo. Thought I'd point it out in case you hadn't seen it.

I agree on the importance of absolute fret numbering, as an option, and setting it as a staff property makes sense when a score only requires absolute fret numbering.

But as discussed on the forum, with partial capo notation, situations arise where we need a mix of capo-relative and absolute fret numbering. In such cases we a need a note property (i.e. capo relative numbering vs. absolute fret numbering) that takes priority over the staff/part setting.

For instance, most scorists likely expect frets in partial capo tablature expressed relative to the capo. However, when there's a section of the part to be played "below" the partial capo, absolute fret numbers provide a way of specifying (without resorting to negative frets relative to the capo.)

This is discussed in the cited forum post where it is supported with illustrations and suggested nomenclature. While the concept of absolute frets is straight forward, mixing absolute with capo-relative is uncharted territory (i.e. there are no globally agreed upon rules). My spidey sensibilities say, when there's a need to fret behind the capo, absolute fret numbers are more intuitive than negative numbers relative to the capo. But ... options are always good.

MuseScore could pave an intelligent path forward for the full range of partial capo notation needs including mixes of capo-relative fret numbers and the occasional absolute fret numbering (i.e. nut relative.)

scorster

[scorster]

We've had the absolutely wonderful partial capo functionality since MS4.2, but it lacks the option for "capo relative frets". Thus it remains incomplete and generally unusable for me ... and in kind, unusable for anyone else who needs uncapoed strings notated relative to the capo, which is likely the preferred approach.

The issues have been well outlined in various discussions, but I'd don't see the capo relative vs. nut relative (absolute) fret numbering assigned to any Github MuseScore project. Am I missing something?

This related issue is marked P1 since Oct 2023. But says needs review.

Ideally MuseScore will offer a trigger that toggles relative vs. absolute. This could be per score, per staff, per selection, and/or a per note.

scorster