Notation and tuplets

[ed209]

Ok, so I am confused.

It seems that I cannot figure out how to edit a tuplet with the Edit Tuplet function.

• What is the meaning of the first fields - where you specify numbers separated by a colon?
• What does it mean when specifying Note length dropdown, how is that related to the first number fields?
• Channel dropdown, why would I ever want to add tuplets across all channels?
• When does Modify note positions checkbox matter, under which circumstances?

What I expect is to set a type of tuplet with the first two fields. I don't know how to handle or what the note length dropdown does. I expect the modify note position checkbox to modify note position even if I've selected different note values.

About tuplet behaviour:
I can make tuplet placeholders before adding notes. How will that be used? Will it make additional snapping points where a note can be positioned/dragged to? As far as I can tell it's possible to prepare tuplet brackets, then position the cursor and enter notes according to grid - but the grid have to be same as tuplet bracket division - is this correct?

If I enter my own grid division and have snap enabled I can enter any subdivision tuplet I can think of - why do I need the brackets?

So I guess the last question is the main one:
Why do we need the tuplet brackets? (In the way it is implemented at least, I know we need tuplet brackets haha)

[schwa]

If the tuplet dialog says "3:2 quarter notes", then you get a tuplet consisting of 3 quarter notes in the space usually taken by 2 quarter notes.

If you do not already have a tuplet selected, an empty tuplet bracket will be inserted at the edit cursor. This creates additional snap points, so you can insert or edit notes that will make up the tuplet, regardless of the grid settings.

If you already have a tuplet selected, and you change some values in the tuplet dialog, the tuplet will be modified. If "modify note positions" is enabled, notes that are currently within the tuplet bracket will also be modified to match the new settings.

For example, if you have a 3:2 quarter note tuplet, and change the note length to 1/8, the tuplet bracket will then be half as wide (taking up the space of 2 eighth notes rather than 2 quarter notes). If "modify note positions" is enabled, any notes within the tuplet will also have their positions and lengths modified to match the new tuplet bracket. If "modify note positions" is disabled, the notes will stay as they are, and only the bracket will change.

Your question "why do we need the tuplet brackets" I assume means "what use are empty tuplet brackets." They allow you to set up a tuplet without having to mess with the grid settings or do math to figure out what grid division is equivalent to "11 eighth notes in the space of 10" or whatnot. You can also copy or move the empty brackets around to create rhythm patterns that you will later fill with notes.

[ed209]

Schwa, first of all - you're my hero.

Also want to say that I edited my post several times after posting, fixing typos and adding the question about Channel dropdown, as well as adding text after the bold last statement/question. Sorry about that.

Thank you for answering my questions. I will go back and practice a bit with your answers in mind. As always, I really like your work, so thank you so bloody much for the notation view, it is enabling me to do what I wished I could do ages ago. It is only the tuplet thing that throws me.

[JoPiano]

Doesn't work for me. Tried several times to insert notes into a 5/4 (1/16th) tuplet bracket. They jump around, either adding to the first note as a chord or going way to far to the right. Enabling or disabling grid make no difference. Inserting 5 sixtheenth at first and combining them afterwards to a quintuplet also show strange effects, far away from a clean tuplet, regardless of with or without "modify note positions" is engaged.
Btw.: It should theoretically be possible to quantize five notes to a quintuplet by using "quantize to the grid" and grid values of 1/20. But this doesn't work neither. If you try to move the notes with the mouse, some of them jump to the next but one. I think, this whole tuplet-affair is not completed yet.

[schwa]

What do you have set for display quantization? The default is 1/16th, which will make 5:4 sixteenth notes basically impossible.

[schwa]

This is with display quantization set to 1/32:

[JoPiano]

Ah, that's the trick.

But quantize to grid doesn't work. Overlap correction neither.

[JoPiano]

And this way I get much to much short notes and rests. Not readable at all.