Involuntary, Unwanted Transposition Down a Third

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Paul Lemanski Edited October 26, 2021 19:23

Version 25 on Windows 10
I took a MusicXML score that sounded great as an XML file and imported it into Finale. Once it was imported, I created another new score with the instruments that I wanted and in the same key as the original (imported file). I went into the guitar part on the imported file, then copied and pasted it into the guitar part in the new, blank score. When it pasted it in there, it transposed the chord symbols (above the staff) down a third for no apparent reason. It also took the rhythm dummy notes on the staff in the original xml file and changed them from strictly rhythm notes to actual music notes. With the staff tool, I changed them back to rhythm only notes, but they kept sounding off during playback and the sound of the those rhythms didn't play back as guitar strums, it played back as individual notes. Then I copied the piano part in, and it transposed that, too! The key signature is the same, but the notes are a third lower. So I have two questions: 1. How did that unwanted transposition happen and how do I keep it from happening? 2. How do I get the playback in the guitar part to reflect strumming the chords according to the rhythm notes rather than just playing the rhythm notes as musical notes. I got them to appear as rhythm notes, but they're still playing back as individual music notes.

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MIKE HALLORAN Edited October 26, 2021 20:03

Not enough information. You need to start at the beginning. How does a MusicXML file sound great without playing in an app? What app opens it correctly? What version of xml generated it in what app and what version have you selected to open it? What build of 25 (there was an xml upgrade with 25.3)?

My normal guess is that there was a capo indicator or something similar in the original file that got lost in translation.

MusicXML is not an app that magically translates everything from one to another (wouldn’t it be great if it was?). It’s a tool kit and functionality within an app depends upon that app’s developer.

For years, I transcribed choral files done in one app into another. The tenor lines always pasted incorrectly and I had to transpose after pasting. Long story short, the problem was the new app, not the old and the developer eventually fixed it.

Dave Cusick Posted October 26, 2021 21:13

Hi Paul,

Without seeing the file, I would first check if somewhere during the MusicXML > Finale > Copy/paste process there was a key change from a major to a relative minor or vice versa. If the original document was setup with a minor key signature but written like it was in the relative major, you won't notice this until pasting the notes into a document that is setup with the relative major key. The fix may be just changing the key signature of either the source or the target document.

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