Creating custom tonality systems

You can create custom tonality systems, which can have any number of octave divisions and contain as many custom accidentals and custom key signatures as required. Each project can contain multiple custom tonality systems.

Procedure

  1. In Write mode, click Key Signatures, Tonality Systems, and Accidentals in the Notations toolbox to show the Key Signatures, Tonality Systems, and Accidentals panel.
  2. In the Tonality System section, create a new tonality system and open the Edit Tonality System dialog in one of the following ways:

    • To create an entirely new tonality system, click New Tonality System in the action bar.

    • To create a copy of an existing tonality system, select it from the menu and click Duplicate Tonality System in the action bar.

  3. Enter a name for the new custom tonality system in the Name field.
  4. In the Divisions section, change the number of octave divisions assigned to each interval.

    For example, you might give the intervals A-B, C-D, D-E, F-G and G-A a different number of octave divisions than for B-C and E-F.

  5. In the Accidentals section, create a new custom accidental or edit an existing accidental.

    • To create a new custom accidental, click New Accidental in the action bar to open the Edit Accidental dialog.

    • To create a copy of an existing accidental, select it and click Duplicate Accidental in the action bar to open the Edit Accidental dialog.

    • To edit an existing accidental, select it and click Edit Accidental in the action bar to open the Edit Accidental dialog.

  6. Customize the appearance, name, and pitch delta of the accidental.
    Note

    • We do not recommend setting pitch deltas that are more than half of the total number of octave divisions.

    • You cannot change the pitch delta when editing the default accidentals in the default 12-EDO and 24-EDO tonality systems.

  7. Click OK to save your changes and close the Edit Accidental dialog.
  8. Optional: Repeat steps 5 to 7 for each accidental you want in your custom tonality system.
  9. In the Custom Key Signatures section, add a new custom key signature or edit one of the default custom key signatures.

    • To edit one of the default custom key signatures, select it and click Edit Key Signature in the action bar to open the Edit Custom Key Signature dialog.

    • To create a new custom key signature, click New Key Signature in the action bar to open the Edit Custom Key Signature dialog.

  10. Customize the arrangement of the key signature.
  11. Click OK to save your changes and close the Edit Custom Key Signature dialog.
  12. Optional: Repeat steps 9 to 11 for each custom key signature you want in your custom tonality system.
  13. Optional: If you want your new custom tonality system to be available in all future projects you open on your computer, click Save As Default.
  14. Click OK to save your changes and close the Edit Tonality System dialog.

Result

The new custom tonality system is added to the project and becomes available in the menu in the Tonality System section of the Key Signatures, Tonality Systems, and Accidentals panel. If you clicked Save As Default, it is available in all future projects on your computer.

After Completing This Task

  • You can change the tonality system, for example, so your new custom tonality system applies to a specific section of music.

  • You can export custom tonality systems, for example, to share them with other users.