Can any score-writer do 'irrational' time signatures?

Question

I know I can write them as metrical modulations but I prefer to write them like this:

...which Sibelius can't do. I have to switch to a graphics program and it's time-consuming.

The main advantage of writing them this way is that tuplet-relationships are familiar: you don't have to stop and work them out. You just have to remember to stop tapping your foot! Using metric modulations makes the page untidy.

Any suggestions? There's something for Mac called NoteAbility that seems to know about these time signatures, but it doesn't look very sophisticated otherwise.

Answer 1

I discover it CAN be done in Sibelius. AND it will play back correctly with a couple of hidden metric modulations.

First input the notes as normal crotchet-triplets into a 4/4 bar followed by a normal quaver into a 1/4 bar, then hide the barline and delete the time sigs, so that it looks like a single bar.

[Turn on 'View hidden objects' if you like.]

Add some space at the start of the bar using a hidden grace note. Switch its playback off.

Click the R. button in space above the staff, and from the menu that appears select text|special text|time signatures. Then click the L. button where you want the time signature and enter '7' then '6'.

Now to make the final incomplete-triplet's bracket.

Select the final quaver in the bar and press 'L' to open the Lines menu. Scroll through it and select the bracket without a final hook. It's named 'bracket above (start)'.

Position it where you want it, and lengthen or shorten it by dragging the end of its line with the mouse. Now right click above the bracket and navigate to text|special text and click on 'tuplets'. Then left click and type "3". The 3 appears and you can drag it into position on the bracket line.

[Depending on your set up it's possible you may need to switch magnetic layout on or off.]

Finally use a new tempo for what was the 1/4 bar to make it last only 1/6, and another one to set it back to the preceding tempo. Hide these tempo changes. Sibelius will now play it correctly.

As Sibelius still sees the 1/4 bar as separate, the bar-numbering will need to be corrected.

[Turn off 'View hidden objects' if you like.]

Answer 2

Lilypond handles this without fuss if you can do without a GUI: you just write \time 7/6 and enclose the notes in \tuplet 3/2 { ... }

\version "2.20.0"
\relative c'' {
  \numericTimeSignature
  \time 4/4
  e4 b8. c16 cis8 cis gis4 |
  \time 7/6
  \tuplet 3/2 2 { 
    bes4 bes f8 r 
    g!4 d8 r e4
    b!8 r
  } |
  \time 4/4
  cis4 fis8. f16 e8 e a4 |
  \time 7/6
  \tuplet 3/2 2 { 
    g4 g c!8 r 
    bes4 ees8 r des4
    ges8 r
  } | 
}

Answer 3

With some workarounds, Dorico can do this. The workarounds are necessary for the incomplete triplet at the end of the measure. There is a custom line tool with which you can create this by hand. It won't play correctly though, unless you add hidden tempo changes.

See this forum post.

Answer 4

Since you've given no instruction as to the relationship between a quarter note in the first measure, and a (no-such-thing) "sixth note" in the second, this notation is useless to a performer in the first place. You have nothing to indicate how to map the standard icon for a quarter-note and eighth-note into "sixth-note" timing.

I can honestly say I do not know any musician who would want to try to read that and figure out the metric. Figure out how long your "7/6" measure will last in terms of the 4/4 measure, and notate triplets or sixths or 3-beat quads as necessary.