Custom Instrumentation Presets

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PianoPiaffe

• August 23, 2021 18:19

As a composer, time adds up when I'm having to select from one of Noteflight's prefabs to turn into another common instrumentation that Noteflight hasn't made readily available. Specifically in my case, I've been wanting a preset for a Marching/Pep Band (sans pit and without double-reeds or concert percussion; with the necessary substitutes for Mellophone, Sousaphone, and Marching Baritone, as well as the Drumline). Another preset I've been wanting is the jazz big band, with 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes, and rhythm section w guitar, piano, bass, drums, and auxiliary percussion. 

However, with the addition of a feature that would allow us to make our own instrumentations, this problem would be immediately solvable and extends only to the limit of each composer's imagination. The most applicable uses in my case would be creating prefabs for pep band tunes, jazz band tunes, drum cadences, drum corps shows, and concerto-style pieces with an instrumental/vocal soloist at the top of a chamber orchestra. 

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  CelloPeter

  • December 22, 2022 22:11

  Definitely!

  This would help if you like to write for virtually random scoring, too, like:

  -French Horn

  -Violin

  -Electric Guitar

  -Grand Piano

  -Harp

  -Vibraphone

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  VanDoren35

  • August 07, 2025 21:12

  I think I've found a way to do this. But it doesn't use the built in preset ensembles. It uses your already existing scores.

  1. Open a score that already has the desired instrumentation. Let's say one of your Pep Band tunes.

  2. Under Score Palette, select Save a Copy. NF will create the copy and open it for edit. The title will read Copy of...(original song title). This is an entirely new score. All of your custom instruments are there in the order you made.

  3. Clear out all the notes and maybe delete all but the first four blank starting measures (as all new scores open).

  4. Rename this copy score to Pep Band Template Score. Now you have a blank score with correct instrumentation to start from.

  When you're ready to make that next pep band arrangement:

  1. Open Pep Band Template Score.

  2.  Go to: Score Palette > Save a Copy

  3. Rename Copy of Pep Band Template Score to the actual song title and away you go. Your instrumentation is still all in place. The template file is still safe and available for future use.

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