Re: Shouldn't the ambitus engraver prefer his key signature?

[David Kastrup]

"Anthony W. Youngman" <address@hidden> writes:

> In message <address@hidden>, David Kastrup
> <address@hidden> writes
>>
>>Hi,
>>
>>the ambitus engraver seemingly picks the first maximum/minimum in the
>>note sequence and stays with it even when the same absolute pitch comes
>>up later with a better match to the ambitus engraver's key signature.
>>
>>Here is a real world example where the ambitus engraver (which is
>>working in C major) picks c flat rather than b as its lowest span.
>>Ugly.
>
> Not that I use ambituses, but surely, where there multiple notes of
> the same pitch (I hate to say "absolute pitch", because to take the
> above example c-flat and b-natural are NOT the same pitch except on
> the piano),

Ambitus engravings are for expressing physical limits.  I can't think of
a tuning/instrument where enharmonic relations could make a difference.

> it makes sense to take the lowest (or highest, as appropriate) note -
> b over c.

No.  The ambitus should definitely orient itself with its key signature:
it makes no sense using accidentals when a natural pitch is there.

-- 
David Kastrup