How to enter tuplets with total durations that can not be represented by single notes.

Workaround for "difficult" tuplets. Works for 3.x and 2.x.

The standard method for entering tuplets is described here. For triplets this states “Select a note or rest that specifies the full duration of the desired triplet group. In the case of an eighth note triplet, you will need to select a quarter note or rest” and for the more general “tuplet” case “In Note input mode, select a note duration equalling the total duration of the tuplet; or, if in Normal mode, select a note or rest of the desired overall duration”. However, in some cases the total duration of the desired tuplet can not be represented by a single note – for example:

Here the total duration of the octuplet is 5 eighth notes (5 quavers) which can only be represented using ties or multiple rests – for example:

or

The tied note or multiple rests cannot be turned into an octuplet.

To work around this limitation the measure can be split so that one part of the divided measure has a duration equal to the total duration of the desired tuplet. In our example this would mean splitting the measure before the third eighth (quaver) like this (see Split a measure).

Here, the second measure has a duration of 5 eighths but that duration is now represented by a single whole-measure rest. That whole measure rest can be turned into a tuplet in the usual way to give this:

The rests can then be replaced with notes and the beaming adjusted to give this:

And finally. the measure can be rejoined (see Join measures) to give the desired result: