Cross-staff notation

Creating cross-staff notation

1. First of all, enter the notation on one staff only.

2. Select a note in the voice that you wish to move up or down to the other staff. e.g.

   

3. Press Ctrl+Shift+↓/↑ (Mac: Cmd+Shift+↓/↑), to move the voice up or down to the other staff. Alternatively, you can click on the cross-staff icon in the note input toolbar and choose the same options from the context menu.

   

   Note: This operation works on a voice basis, rather than on individual notes. It follows that if you want to ensure that notes remain on the same staff during the operation, they should be in a different voice to the one selected above. Be aware that notes which have been moved to a different staff still belong logically to the staff of origin. This is why no rest is shown in the place where the moved notes originated.

Changing appearance of cross-staff notation

To adjust the beam angle and height, click on the beam, then click on an adjustment handle and use the keyboard arrows, or drag the handle with a mouse. e.g.

Alternatively you can make more precise adjustments from the beam section of the Properties panel.

See also

How to span a chord or stem over two staves