Can distinct voices within linked tablature staves share the same string?
Within the (guitar) tablature stave, multiple voices are assumed to be played by the same instrument. This prevents multiple fret numbers at the same location. This is often sensible, but I wonder if it is possible to turn off this behaviour? Alternatively, is there a way to ensure that the linked tablature stave only includes specific voices? Perhaps opt-in for voices 2, 3 etc.?
I tried adding a second and third voice to a music stave with linked tablature (using the copy/swap/paste approach discussed here). Voices 2 & 3 should be harmonies of the first. At the point of adding voice 3, the tablature engine decides that this can only be achieved by placing all of the notes for each voice, on a distinct string; so losing the original hand-crafted tablature's string change information.
OS: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye), Arch.: x86_64, MuseScore version (64-bit): 3.6.2.548021370, revision: 3224f34
Comments
Yes, notes from different voices can share a string
In reply to Yes by Jojo-Schmitz
Thanks Jojo. Could you say a little more? I hope my question is clear - I mean for both voices to use the same string at the same moment in time. As soon as I move a tab note to the same string as another voice, the other voice moves to another string.
In reply to Thanks Jojo. Could you say a… by pkeir
No, sorry. As fast as I read https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/tablature this is possible and can happen, but it isn't described how to achieve this
See if this might help:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/noteheads#examples-notehead-sharing
@Jojo-Schmitz Thanks again. I searched for "voices" on that page, and found the "note on fret mark conflicts" very interesting...in the sense that I hadn't yet seen the red squares it mentions. The example involving "frets 0 to 4 on the 6th string" allowed me to observe a red square.
@Jm6stringer Thanks. The tab on the first example has the G at fret 3 on the low E string used by two voices, with no red square.
I can now more precisely explain my problem. The red square, which indicates a conflict/overlap can only be observed by modifying the notes on the music stave. (For example, two voices using "frets 0 to 4 on the 6th string"). In contrast, trying to move a fret number from one string, to one which would produce such a conflict/overlap, is simply not possible (the request is ignored). This, though, is the functionality I am looking for; as with 3 voices I cannot arrange even one voice correctly in a playable form in tablature.
In reply to @Jojo-Schmitz Thanks again… by pkeir
You wrote:
...I cannot arrange even one voice correctly in a playable form in tablature.
Could you attach an example of a linked TAB staff and explain what exactly you are trying to notate?
Presumably you want notation for a human guitarist to perform, so normally only a single fingertip depresses a single fret. I realize that a single finger can barre more than one string, but why do you seem to want a guitarist to use overlapping fingertips to depress the same fret on a single string?
In reply to You wrote: ...I cannot… by Jm6stringer
I am hoping to allow one guitarist to play each voice. I understand there is the option to use multiple linked music/TAB staves, but am curious about using multiple voices instead.
In reply to I am hoping to allow one… by pkeir
Workarounds:
1) Add a stave text to indicate that both players share the note
and/or
2) Add a silent, invisible note of the same duration on any spare string in voice 2. This will ensure that you get the rhythm stems in the right place, (above and below the stave), for both voices as a visual indicator that both players are expected to play the note.
If you have a spare string position available with the same pitch then the note does not need to be silent, otherwise you may want to increase the loudness of the shared note to represent both guitars.
Here is another example of a red square conflict which only the music stave can produce: by holding the up arrow, a note from the music stave will increase in pitch until the fret number reaches 24 on the high E string, before becoming a red square (with fret number 0) as the pitch increase continues. This behaviour is not possible by editing a fret number in tablature: here, fret number 24 is the limit.
In reply to Here is another example of a… by pkeir
If you require more than 24 frets, you can set a higher number in Staff/Part properties.
In reply to If you require more than 24… by Jm6stringer
This was just a simple (second) example of how an edit on the music stave can obtain a red square conflict, but editing the tablature cannot.
You can use all/any voices in a tablature staff but voice 1 that requires all rests are present where notes do not fulfill the time signature in each bar. You can make these rests invisible but you'll end up fighting with the system so it really is best to always have voice 1 present. Voices 2, 3 and 4 can have rests deleted - but it actually works better if you just make them invisible.