How to delete unneeded rests
I created a new score for piano, treble clef only, and have a repeat and a single eighth note as a pickup note followed by an eight rest, a quarter rest, and a half rest in the first measure. The eighth full measure has the return repeat with a dotted half note and two eighth rests. How can I get rid of all the rests except for one eighth rest in the eighth measure?
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle, E minor.mscz | 25.1 KB |
Comments
Right click on a measure and look at 'Measure properties'. Notice how the 'Actual' duration can be set to differ from the 'Nominal' duration.
This is useful when creating a pickup measure; and, along with a complementary measure at the volta, the 4/4-meter flows smoothly as the repeat is executed.
Look at this: Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle, 2.mscz
(Dance music and marches employ this to keep people from tripping when the music jumps to the beginning. No one misses a step as the rhythm is smoothly maintained. Using the metronome will confirm.)
Adjusting actual duration in measure properties will result in a small + or - sign displayed to show whether a measure's duration was increased or decreased. The + or - sign does not print.
To answer your question about deleting unneeded rests, use Ctrl + Delete. This will affect a measure's actual duration, and will be confirmed in measure properties.
In reply to Right click on a measure and… by Jm6stringer
Thanks for the response. Is your instruction for deleting a rest specific to Windows? Using Ctrl + Delete on my Mac does nothing. Neither does right clicking on a measure show properties.
Thanks again.
In reply to Right click on a measure and… by Jm6stringer
On a Mac, using Command + Delete works to erase those rests. Haven't yet figured out how to get to measure properties and there appears to be no palette for just measures in MuseScore 4.
In reply to On a Mac, using Command +… by Dulcimer Freak
Measure properties are accessed from the right click menu. So, select the measure and click the right hand mouse button (or whatever equivalent a MAC might use).
In reply to Measure properties are… by SteveBlower
Thanks, SteveBlower. Unfortunately, using the right click on the mouse pad on my MacBook Air does nothing to bring up measure properties. I will experiment with other key combinations to try to find what works. If other Mac users know the answer, that would help, too.
In reply to Thanks, SteveBlower… by Dulcimer Freak
Google tells me "Control-click on a Mac is similar to right-click on a Windows computer"
In reply to Google tells me "Control… by SteveBlower
Thanks. That works.
In reply to Thanks. That works. by Dulcimer Freak
I would have written it more this way. Shorten the pickup measure length as mentioned, repeat the pickup note in the first volta and move the start repeat bar line to the next measure.
![Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle, E minor_.png]( "Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle, E minor_.png")
If you specify 'Exclude from measure count' for the pickup measure, then the small gray minus sign does not appear either. (At least in MS 3.6.2).