Rests
Can one turn off the automatic placements of rests within measures?
How can one move a rest to another position within the measure?
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Can one turn off the automatic placements of rests within measures?
How can one move a rest to another position within the measure?
Do you still have an unanswered question? Please log in first to post your question.
Comments
Musescore by default maintains the correct number of beats within a measure which is a Good Thing. Notes overwrite rests so don't try to move rests; instead move notes to where you want them using Cut/Paste.
In reply to Musescore by default… by SteveBlower
Is there a way to disable the number of beats within a measure?
In 4/4 time I have the following notes in a measure: 1/4, 1/8 rest, 1/8, 1/4, and 1/4. I now want to go back and add a dot to the 2nd 1/4 note in the sequence. How do I do that?
In reply to Is there a way to disable… by saddla
So you have 4 beats worth of notes which is correct for a 4/4 measure. If you select the quarter note on beat 3 and add the dot it will extend its duration by an eighth and that eighth will be taken from the start if the quarter on beat 4, leving an eighth in beat 4 abd a half. So you will then still have 4 beats which is a Good Thing.
It will probably be much easier for people to help you if you attach the score (.mscz file) and say what you are trying to achieve.
In reply to So you have 4 beats worth of… by SteveBlower
In the 2nd measure, I wish to add a dot to the 2nd 1/4 note. How do I do that without changing other notes?
Also, in the first measure I think it is more correct to have a half rest and a quarter rest rather than 3 quarter rests. How can that be changed?
See attachment.
In reply to Is there a way to disable… by saddla
As far as I know you can't disable the number of beats. You can change the time signature to have more or fewer beats but the note values still need to add up to that number. For your example, to increase the value of the one quarter note you need to decrease the value of one or more other notes or rests.
In reply to As far as I know you can't… by garytemp
In the 2nd measure, I wish to add a dot to the 2nd 1/4 note. How do I do that without changing other notes?
Also, in the first measure I think it is more correct to have a half rest and a quarter rest rather than 3 quarter rests. How can that be changed?
See attachment.
In reply to In the 2nd measure, I wish… by saddla
I'm not sure about 3.6.2 (I use 4.1), but I would click on the first rest and hit the half note button without hitting the write music button.
In reply to In the 2nd measure, I wish… by saddla
You can always change notes to rests, rests to notes, change the duration of either, move note position (to be a different note, say C to F) etc whenever you are not in note entry mode. It sounds like you would really benefit from watching a couple of beginner Musescore videos on YouTube. Sometimes it is easier to simply clear the measure and enter everything fresh. Just like writing a sentence, you work from left to right, and if you make a mistake in timing it is much easier to fix it before moving to the next note/rest. Things become more complicated once you have to use multiple voices, have notes crossing staves, etc., so establishing a good foundation is important.
In reply to In the 2nd measure, I wish… by saddla
> How do I do that without changing other notes?
![MuseScore 3_ test_1_.png]( "MuseScore 3_ test_1_.png")
You have a 4/4 time signature.
If you want the quarter note on beat 3 to be a dotted quarter note, you either need a 9/8 time signature, or you need to omit the eighth rest on beat 2, or the last quarter note is changed to an eighth.
Which of these options do you want to choose?
> Also, in the first measure I think it is more correct to have a half rest and a quarter rest rather than 3 quarter rests. How can that be changed?
Select the first quarter rest and click the half note icon at the top.
If this is the very first measure, it may be an upbeat. By right-clicking on the measure and selecting Measure Properties, you can reduce the length to 1/4. Then there are no rests. Caution: the note on beat 4 should be written on beat 1 beforehand.
In reply to > How do I do that without… by HildeK
The option I would choose is to delete the rest without affecting other notes in the measure. Can this be done?
In reply to The option I would choose is… by saddla
What do you mean by "delete the rest". You need some sort of rest to make the number of beats correct. If you prefer a half rest rather than two quarters just select the first quarter and use keyboard shortcut 6 to turn it into a half, overwriting the second quarter. Better still enter a half rest in the first place rather than two quarters.
I think you are expecting Musescore to behave in a way it is not designed to. Its note entry and editing methods may be different to that of another program you are used to, but after you take the time to learn how it works and unlearn your previous experience you will find Musescore quite efficient.
In reply to The option I would choose is… by saddla
No, not without affecting other things.
The easiest way might be to select the eighth and quarter notes in the middle, cut them (Ctrl-x), and then select the eighth rest and paste it there. You will get a eighth rest on beat 3.5. Then select the quarter note (beat 3) and press the dot icon.
The result is the second stave in my pic above.
In reply to No, not without affecting… by HildeK
Thank you HildeK.
Can you tell me how to compress (shorten distance-wise) or lengthen a single measure? Sometimes I am able to do it by dragging a note, but other times none of the notes will drag.
In reply to Thank you HildeK. Can you… by saddla
Right click on a measure, choose measure properties. There you can adapt the measure length - increase or decrease. A small minus or plus sign shows that the measure does not have its nominal length.
A measure can also be shorten by selecting a note or rest and pressing Ctl-Del.
So for a pickup measure select the unwanted rests and press Ctrl-Del.
In reply to Right click on a measure,… by HildeK
That is shortening "duration-wise" not "measurement-wise". For the latter you can select the measure and use keyboard shortcut { to reduce the stretch - i.e. compress the notation.
In reply to That is shortening "duration… by SteveBlower
Probably I have misunderstood something.
In the test.mscz measure 2 there are some segment leading space values far from zero.
Select the measure / notes and reset the segment leading to zero in the inspector.
In reply to Probably I have… by HildeK
Hello HildeK,
Thanks so much. You have been very helpful.
I have attached a new score. I wish to delete the quarter rest, and move it to the end of the measure, while keeping all notes the same. Is there a way to do that?
John
In reply to Hello HildeK, Thanks so much… by saddla
Copy and paste is your friend.
First select the first E eighth. Then, while holding down the Shift key, select the last eighth of A (using the mouse). You'll get a blue frame around the notes. Press Ctrl-X to cut, select the rest on beat 1, and paste (Ctrl-v).
The selection of notes can also be done differently, for example by selecting the first note and using the right arrow key while holding down the Shift key to select one note after the other.
Selection methods are important basics. Please read also the handbook chapter https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/selection-modes
In reply to Copy and paste is your… by HildeK
I see said the blind man!
That sure beats deleting the whole measure and starting over, which is what I have been doing.
Thanks again.
In reply to Copy and paste is your… by HildeK
Hello once again HildeK,
In my 4/4 time song, I have been adding chord symbols (such as "A") above my melody notes. So far, so good. But when I play back the sound of the chords only, the timing of the 4 guitar strums per measure is based upon the timing of the melody notes, and therefore the chord timing is not correct.
Is there a way to add chord symbols above my melody in such a way that the 4 chord strums per measure will be timed correctly? In other words, equal time between each of the 4 strums?
Thanks once again,
John
In reply to Hello once again HildeK, In… by saddla
Sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean.
Adding chord symbols with Ctrl-K requires a reference to a note or rest. When you press the space bar, you jump to the next position, usually the next quarter note beat. If a whole rest is the starting point, you can insert four chords in one measure (this depends on the time signature). If you press the spacebar several times, a beat is skipped each time, so that e.g. with chord - spacebar - chord - spacebar a chord is written on beat 1 and beat 3. This refers to a 4/4 time signature as an example, it varies for other time signatures.
But you can also enter e.g. sixteenth rests beforehand, then chords are possible on each of these rest positions. And then write the notes in the desired duration, it does not affect the chord position.
If you have already notes written and you want the time position of your chord symbols to differ from the written notes, take voice 2, enter rests there that cover the desired position, enter the chord symbols for voice 2, and hide these rests afterwards. I am not sure if I have described all possibilities ...
How long the chords sound depends on the style settings/chord symbols. Either until the next chord symbol, until the end of the bar, or only for the duration of the note above the chord symbol.
If you meant something else, please rephrase - English is not my native language.
In reply to Sorry, I don't quite… by HildeK
You don't need to enter rests in voice 2 to set chords where there is no note or rest in voice 1.
In chord entry, use CTRL+digit to move the cursor to any desired position and so enter chords wherever you want.
In reply to You don't need to enter… by frfancha
Thank you - I didn't know that. Yes indeed, the better and faster method.
I am playing in a brass band and there are no chord symbols in the score :-).
In reply to You don't need to enter… by frfancha
Thank you frfrancha,
I now know how to add chords when there are no notes.
But, what if I already have notes, and simply want 4 chords (4 strums) per measure. Is there an easy way (perhaps automatically) to add 4 evenly spaced (timewise) chords above the existing notes?
In reply to Thank you frfrancha, I now… by saddla
Not automatically, you have to name the chords. But like frfancha said:
Select first note, Ctrl-K, enter chord, Ctrl-5 for one beat later, enter next chord. And so on.
As an example, run these commands to see how it works:
Then you get that in my picture, where I only entered the eighth rests in voice 2 to show which beat the chords were assigned to. You don't need rests in the second voice! This is what I learned today :-)
The numbers in the Ctrl command correspond to the note lengths as in the note input with the keyboard.
![Akkorde.png]( "Akkorde.png")
In reply to Not automatically, you have… by HildeK
Yes, HildeK,
I can do it when starting from an empty measure.
But I'm still struggling with measures that already have notes.
See the attached measure. I want to place 4 chords equally apart time-wise, and on beats 1,2,3, and 4.
How would I do that?
In reply to Yes, HildeK, I can do it… by saddla
> How would I do that?
Starting point: the notes are already written. Then:
See the result in the pic. Notice the position from the A chord! Or, did you want something else?
![example.png]( "example.png")
In reply to > How would I do that?… by HildeK
Yes, HildeK!
It works great that way. Thanks.
In reply to Not automatically, you have… by HildeK
Hi HildeK,
How does one delete an empty (has only a whole rest in it) measure?
John
In reply to Hi HildeK, How does one… by saddla
If emty or not, select the measure and press Ctl+Del.
In reply to If emty or not, select the… by HildeK
Well, that was certainly easy.
Thanks.
In reply to Sorry, I don't quite… by HildeK
Addendum.
![ChordPositions.png]( "ChordPositions.png")
Here a small pic which shows what I described:
In reply to Sorry, I don't quite… by HildeK
You have understood perfectly, thank you HildeK,
I now know how to add chords when there are no notes.
But, what if I already have notes, and simply want 4 chords (4 strums) per measure. Is there an easy way (perhaps automatically) to add 4 evenly spaced (timewise) chords above the existing notes?
In reply to You have understood… by saddla
With or without preexisting notes it doesn't change anything.
Just go to chord edit and use CTRL digit to navigate exactly as when there are no notes.
Only small bonus you gain from the preexisting notes is that you can CTRL K from one of them near the position where you want to start to add chord
In reply to With or without preexisting… by frfancha
Yes, frfrancha!
It works great that way.
In reply to With or without preexisting… by frfancha
Hi frfrancha,
How does one delete an empty (has only a whole rest in it) measure?
John
In reply to The option I would choose is… by saddla
I think we may be paying too much attention to one part of one measure without consideration of what is going on in the phrases around it. What is the pulse of the melody? What is going on in other instruments? Does adding a dot to a note disrupt, or help the flow of the melody. The short answer is that you can't add a dot to that note without affecting everything else. Maybe that's OK. Maybe it isn't. We can't tell from just two measures.
In reply to The option I would choose is… by saddla
Yes by CTRL DEL