Enhance Staff Copying: Reassign Voices and Remove Rests
When copying staff contents from one voice to another, it would be beneficial to have an option to reassign voices and remove rests. This is useful when working with complex scores that involve multiple instruments or parts.
For instance, in a SATB + Organ template for traditional hymns, I often separate the organ part into individual choral lines (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). When copying over an organ voice to one of these choral sections, it can cause two voices to merge with different notes and rhythms. Currently, this requires manual editing to delete rests, and one has to re-enter the notes for the first voice.
A feature that allows for automatic voice reassignment (e.g., "voice 2" becoming "voice 1") when copying staff contents would streamline this process. This functionality would save time and reduce errors in score preparation.
To implement this, add a simple button or option for the copy operation to toggle / configure voice assignment, effectively allowing users to:
* Remove rests from copied notes
* Reassign secondary voices (e.g., "voice 2") to primary voices (e.g., "voice 1")
An option would be to have this as a general button to click on to re-assign voices (i.e., perhaps near the voice buttons). This enhancement would improve workflow efficiency and accuracy when working with complex scores in MuseScore.
Update:
I just found out through experimentation that one can paste a note onto a rest and that re-assigns the voice 2 to voice 1. However, it does not carry over the note rhythms.
Comments
If I understand you, try this:
In the organ part, range select the treble clef (soprano and alto) and copy into the soprano part. Then go to Tools>Explode. This puts the second voice into the alto part.
The opposite can be done to copy vocal parts into the organ. A few more steps. And involves implode and explode.
In reply to If I understand you, try… by bobjp
Watching the following video helped explain that differently, but with a visual approach:
Sketch to Score- Exploding Chord Voicings in MuseScore 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72e-lbQQddw
However, there is a slight bit of detail involved in this. It would be nice / have an easier workflow if I could simply copy the original measures and explode them into 2, I can select and bam (i.e., it copies the 2 staves where needed)!
I appreciate your reply. It helped!
Update:
One thing I noticed it won't copy is if you have slurs in the notes, it does not copy over. So, when I copy to the Tenor voice section, then select Tenor and Bass and select Tools -> Explode it copies over if I get rid of the slurs on the Tenor section that I just copied from that had one slur in it.
In reply to Watching the following video… by smittyVanilli
Interesting. Slurs copied and exploded for me. Can you post a sample score?
In reply to Interesting. Slurs copied… by bobjp
Certainly! I'm experimenting with an interesting hymn, Abide With Me, by William H. Monk. The problem starts at measure 5 that has the slur. The first soprano and alto measures were fine. However, at measure 5, is where the slur starts in the organ. The slur is unnecessary for choral purposes. However, because of it, it won't copy it.
Also, I noticed certain voices won't copy. Experiment with the rest of the music, and you find this out!
In reply to Certainly! I'm experimenting… by smittyVanilli
OK. The bass clef organ part is more tricky, so I'll deal mainly with that. To start with I changed the tenor part clef to bass. Then copied measures 1-7 of the bass clef organ part (not the pedal) into it. Now measure 5 Bb half note needs to be two quarter notes. they are voice 2, so select them and select the voice 1 icon in the toolbar, There are now two voice 2 quarter rests that you can select and delete. You should be able to select measures 1-7 and hit Explode. You can change the Bb back to a half note. Double check all the pitches are correct.
The second line is more tricky. There are measures where different voices have different rhythms. Much like the Bb measure we had to deal with above. Those measures must be broken down to their basic rhythms. And they must match within the measure and be in the same voice. Voice one.
Copy the organ part into the tenor part. Now, for example, measure 11, dot the tenor beat one middle C change the voice 2 notes to voice 1. Do something with the other measures so that all rhythms match and are in the same voice. Now I had to explode each measure one at a time. I don't know why. But that's the only way that staff worked. Change rhythms back to what they are supposed to be and change the tenor bass clef back to the proper one. I may have missed something but here is a start.
May not be worth the trouble, but these are all useful skills.
In reply to OK. The bass clef organ part… by bobjp
It took me a while to grasp what you were talking about; however, I think I have the gist of it.
This resource visually helped:
MuseScore 4 Tutorial - How to Make Choir Practice Tracks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaC9jhJrcvc&t=5m41s
I have that video resource timed exactly to the discussion, similar to where our Measure 5 is regarding the 2 voices.
Regardless, I know there can be an improved way of doing this procedure. And even if that means stepping in and helping the developer team do it, I think this feature would be monumental!
By the way, I had to select the Bb half note, then hit the note value for the quarter note, and select both quarter note values and assign them to voice 1. Delete the rests, then explode the selection, re-select the Bb and lower D notes, and finally, select the half note to revert it to its original state.
Thanks for your time, efforts, and explanation!