How to change the key in the middle of a bar (measure)
I've searched the handbook but couldn't find how to change the key signature within a score. Of course I know how to make it between two bars, but the piece I'm currently engraving, require the key to be changed in the middle of a bar, see attached picture.
How is this done?
NB, the time signature is 6/8.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| KeyChange.png | 244.69 KB |
Comments
See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/key-signatures#add-key-sig which includes:
"Note: It is also possible, though uncommon, to add a key-signature mid measure by selecting a note then clicking a palette key signature, or dragging the key signature to a note."
In reply to See https://musescore.org/en… by SteveBlower
Thanks. The old material I used was published by Belwin and Mills Publishing Corp. which I never heard about, but when I checked an even older Schlesinger (Berlin) publication, I see that they make the key change between two measures so I think I trust that solution better
Sorry, I read the old and difficult to read score incorrect4ly. In fact, they also change the key in the middle of the measure.
Also, what's written in the handbook, i.e.
"Note: It is also possible, though uncommon, to add a key-signature mid measure by selecting a note then clicking a palette key signature, or dragging the key signature to a note."
does not work.
It doesn't make a difference if you click a note, a rest or drag the key where you want it. It always jump to a beginning of a measure. Somewhere midway through a measure does not4 exist. For me as a software and signal processing engineer I would call the quantisation is only whole measures or am I wrong.
In reply to See https://musescore.org/en… by SteveBlower
By the way, it's possible to make a "local" key change for one stave (Ctrl+drag) but its not possible to make a "global" change for all staves in a score.
In reply to By the way, it's possible to… by TomStrand
Well, you could add local key signatures to all the staves.
I am surprised that the handbook instructions don't work. It's a long time since I had to add a mid-bar key signature but I don't recall any problems. Tomorrow, when I get back to my PC I will try again.
One thought occurs to me, are you trying to add the key signature at a point where a note is sustaining in another stave? If so, you probably need to split the sustaining note and use a tie so that the key signature has somewhere to go that is not the middle of a note.
In reply to Well, you could add local… by SteveBlower
No, there is no sustained note. See details in the attached snapshot.
In reply to No, there is no sustained… by TomStrand
No sustained note in that stave, but in another instrument's stave perhaps? I assume you want the key change for everyone at the same place.
Split the bar. Tools / Measures / Split measures before selected note/rest
For more details, see https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/pickup-and-non-metered-measures
In reply to Split the bar. Tools /… by TheHutch
Well, well. Thank, it works but you have to make the "new" barline invisible. Also, you get two warnings (- signs) above staff indicating the bar is incomplete. I wonder if this will, at some time, manifest itself as a corrupted file, see snapshot below..
In reply to Well, well. Thank, it works… by TomStrand
Yes, the new barline must be made invisible. This is how you put a key change (or a repeat) in the middle of a measure.
It will not cause corruption problems. This sort of measure causes problems only when set up incorrectly (e.g., when the measure is imported from .MID or .PDF or another format). By Splitting the measure or by explicitly changing its Actual Duration in the Measure Properties dialog, you are explicitly setting it up correctly to have fewer or more beats than the time signature shows.