Lyrics: Allow shift+click to select fewer than all verses

• Mar 18, 2025 - 05:08

I am using MuseScore Studio 4.5 on Windows 11.

Suppose I have a voice part with 3 verses. Suppose I want to select just one verse for some operation. On Windows I expect that if I click on a syllable in one verse and then shift+click a following syllable somewhere in the same verse, the result will be to select a range of syllables within that one verse. This is standard behavior on Windows.

Instead, MuseScore selects ALL verses within that range.

Similarly, I expect that I could select a block from multiple verses by clicking a starting syllable in one verse and then shift+clicking an ending syllable in a different verse. If I clicked on the first syllable of verse 1 and then the last syllable of verse 2, then I expect that I have selected verses 1 and 2.

Instead, MuseScore selects ALL verses.

On the other hand, Muse Score DOES handle Ctrl+click in the standard way:
You can select part of just one verse by Ctrl+clicking EACH syllable.
Obviously that quickly gets tedious if your selection is long.


Comments

Already there.

Imagine you have four verses and want to select some of the words in verse 2. Select the notes you want the verse 2 lyrics to be selected for. Right-click on a syllable/word in verse 2. From the context menu, click Select / More. Then check the Subtype: verse 2 box and verify that In selection is checked. If you want all of verse 2, uncheck In selection.

Sadly, you cannot get (for example) verses 2 and 3 simultaneously. But you can get verse 2 and then subsequently verse 3.

In reply to by TheHutch

But suppose I have four verses of lyrics, not uncommon in barbershop. They aren’t “stacked” like in a hymnal, but rather are above and below the treble and bass staves. It’s not clear which verses they are, or even if they are counted in the same way. Being able to shift-click to extend the single line would be a great help.

In reply to by mikey12045

MuseScore numbers verses top to bottom. So if you have lyrics above the staff, MuseScore will treat them as verse 1.
So if you want to select all or part of verse 2 ( the first verse below the staff in this test), range select the lyrics you want. All verses will be selected. Right click on a word in the verse you want (the first verse below the staff in this test). Select>More and check ( in this case Same subtype (verse 2) and same staff. That will select just the lyrics for the selected verse. Again verses are numbered top to bottom, regardless of above or below the staff.

In reply to by bobjp

Does the order in which I enter them matter? Right now, I'm entering the Verse 1 (?) lyrics, attached to the upper voice in the staff. The are going in below the staff, and I use the X shortcut to move them above. Then I do the same in the bass staff, and move them above. Next, I enter the lyrics for the second voice in both staves. Are they still 1, 2, 3, 4?

Is this where I should be assigning the positioning to odd and even lyric lines? That would certainly help. Is it automatic?

Thanks!

In reply to by bobjp

Is there a way to see what number has been assigned?

If you aren't familiar with barbershop, the lines (from the top) are Tenor, Lead, Baritone, and Bass. Normally, the lead line would go in, first. But then, if I enter Tenor lyrics, the overlap the Lead, and it's difficult to select them to raise over the staff. The same with the Bari and Bass, and that's why I currently enter them as 1, 3, 2, 4.

Setting them as a default would make my life easier. If it was just an occasional score, I could deal with it. But I'm a volunteer copyist for the Barbershop Harmony Society, and I do quite a few.

Attachment Size
Sweet Adeline.mscz 47.04 KB

In reply to by mikey12045

OK. Let's consider just the first staff.
I think a better way to add tenor lyrics would be this way: Select the note where the lyrics start. The entry box opens below the staff. go to Properties>Appearance>Show more>Position >above. That moves the input box above the staff. You can enter lyrics above the staff for the rest of the notes in tenor voice as long as the note are the same voice.
Once all lyrics are added this way for the proper voice, they can be selected much easier. You don't need to know which verse the lyrics belong to. It just depends on which lyric you right click.
So, then range select the lyrics in question. Right click one of the lyrics in the verse in question and Select>more>check Same subtype, same voice, and same staff. Then OK.
Or if you want to select the entire verse just select the first word and make the same selections.

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