Having trouble merging staves
I'm having trouble merging staves. I forget if I made these in Musescore or imported a midi, but it is supposed to be a guitar part. It somehow got on two staves. I went to Layout and change instruments, but I see no box to check merge. Is there a way to do this?
Comments
Try https://handbook.musescore.org/notation/instruments-staves-and-systems/… Be sure to save a backup copy before you make changes with an unfamiliar tool!
If that doesn't work, I recommend you attach your score (.MSCZ file) rather than an image.
In reply to Try https://handbook… by TheHutch
I tried following the handbook's instructions for imploding. I imploded each staff separately and then tried to implode both, but it didn't work. I have a sneaking suspician that even if successful it will look awful. My experience with lute tab has shown that you can only have the same note values for each chord. This part is sounding like it would on a guitar, i.e. open strings ringing on.
I should add that following chatGPT's instructions (below), every time I tried to paste, it would crash.
Copy the contents of one staff:
Click on the first measure of the staff you want to merge.
Press Ctrl+A (Cmd+A on Mac) to select all.
Press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C) to copy.
Paste into the other staff:
Click on the first measure of the destination staff (the one you want to keep).
Press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V) to paste.
MuseScore will paste the notes, adjusting them to fit the tab if possible.
Delete the now-empty staff:
Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the staff you don't need anymore.
Choose Staff/Part Properties.
Click Remove from Score.
In reply to I should add that following… by edurbrow
"... following chatGPT's instructions (below), every time I tried to paste, it would crash."
Follow the guidance provided by an immature AI system ??
Expected result: immediate crash
Actual result: immediate crash
Good luck ;-)
In reply to "... following chatGPT's… by DanielR
"I forget if I made these in Musescore or imported a midi, but it is supposed to be a guitar part."
I really doubt this score was written with MuseScore. Et what about a guitar that appears as two independent staves with two Bass clefs!? I'd say it was originally a MIDI file (look at the mess of rhythms and voices - image below) which was then saved in MusicXML format, since this is the source indicated in the Project Properties.
As a result, I don't know if there's any good advice to give you in the state this score is in. It's almost prohibitive (at least, the damaged part), unless you rewrite the whole thing, or find a better, more reliable source.
MuseScore can't repair a faulty file for you, at least not miraculously and with just a couple of clicks :)
In reply to *" I doubt this score was… by cadiz1
Wow, I didn't realize how messed up that looked. The notation doesn't look that bad.
![Screen Shot 2025-04-27 at 11.55.20 PM.png]( "Screen Shot 2025-04-27 at 11.55.20 PM.png")
Anyway, if it can't be made to work, I'll try again. I should be able to import a clean midi file. I went into Logic Pro and shortened all notes, so I should be able to export it again.
Thank you for looking at it. It is so good to know it is not me just not knowing how to do something, otherwise, I might keep posting and trying stuff that would never get me anywhere.
Thank you
In reply to Wow, I didn't realize how… by edurbrow
> "import a clean MIDI file"
There just "ain't no sech animal". MIDI simply doesn't make a good source to import from, if the music is at all complicated. Let's take a look at the four bars you posted. If you inspect the Guitar part, you can see that there are really three voices: the high rhythmic line and a drone in two octaves. Sorted out, that looks like this:
The drone can easily be re-written in a single voice ...
... but probably would best be written as single notes with laissez vibrer.
This now can be written easily and clearly as two voices on a single stave.
In 4.5, the l.v. even plays back correctly. (I think?)