Is it possible to create chord & lyric sheets (no staves)?

• Dec 27, 2017 - 15:55

I’ve just discovered MuseScore, and I’m very impressed so far, as I’ve played with most parts of the system.
I’m mostly a rhythm guitarist and normally work just from the OnSong app that lets me easily put in chords and lyrics, and does very clever things to support a live set performance. I know the tunes well enough not to need any melody lines.

Can I get MS to do the same: just showing lyrics and chords? I can’t see a way so far. It would be useful to do this to reduce the scrolling needed when I know the melody.

Thanks.

Comments

• Dec 27, 2017 - 16:39

You can right click the staff and select staff properties. In that window check "Hide system barline", uncheck "Show barlines", and check "Invisible staff lines". Optionally uncheck "Show Clef". You can then edit the lyrics properties in Style->Text... so the lyrics are moved up from the normal location. The default setting for my template is a vertical position of 6, you can reduce this, even to a negative number to put them where you want them. This should put the staves close enough together that you should not need to adjust the min system distance in Style->General->Page, but you may want to if the lines are too far apart. You can then save this as a template so you don't continually have to repeat this process.

See: https://musescore.org/en/handbook/create-new-score#templates for info on creating templates.

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• Dec 27, 2017 - 17:25

I forgot the notes and rests. ;(

You can press ctrl+a to select all, then in the inspector chose notes, then uncheck visible, then press ctrl+a again this time select rests and uncheck visible there also. Invisible notes and rests will appear gray unless you use the view menu and uncheck "Display invisible"

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• Dec 27, 2017 - 17:56

We're getting there! I've now got everything invisible except the beaming lines, and a few other random dots. In the inspector ticking "Chord Stemless" helps [strange double meaning of chord??], but still leaves these. See attached score.

It's been fun trying these hacks, but what all this is showing me is that just because you hide elements doesn't mean MS will use the space differently. They are still hacks: it fundamentally doesn't support what I was hoping for.

Thanks for the ideas! It's been a great way to learn more the huge customisability in MuseScore.

Attachment Size
My_Hope_is_Built_(Cornerstone) experiment.mscz 22.62 KB

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• Dec 27, 2017 - 18:10

Anything you don't want to see, right click and use Select>All similar items and press V to make all of the same type item invisible at once. If the line that starts with measure 16 is too close to the line above you can use a space (looks like an arrow) from the Breaks & Spacers palette to move them farther apart. The distance is adjustable in the inspector.

In the interface, MuseScore actually omits the standard definition of a chord - more than one note played at a time. From a users point of view, MuseScore defines a chord as a note and everything attached to the chord, including other notes, lyrics, ornaments and so forth. If you click a note, then shift click the same note MuseScore will select all that is included in the chord.

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• Dec 27, 2017 - 16:40

You need at least one measure to add further musical elements beside text (for example fretboard diagrams). Make this all elements of this measure invisible (via inspector and right click -> staff properties).

Attachment Size
verse.mscz 5.04 KB

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