2 or 3 line staves

• May 30, 2016 - 17:05

Is there a way, of creating a 2 line/ 3 line stave.

I hope to try and explain this as best I can

For example, a 2 line stave, with the treble clef inserted at its appropriate place. The notes could still be inserted on the correct lines and spaces. So the top line would still be G, next space down is F, E on the next line, D on the next space, and C on it's own special line.

Or is it possible to colour a line independently eg. a red line for the f line in the Bass clef (F clef) and a yellow line for the g line in the Treble clef (G clef). I'm just typing this off the top of my head, so I can remember which is historically correct :)

Comments

• May 30, 2016 - 23:10

In the quoted thread https://musescore.org/en/node/86811 I proposed a solution for editing SVGs exported from Musescore 2.0.2 called Musescore Staffline ColorSizer.
This tool isn't suited for your problem as it only can process lines of ALL staves but not separately for treble and bass staves.
Just to save you time from experimenting :-)

Also all solutions with editing SVGs from Musescore2.0.3 (manually or processed) be alarmed that there is a SVG scaling bug in Musescore2.0.3. Your score will only be displayed correctly if it uses the default staff spacing. Grace notes are never scaled correctly.

For coloring the stave lines I would export the score as PDF and import that into Inkscape. On import check "use poppler". You always can only import one page into Inkscape though.

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• May 31, 2016 - 09:19

Thank you for the information to save me the time. I really apperciate that. :)

If I was printing out sheet music, then I would use the workflow you suggested ie. import into Inkscape' ('using Poppler') and then edit the stave - I think this would be the most efficient. Although, there is a colourisation plugin for Libreoffice I beleive :)

I wanted to try and create a musescore file, with playback, so that I ca use it 'live' so to speak.

I think I have found the answer, but I need to try it on another, more powerful computer first - the one I currently use is not powerful enough :( Or at least, I think that is the problem.

Once again, thank you for the advice :)

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• Jun 1, 2016 - 16:26

Ok. I have created 2 fils as follows. It's not perfect, but it is a start.:)

Ok. I typset the music first - including layout, how many bars, how I wanted it to look on screen first. (make it look nice)

Then I changed the Treble clef to Red - using the inspector.
Then I used a 'line' form the line pallet. Used the inspector to cahnge it to red, placed it on the G line and extended it to complete the first stave. I also did the same for the second stave (I also turned 'daigonal' off, which helps enormously :) )
I repeate the above process, but keep the line black, and place on the E line.
I also have to add extra 'smaller lines' around the Trable clef and the time signature.
The last step is to right click on the stave, change 'stave properties' and change the colour of the stave to 'white'. This hides the other 3 lines.

In the second example I decide to add the letter names above the notes.

Of course, it isn't perfect, but it is a start.

I could probably make the Treble clef and time signature 'invisible' and then use the 'symbols from the 'symbol' pallete to place these 'over' the lines' (?)

The 'paper' is not set to a perfect white, so I would need to know what correct hex number is for the paper, and set the stave to that colour.

I on't think I've missed anything out

I suppose a set of drawing tools would be out of the 'question' :)

Attachment Size
myscore.png 36.38 KB
myscore2.png 40.32 KB

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• Sep 7, 2016 - 21:31

Stupot, I know it's been a while since you posted this, but I came looking for help with simply getting black and white staves something like yours...... and I can't for the life of me figure out how you did it.

Can you help me out here? Is it that this can't happen now since MuseScore 2 was released.

I thought that I read, on another MuseScore discussion page, that only the top two lines would be possible, so I googled for software that could make a two line staff, and found this thread back here at MuseScore....

I'm hopeful that MuseScore can still do this.....? If one simply knows the tricks of the trade?

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• Sep 8, 2016 - 17:54

Can you explain in more detail what you are trying to do? Staves are black and white by default - you don't need to do anything to make that much happen of course. If you are wondering how to get a staff with only two lines, simply right click it and choose Staff Properties, and you can set the number of lines and other properties there.

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• Sep 16, 2016 - 06:36

Hi, Marc.

Thanks for asking.

I'm trying to do something a lot like Stupot's example, actually.

However, when I choose Staff Properties, as you suggested, I have not been unable to isolate just the lower, or just the middle staff lines.......

Following the links Stupot provided, thus far, I have been able to

a) go to the Master Pallette and produce lines from the 'lines' section
b) color those straight lines
c) apply them on top of the staff lines in whatever color I select/generate from the color options prompts
d) so, in theory, I can color those lines white, and get rid of any lines I'd like to dismiss.

........

Only problem is that the colored lines now appear on top of the noteheads..... which is kind of odd.... and distracting (at least for me...., not sure yet how that might affect students)

FWIW, it's sort of working.....

I'm not inclined to try to work on the learning curve of learning an entirely different software just for that type of staff......, but since I can't get the noteheads on *top* of the staff lines, I might opt to go fishing for another software yet........

That said, I'm so impressed with so many things about MuseScore and this community.

I've been learning a lot simply by writing more music, but also by following some of the threads here....

This is awesome!

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• Jun 1, 2016 - 16:30

I don't know if I explained it clearly, I hope so.

The file would be able to play in Musescore, as a normal music file.

I could extend this to the Bass clef as well.

:)

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• Jun 1, 2016 - 22:08

Ah, yes, this is at the moment a good way to achieve your desired goal in Musescore. There is no way to get lines behind the notes. The white lines do blend exactly with the white background here in Musescore. (In the png's they are only visible when the viewer background isn't white (e.g. in Firefox) as the png's themself are transparent. But this isn't your goal anyway).

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• Jun 1, 2016 - 23:38

I'm not sure about the background colour - that is the colour on the screen or maybe it's my eyesight :)

I would, as you suggest ensure the background colour of the manuscript paper is the same colour as the stave background in order for it to disappear.

As for the lines going over the notes - that's ok, because I can use the phrase 'the line goes through the notes' when providing an expanation :)

My next move will be to try an experiment with making the time signature and clefs invisible, and replacing them with the symbols from symbol pallete. Hopefully, I could create a 4 over a crotchet time signature (if my memory serves me correctly, someone has already achieved this in Musescore) and replicate the treble clef - placing it 'over' the new added lines.

Maybe We shall see.

As you can see, I'm not particularly good with the graphics and .png's etc. :)

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• Jun 2, 2016 - 11:11

@edizioneo Yes absoulutely. It is much easier to use that method for a more efficient workflow. However, I intend to use the colour lines, and/or 2 three lined staff in Musescore, as a .mscz file, and project it on an Interactive Whiteboard. Perhaps I didn't explain it clearly in the first place - sorry :)

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• Sep 9, 2016 - 10:33

@Rainah (?)
Hello. Only just saw your post...

It was done i Musescore 2.02. I'm on Linux at the moment, so I will log into XP later on, and search for the file. What is it you wanted to achieve?

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• Sep 9, 2016 - 11:47

I seem to be running in circles of families with dyslexia a lot these days, and my students from those families just need more practice seeing various aspects of the music (whether they are sight singing or playing simple melodies on a keyboard or recorder or what-have-you) - e.g. - they are struggling to see which notes are on the lines or spaces and/or etc.

Towards those ends, some of my students do fine with all the lines on the staff, and some don't, so I just want some flexibility in my database.

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• Sep 9, 2016 - 12:10

Hi @Rain??? (That's because whenever I to a message, I somehow enter a new page, an invariable forget the Username of the person I'm trying to reply to. :) )

Are you going to create a printed score, or a 'live' score that plays from within musescore, (Or even the app player perhaps)

Anyway here's another thread that may be of interest.

dyslexic friendly coloured ledger for teaching?

https://musescore.org/en/node/86811

Now, in simple terms, what I did was this...

Created my score first
Then I used a 'line' from a palette Double click on it to make it longer.
used inspector to colour the line and place it on the 'g' line
created a second line, and extended it like the first
Lastly I made the stave invisible (or white) so that only the two lined staves are visible.

It is fiddly though :(

I can write much more clearer instructions if you want me too, :)

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• Sep 13, 2016 - 07:58

Hi Stupot.... This sounds so amazingly promising.... all of it!

I'm sorry I took so long to respond..... I've been sick, and thus got behind on life, so I missed your post for a bit.

For the time being, I'm not trying to chew on the technical side of your exciting advice (maybe I can get one of my sons to help me see through the fog before I'm having to push myself through on my own.... *here's hoping so!*)......

Because in the meantime, I'm working on some uber simple lead sheets for my students (catching up on that.... which is part of that 'being behind' cuz I was sick thing.....).

After I whip those out (they are going fast, but I'm working on quite a few, and finding free clipart online for them too), then I'll get back to this....

The lead sheets should keep my dyslexic student(s) busy for a bit, since they are so simple.

By the time they've worked on them enough to need a different type of challenge again, hopefully, I'll have worked out your helpful hints.....

I'll let you know if I get majorly stuck.

Thanks so much for the help and encouragement!

Rainah

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• Sep 16, 2016 - 06:57

Stupot, I finally felt pressed to try your colored lines out, and I dug deep to find some patience with the fiddly-ness of it all.

I'm so glad that I did! It worked!

I do wish the noteheads were *on* the lines instead of the lines being *on* the notes, but other than that, it's at least enabling me to produce what I'm envisioning for my struggling students to help them out a bit.

And it worked today during their lessons!

One student has had inadequate teaching, and has somehow or other managed to learn some relatively difficult pieces without even knowing which note is which on the staff (and it's not that they just respond magically without understanding, like a few good readers I know can do...., she just hit and pecked, and self-corrected until she finally got it right... which means she was devoted and was a HARD worker!). For students in her circumstances, it can be disheartening to 'go back to readers' with exercises that contain little, if any musical/literary quality.

So, instead, with your help, I was able to produce some nicer lines in a very simplified format for her to practice reading. Since I'm setting poetry or "tone poems" that are in her taste rage, that is helping with the literary quality of the music. Even though the musical pallette is uberly limited, the simplified music can illustrate and even make commentary on some of the poetic lines. That is helping keep her engaged with the process of back-tracking so far in learning how to read.

The other struggling student I have has not had previous lessons. But she just seems to have inclinations towards dyslexia or dysgraphia...., I'm not sure which, or if it's both, and I don't have to find out....., it's just shocking how bright she is, but how challenged she is with spatial processing. My oldest son was like that. Guided sight reading helped him finally learn to read music well enough to produce a reasonable 'prepared reading', even though the experts told us he'd never learn to read. With that under my belt, I'm sure she can learn to read music (even though I can't sit with her daily like I could my son), .... but if I'm right, and her eyes are not coordinating together, she'll need all the help she can get......

Your help in producing a two line staff? That will go a long, long way!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The music I was able to put in front of both students today, thanks to you, was easier on the eyes for them. So much so that the strain and distractions got out of the way, and they not only read better than ever before, they both actually read *ahead* for the first time in their lives (though I had to cover the measure they were playing to force their eyes ahead of each one's playing......).

So far so good!

Thanks so much!

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