Why do Dynamics marking appear by-default below the stave?
When I highlight a note and click a Dynamics marker, such as pp, by default it appears below the stave. As a player, I am ordinarily expecting it to be above.
Right now, I am literally dragging it and moving it up. But, why does MuseScore do this, and what is considered correct? Can I alter the default placement?
Comments
Check this thread for markings that are above and markings that are below the staff: https://musescore.org/en/node/113381
Quite detailed information and indeed common practice. Are you sure you have dynamics above the staff? I'd double check with your sheet music if I were you.
In most of the orchestral parts I have ever seen, dynamics are printed below the staff. It is occasionally tempting--for instance, to avoid collisions with extremely low passages involving many ledger lines--to shift these marks above the staff, but that is unusual and should not be the rule. The usual practise for most instruments in such cases is to use an ottava or a clef change to avoid having more than three ledger lines for more than a few notes. That way there's no problem with having the usual text matter--dynamics, pedal marks, etc.--appear below the staff.
Most single instruments have the dynamic below the stave. Piano parts tend to have the dynamics nearly centred between the staves but sometimes have a dynamic positioned more closely to one than the other to indicate that only the notes on that stave are affected. Vocal parts often have the dynamics above the stave to avoid clashing with the lyrics. But it's your music so you can have it whatever way you want.
You can make your own dynamics behave the way you want them to by first setting up MuseScore to use Custom Palettes. Then create a new score and place a few notes or rests on it (half notes/minims would be reasonable). Now click on each note/rest in turn and double-click on a dynamic until you have several notes or rests with dynamics attached in the default position.
Now right-click on a dynamic, select Text Properties an adjust Offset, Vertical until you get a figure that places the dynamic where you want it. Repeat for the other dynamics. Now, one-by-one, [Ctlr][Shift]-drag each new dynamic to a palette (I have placed mine near the end of the Dynamics palette). You now have a set of "normal" dynamics for "normal" use and a set of custom dynamics to suit your purposes for your music.