Can't move Staff Text
Whenever I try and move the staff text above the staff it just moves back.
Whenever I try and move the staff text above the staff it just moves back.
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It defaults to above the staff. If you imported a score and it's below the staff, then open the inspector (F8) and change the position from below to above.
If this doesn't help, give more info.
Also, you can press "X" to move selected elements between above and below the staff.
In reply to Also, you can press "X" to… by Marc Sabatella
When I move it by dragging, it snaps back to above the staff. When I switch it from above to below - either by changing the style or by typing "x" - it indeed moves it below the staff, but opens a huge, yawning gap below the staff. See attached screenshot.
In reply to When I move it by dragging,… by yoelepst
The space is because you dragged it first and confused MuseScore. Select the text and press ctrl+r to undo this effect. BTW, ctrl+r will reset almost anything back to its defaults.
In reply to The space is because you… by mike320
Thanks. That worked. It shouldn't be that way, you know. But never mind for now.
In reply to Thanks. That worked. It… by yoelepst
Rule number 1 of MuseScore, don't drag things. This was also true in version 2, but the consequences of doing this were at times less obvious there.
In reply to Rule number 1 of MuseScore,… by mike320
I will take that to heart in the future. But, in this drag and drop world, it's something that needs work.
In reply to I will take that to heart in… by yoelepst
The point, it's not good because it's imprecise. Dragging things individually leaves them uneven, not accurately aligned with other things. That's not some limitation of MuseScore, that's the nature of dragging. Drag & drop is OK as a way of adding things to a score - still not efficient as double-click or keyboard shortcuts, but at least accurate, because they get added to specific locations. But as a way of then manually adjusting the position of things, there is no getting around the fact that other tools are better suited for the job, because they can adjust things in precise ways that can be guaranteed to be consistent from one element to the next. Much as a specific drawing tool for "circle" is going to give you a better circle than trying to "draw" it freehand.
In reply to The point, it's not good… by Marc Sabatella
While there is truth in what you say, there are nonetheless cases where dragging is the method of choice, for example, when the default position of elements causes them to crowd or even bump into each other. In any case, dragging and dropping should not cause the positioning to go haywire, as it did in my case.
That said, this issue is not my top priority for musescore developers (a gang I greatly admire).
In reply to While there is truth in what… by yoelepst
A small amount of dragging won't cause anything to go haywire. The only thing that does is attempting a large adjustment without disabling automatic placement. But sure, this could be improved so you don't accidentally apt large offsets without seeing it because of automatic placement.
In reply to A small amount of dragging… by Marc Sabatella
First time commenter here (have been LOVING Musescore for a few years now!)
Being able to 'drag' does have its advantages.
If I write a piano chart and the chord notes go far above the staff (only once or twice, not enough to 8va) I like to drag the chord name up above the noted chord.
Also, regarding lyrics, I like them below the staff, I also like 4 measures per line. If the word phrase is, say, three "sections" in 4 measures, and is too long to fit I used to be able to put it like ~~~~~_____~~~~~ , if that makes sense.
In reply to First time commenter here … by PonyboyUSMV
Assuming you are running 3.0 or later, you don't need to do anything to get chord symbols to avoid notes above the staff - this happens necessary. If you're still stuck on an older version, then indeed, you're forced to make adjustments like this manually. Even so, better to use the cursor keys or Inspector for more precision.
Lyrics of course are already below the staff by default, no dragging necessary there either. Not really following your picture.
In reply to While there is truth in what… by yoelepst
@yoelepst
Most likely if you are dragging an item far from where it's placed by default, there is probably a better way to do it that does not require dragging the item so far. Short drags will always be the best option in certain cases and version 3.1 will make this (and even the long drags) work better.
In reply to @yoelepst Most likely if… by mike320
what setting do I need to change to allow me to drag lyrics from the top to the bottom, and place them exactly where "I" want them?
In reply to what setting do I need to… by PonyboyUSMV
Dragging lyrics is almost always a bad idea. Attach a score and tell us what you want to do and someone will guide you to an easier method.
In reply to Dragging lyrics is almost… by mike320
here's a JPG ... this was done with MS-2
one other thing I noticed, when I have, say, a whole note in the measure... I click ctrl-L for lyrics (figured out how to get them to the bottom) but when I type one word, then 'space', it sends me to the next measure.
How do you type a phrase under a whole note?
In reply to here's a JPG ... this was… by PonyboyUSMV
Ctrl+Spacebar
In reply to Ctrl+Spacebar by Shoichi
why I'd LIKE an 'independant' drag ability... this is the same two bars, the way I'd LIKE to have them look:
In reply to why I'd LIKE an 'independant… by PonyboyUSMV
that's how I would normally write the lead vocal holds the word smile out and a 2nd lead vocal comes in half-way through with the rest of the phrase
In reply to that's how I would normally… by PonyboyUSMV
Like...
In reply to why I'd LIKE an 'independant… by PonyboyUSMV
I wouldn't know how to sing that.
Cross post. I would never guessed that was your intent.
In reply to I wouldn't know how to sing… by mike320
lol ... most all vocal charts I write are for me to use in the studio ;-)
In reply to lol ... most all vocal… by PonyboyUSMV
With the strange placement of the text, a user defined text type with a right justified position would probably be best. In version 2 I think you can even base it upon lyrics but I haven't tried that.
In reply to With the strange placement… by mike320
version 2... meaning Musescore 2 ?
In reply to version 2... meaning… by PonyboyUSMV
Yes. There are also user defined types in version 3 that even allow you to set the above or below position. I know you can't create a user-defined lyric text in version 3, but you can customize the lyrics to a certain extent and have the option of both odd and even verses that can be quite different.
In reply to Yes. There are also user… by mike320
If I re-download Musescore 2, is there a way to stop the prompts to upgrade to 3 ;-)
Musescore does a GREAT job in listening to people, adding things, removing bugs... just seems (at least to me) that 2 was more 'user friendly' ... just one person's opinion though!
In reply to why I'd LIKE an 'independant… by PonyboyUSMV
Since those are not true lyrics, best not to misuse the lyric facility for that - better to enter them as staff text and flip them below the staff, and then, again, you get exactly that with no manual adjustment necessary, in MuseScore 3. Also no need to waste effort with Ctrl+space to force spaces into the text, etc.
In reply to Since those are not true… by Marc Sabatella
That said, when occasions do arise when you need to place something in an unusual way, in 3.0 you can disable automatic placement for the element in question using the Inspector. In a coming update, that won't be necessary any more.
In reply to what setting do I need to… by PonyboyUSMV
If you want lyrics above the staff, don't waste time and lose accuracy dragging - just press "X" to flip lyrics above the staff.
In reply to If you want lyrics above the… by Marc Sabatella
all good advice...
Thank you guys so much!