too much space after adding lyrics
Greetings
After adding some lyrics, the staves went from 3 bars per line to 2. The original 3 per line weren't "tight" and side margins = 0.5 inches. Is there a global setting to shrink the bars instead of going into properties for each bar? That turns into a nuisance 40-50 bars in.
Thank you
Comments
There are many different settings to control different aspects of spacing. In order to say which is best for your particular score, we'd need you to attach it, or at least a relevant aspect of it. But certainly to reduce stretch, you never need to use measure properties one at a time. The shortcut to reduce stretch is "{", and it works on any number of selected measures at once. Format / Style / Measure / Spacing sets the default from which this is applied. But chances are good that since lyrics are what spread things out, you're going to want to change some lyric settings instead - font size, minimum distance, etc.
In reply to There are many different… by Marc Sabatella
I'll try stretch and see what that does. Rather hard to play something with only 2 bars per line.
In reply to I'll try stretch and see… by mmserp
FWIW, that would not be particularly uncommon for music with a lot of lyrics (like sixteenths notes and a syllable on each, as is the case for a fair amount of pop music).
In reply to FWIW, that would not be… by Marc Sabatella
"{" helped a little . I'd already reduced the font but that affects readability after a certain point. Where's the minimum distance setting for lyrics? I found horizontal alignment and off set, but neither changed minimum syllable distance.
In reply to "{" helped a little . I'd… by mmserp
Format / Style / Lyrics. Again, we can assist better if you attach your score, or even just a relevant excerpt.
In reply to Format / Style / Lyrics. … by Marc Sabatella
I have
Style --> General--> Page: Lyrics Top margin, Bottom margin, lyrics line height
Style-->Text-->Lyrics Odd lines/Even Lines: Text (font attributes) Offset Horizontal (3 horizontal aignment positions) Vertical (4 alignment positions) and Frame.
No minimum setting for lyrics spacing.
The sample has 3 bars before adding lyrics and same 3 bars with lyrics.
In reply to I have Style --> General-->… by mmserp
Sounds like you're using a very old version of MuseScore. Current is 3.4.2, I'd recommend updating if at all possible. The version you are using doesn't provide as much control.
The file you attached is a backup file (you can tell by the leading period and trailing comma) and is empty.
In reply to Sounds like you're using a… by Marc Sabatella
Sorry about that.
The later version isn't kind to my scores and I don't have time to re-transcribe them all.
Hope this attachment works better.
In reply to Sorry about that. The later… by mmserp
Indeed, if you do lots of unusual manual adjustments and playing tricks on the layout system, they won't survive updates - or any changes to layout, really - very well. But still, even if you keep using older versions for older scores, you should be using MuseScore 3 for new scores as it will make most things much easier.
Anyhow, not sure what that score looks like for you, but on my 3.4.2 system, I see the three measures with lyrics fitting easily onto one system, with room leftover, even if I reset the stretch and the various manual adjustments that were presumably made to overcome deficiencies in 2.3.2's default layout.
In reply to Indeed, if you do lots of… by Marc Sabatella
3 measures with lyrics are 2 and 1 on mine. Same for other scores with lyrics.
In reply to 3 measures with lyrics are 2… by mmserp
Good incentive to update then :-). Again, feel free to keep MuseScore 2 for older scores that need it for whatever reason, but no reason to limit yourself to that for scores you are actively working on.
Hi,
I've just written out a carol for SATB, with 4 verses but there's a large space at the bottom of the lyrics on page 1 which I'd like to reduce. Otherwise each SATB staff takes up a whole page. I'd like to get it so that 2 staffs are on each page. Can you advise please?
Thanks!
In reply to Hi, I've just written out a… by drbillthomson
Reduce the space setting in Format > Page settings to 1.6mm
In reply to Hi, I've just written out a… by drbillthomson
Indeed, right now the second system just doesn't fit. Looking at the second page makes this clear - it barely has room for two systems as is, and there's no title frame there to take up space. You could measure the system heights with a ruler and see that for yourself. Reducing the staff size would fix that, but you might also consider reducing the height of your title frame, which would create enough space that you could get away with only a "slightly" smaller staff size.
In reply to Indeed, right now the second… by Marc Sabatella
Thank you both! I've reduced the title size and the box itself, and scaled down to 1.6, and it all looks good now. I'll print it off to see how legible it is. Some of the people in the choir have less than perfect vision!
Bless you, you've both been a great help ☺
Bill
In reply to Thank you both! I've reduced… by drbillthomson
FWIW, the default satff size is chosen to be one that works well for instrumental music, which is usually read at from a somewhat larger distance than choral music (sitting on a music stand with possibly a trombone between you and it!). Whereas choral music is seldom more than arm's length away. So you might find the smaller size works fine, and indeed most choral music is printed somewhere smaller than most instrumental music - down to a staff space of 1.5 or even 1.25 mm.
If people balk, then consider a separate title page to fit the two systems on the first "real" page, or just let there be a single system.
In reply to FWIW, the default satff size… by Marc Sabatella
Thanks Marc, I hadn't realised that (even though I'm an orchestral percussionist!)
I have in the past had a separate title page for a choral composition, but that was just to make it easier to find the piece in the folder! Worth a thought for future set-ups. Thanks!