Closed SATB scores and voices
I've noticed that many SATB closed score sheet music will use common notes between voices and only separate into two voices where the SA or TB notes differ. I can't seem to find any way to address this in Musescore other than transcribing the music onto an open score, which duplicates a lot of work. Is there any way to assign two voices to a singular note when both ranges share that note (such as SA both singing the same notes in three measures except for the last notes in the fourth measure).
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Comments
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/voices
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/noteheads#shared-noteheads
"... many SATB closed score sheet music will use common notes between voices and only separate into two voices where the SA or TB notes differ"
Your image does not show any separation into two voices. What it shows is chords where the notes differ between voices (e.g. between soprano and alto). That's not a style I'm used to in choral singing, and it's really unhelpful if you need to produce separate practice files for the SATB voices.
In reply to "... many SATB closed score… by DanielR
Correct. And my apologies, I was trying to frame my statement in the terminology one would use in Musescore, not necessarily the sheet music, seeing as you would enter those as voice 1 and voice 2. Also, you see my problem then. Actually, its much more common than you think. Many liturgical pieces are written this way, I have a whole filing cabinet full of them. Anyhow, my question still stands. Is there no way in which to assign either a common voice, or two voices, to a single chord, thus eliminating having to do this as an open score and yet preserving the ability to export practice MP3s for each part? As for the instructions that were given above, this is no better since you're still duplicating the work.
In reply to Correct. And my apologies,… by arcanux76
I produce a lot of practice files from SATB closed scores, and I always use Voice 1 and Voice2. IMHO choral singers find it much easier to follow music where each voice part is consistently either "stem up" (Soprano or Tenor) or "stem down" (Alto or Bass).
What you're asking for is in effect: "How do I produce a continuous MP3 practice file per part from a score with gaps in it?" - and I don't know of any workaround to make that possible with the Chords method.
As regards workflow, I do speed up note entry by entering one voice in full. Where the rhythm is the same for each voice part, I can then copy and paste the music into a different stave or voice and finally use Repitch mode to get all the pitches correct for each pasted-in voice. Repitch mode is really quick.
And I have found the invisible text for S/A and T/B extremely useful when producing practice files from a SATB closed score.
[EDIT]
My apologies: I hadn't properly read this part of your post:
" Is there no way in which to assign either a common voice, or two voices, to a single chord, thus eliminating having to do this as an open score...?"
The invisible text for S/A and T/B provides a method of addressing each Voice differently in the Mixer - for example by assigning a different sound. But this absolutely does require you to notate in full using separate Voices for each voice part on a stave.
In reply to I produce a lot of practice… by DanielR
Heh, that's what i was afraid of. At current I'm finding it quicker to copy/paste in open score than to duplicate in a second voice. Makes the score rather messy, but it does work. Being able to assign multiple voices to a singular chord might be something they can consider adding as a feature in their next update. Our choir will be using printed sheet music, and this is primarily so I can generate their audio practice pieces and accompaniment when it's not already provided. We're a small church choir of maybe a dozen folks, most of which cant really sight read, and I elected to keep it running this year despite my lack of teaching ability and someone to actually play the piano. Wish me luck, just hoping I don't sink instead of swim.
In your original post it wasn't clear you also wanted to to be to generate separate playback parts. if not for that, it would just be as simple as entering the music exactly as shown, using chords for the similar parts, voices for the diverging parts.
If you do need to generate separate playback parts, I'd do it on a separate invisible staff. So for instance, enter everything in separate voices (easier that way anyhow), go the separate playback normally from that (eg, by using the Women instrument and the S/A texts), then copy/paste that to another staff, and run Tools / Implode on that to combine the voices where possible. Now make other first staff invisible and the second muted.