how to "save" changes to staff text properties menu
Hi. I am trying to change a violin note from bowed to plucked. I've read that to do so, I add a "pizz." text entry to the note using Ctrl T, then right click on the "pizz", & select "Staff Text Properties". From the big menu that appears, I change channel 1 from "arco" to "pizzacato". So far so good. However, there is no "save" or "OK" button in the menu. All I can do to exit the menu is click the "X" close button at the top right. When I do, the change has NOT taken hold. That note in my score is still "arco" and not "pizz.".
Help! How can I get the change to pizzacato to take effect? Is there an "OK" button in the menu I am missing (see screenshot below)
Comments
I'm not sure if you're using MS4 or MS3. I use 'pizz.' frequently, and haven't had any need to right-click on it, to do anything further. Do you recall where you got that info, to additionally right-click into the dialog box?
In reply to I'm not sure if you're using… by Are Jayem
Damn. I thought this would be an easy fix. I am using MuseScore 3.6. I have assigned the violin instrument in my score to "violin exp". I discovered that the right-click on pizz. is needed. Simply typing "pizz. to a note does nothing. The "pizz." text is not active. You also have to right-click on it and choose "Staff Text Properties". Then, a new menu opens. Here, you can change the "arco" assignment of a particular channel to "pizzicato". Before, I was not able to see an "OK" button in this menu but when I grabbed the menu's edges and shrunk the box, the bottom of the menu appeared with an "OK" box to be checked. (see screenshot below ). I thought this would fix things, but it did not. When I selected "voice 1 to be "pizzicato" in that box and closed it with an "OK", my violin note became silent. It did not pluck or bow at all. It did not play at all. So, I am still back at square 1. Here is a screenshot of the score with the "pizz. note, and a screenshot of the Staff Text Properties" menu:
What am I doing wrong?
In reply to Damn. I thought this would… by fsgregs
Above you say, "have assigned the violin instrument in my score to "violin exp". Ok, when I look at the two possible bowed instrument groups in my 3.6.x, I don't see any "violin exp"... Are you using a different/additional SoundFont in the 'Synthesizer' panel? Or something under the 'Zerberus' tab? Have you tried to assign a violin instrument name other than "violin exp"?
In reply to Damn. I thought this would… by fsgregs
You don't have to fix anything. Change anything. Or enter any text. "Violin fast Expr." is the sound you want, however. Pizz is done per my post below. Pizz, tremolo, and arco are already assigned channels in the mixer. The process you are going through is for fonts that aren't already set up as default.
Plus I hope you are using the General H.Q. font so you can use Single Note Dynamics.
In reply to You don't have to fix… by bobjp
OK, something is screwy. I am using MuseScore_General.sf3. In the Mixer menu, the "Violin" choices look like this:
![Clipboard07.jpg]( "Clipboard07.jpg")
Notice that "Violin Fast Exp" has mysteriously become "Violin Exp". There is no violin fast exp in the entire list. If I select Violin Exp and choose "arco" in the Staff Text Properties menu, the notes sound OK as a single violin. If however, I add a "pizz." text to one of the notes and choose "Pizzicato" from the STP menu, all the violin notes from that point forward go silent. I've tried all the "exp" strings (cello exp, strings exp, violins fast exp, contrabasses, etc.) ... its all the same. Once I select Pizzicato for that voice in the STP menu, the notes fail to sound. If that is not happening to you, and your violin notes become pizz when you follow your directions and sound, then my system is in error. I'll try rebooting and see, but ...
In either version, select the note you want to start pizz. Then go to the Text palette and select pizz. Same for arco.
In reply to In either version, select… by bobjp
OK. This entire thread seems to be due to some screwed up files. In MuseScore 3.6, I had assigned three soundfont files to the score I was working on, as I always do. They are in fact my default soundfonts. One of the three is MuseScore_General.sf3. I assign most of my instruments to it, but I use the other soundfonts for a few of my instruments. Anyway, I could not get the "pizz." command to work at all on any of my strings from any of my soundfonts. They simply rang silent when encountered. So ... I deleted two of my three soundfonts, and kept only the MuseScore_General.sf3 font. Then, I tried "pizz." again. The Staff Text Properties menu worked fine and when I clicked the "OK" in it, the effect NOW WORKED FINE. Even though the violin was "Violin Exp" instead of "Violin Fast Exp", I got pizzicato from the string notes. When I changed the track to another string using the Mixer menu, "pizz." still worked fine.
So, my problem seems fixed at the moment. Thanks to all for your great input. I didn't even know there was a "pizz. and "arco" command in the Text menu. Now I know. I have no idea why my soundfont choices messed things up, but ... there you go.
In reply to OK. This entire thread… by fsgregs
see https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/synthesizer#soundfont-order
>The order of soundfonts affects playback.
>If your score is using default instruments, it will only play back the correct sound if the default soundfont is the 1st ordered item.
I recall seeing a screenshot in your earlier post where you place the default sf2 as 2nd, may be that's the problem.
For more info about MS3 internal working see https://musescore.org/en/handbook/developers-handbook/references/instru…
In reply to see https://musescore.org/en… by msfp
Yep, I did this. My custom soundfont was put first. This screwed things up for the MuseScore default, which I put 2nd. I have now learned. Now my problem is, over 30 of my songs have the custom soundfont first. When I assigned an instrument from the default, it would play OK for what I needed it to do, but if I am to fix this for all future songs, it will take me a lot of work to fix all the past songs. Ahh ... the joys of making mistakes!!!
Thanks for setting me straight.
In reply to OK. This entire thread… by fsgregs
Sorry. I didn't help any with the "fast" part. I missed that you were needing the solo violin, which does not have a fast listing.
However, what remains is that the text properties route is totally the long way around to get what you want. Use the text palette instead. Faster and easier.
In reply to Sorry. I didn't help any… by bobjp
Good. I thought my MuseScore general soundfont was missing the fast solo violin and it was bothering me. Glad it is not there in any case.
Totally agree that the Text Palette is the best way to add a "pizz." Thanks to you, I now know it is there. Did not know before. Never noticed it. Thanks Bob.
In reply to Good. I thought my… by fsgregs
And just to be clear, you can have fonts in any order want. Just as long as you always use that order every time. If you set that order as default in the synthesizer, you could delete the fonts (from the synth), and add a different font. Then the next time you open MuseScore, your original fonts are loaded. Because you set them as default.