Discretional numbers on tuplets.
I can't figure out how to do this on MS4: To have some tuplets displayed with numbers and the bulk of them without (my whole score is chockfull of triplets which I want to have without numbers for the most part, but there are also quintuplets which absolutely require numbers and a few passages where it is useful to number a triplet for clarity).
The only way I have found is making the undesired numbers invisible, one by one. I am sure there is a better way that also allows me not to clutter up the score with "invisible" elements.
Comments
Control+A to Select All
Right-click on a tuplet number (not on the note, but on the number)
From the context menu, click Select / Similar in this range.
Go to the Properties tab at left.
Under the Tuplet section, under Number Type, select None and under Bracket Type, select the "3" without the bracket.
Then on the few that you want to display the number, reverse that setting to show the number and (if you wish) the bracket.
In reply to Control+A to Select All… by TheHutch
So far I have managed to do the change for the whole score. How do I do it for only a section of it (or only one tuplet)? I try and it changes the entire score.
In reply to So far I have managed to do… by azumbrunn
Don't use the Ctrl+A. Select only the one tuplet number you want to display, or you can use Ctrl+click to multi-select.
In reply to Don't use the Ctrl+A. Select… by TheHutch
It doesn't work for me. I am on a Mac; may this be the difference?
In reply to It doesn't work for me. I… by azumbrunn
Ahh, my apologies! Yes, the particular commands and keystrokes I gave are Windows.
On Windows Ctrl+click and Shift+click do a "multi-select":
Shift+click adds everything between the current selection and the Shift+click.
Ctrl+click adds individual items to the selection, without adding the ones between the current selection.
I assume there's an equivalent in MacOS?
In reply to Ahh, my apologies! Yes, the… by TheHutch
Yes, it is command+click instead of ctrl+click, shift+click is the same.
Here is what I do
1a. I select all three notes of a triplet (if the number is not displayed; click - command+click - command+click) or the number.
1b. Or I ctrl+click the number (selecting an unnumbered tuplet that way is tricky and often results in selecting one of the notes or the beam).
2. This brings up the "style" dialogue on the "tuplet" page.
3. I change "number" to "none" or the opposite.
4. In either case MS4 changes every tuplet in the whole score (14 pages in my case with gazillions of triplets).
In reply to Yes, it is command+click… by azumbrunn
The Style dialog is the wrong place. This is, yes, where you make settings for the entire piece. To change settings on a particular element (or multiple selected elements), you want to look at the Properties tab at the left.
In the screenshot, I have selected only the middle of the three triplets by clicking on the number "3" (circled in red). Then I click on the Properties tab at the left (circled in yellow). Then I adjust settings of only this one triplet in the Tuplets section (circled in green).
You'll probably need to experiment to get your particular needs met, but this is the place.
At a guess, you'll need to select all (a lot?) of tuplets (Ctrl+A or select multiple measures, then right-click on a tuplet and click Similar in this range). Then DE-select the tuplets you don't want to change (Ctrl+click ... no, you said that Command+click was the equivalent on a Mac?), then make the change.
If you've got a very large score, make a small one with only a dozen or so tuplets to experiment with. And make sure to backup your score before making any large changes!!