Hi, I'm new to Musescore. I apologize if I'm breaking any forum rules. I'm wondering how create little notes in parenthesis to accommodate a verse with a different number of syllables than the others. Basically, I want to replicate the attached photo.
You're definitely not breaking rules - this is what the supprot forum is for! Although it does help if you say what version of MuseScore you are using, also sometimes it can be relevant to know the OS you are on.
There are a few distinction parts to your question:
1) To make notes small, right click and choose Note Properties (for MuseScore 1.X) or click and use the Inspector (for 2.0).
2) To add parentheses, use the symbols palette in 1.3 (press "Z"), or the Note Heads palette in 2.0. this puts the parens around individual notes. Your picture shows a big bracket around the whole chord, so to reproduce that, you'd need to add text in a large font.
3) It's hard to tell, but I I think the gist of the example is that there are two separate voices - the main voice with the normal notes (half quarter) and the secondary voice with the small notes (three quarters, of which the last is actually "borrowed" from the first voice). See Voices
in the handbook to learn how to do that if you aren't familiar. You'll presumably need that a lot through the piece, not just for the small notes, but anywhere the two voices have different rhythms or are otherwise notates with opposing stems.
Actually, I think you need three (or four if you wanted to be pedantic) Voices per stave to faithfully reproduce this; one Voice each for the long syllables and the extra Voice (or Voices) for the small notes. In 1.3 it is a bit laborious. In 2.0 it is made easier by the fact that you can place parentheses around notes directly (like an accidental).
I've tried to sketch out the steps you would go through in 1.3. The last measure shows an alternative that is worth considering if you don't have to have an exact visual copy of the origrnal. Most singers would understand what it means, it is easier to do and it is easier to enter the lyrics.
It would be great if Musescore could automatically place parentheses around selected chords as well as around individual notes. Using staff text works, but you have to increase the font size and that means very thick parentheses heavy marks that draw attention to themselves, rather than whispering that the notes they enclose are just alternatives to consider. Plus you have to do all the positioning work yourself on every chord. Use case: suggesting alternative voicings in reharmonized arrangements.
If the location of a parenthesis is the same relative position to where the default text location is, then you only need to enter it once. Edit it, select it, copy it, and paste it in the new destination. So if all of your chord symbols are in the same spot relative to the staff, copy and past one that's in the correct position.
Notes are little more work, because a parenthesis around a C is never in the same position as a parenthesis around a G. You can still copy and paste as with the chords, but you may need to follow it up with a ctrl+arrow to move it up or down.
Comments
You're definitely not breaking rules - this is what the supprot forum is for! Although it does help if you say what version of MuseScore you are using, also sometimes it can be relevant to know the OS you are on.
There are a few distinction parts to your question:
1) To make notes small, right click and choose Note Properties (for MuseScore 1.X) or click and use the Inspector (for 2.0).
2) To add parentheses, use the symbols palette in 1.3 (press "Z"), or the Note Heads palette in 2.0. this puts the parens around individual notes. Your picture shows a big bracket around the whole chord, so to reproduce that, you'd need to add text in a large font.
3) It's hard to tell, but I I think the gist of the example is that there are two separate voices - the main voice with the normal notes (half quarter) and the secondary voice with the small notes (three quarters, of which the last is actually "borrowed" from the first voice). See Voices in the handbook to learn how to do that if you aren't familiar. You'll presumably need that a lot through the piece, not just for the small notes, but anywhere the two voices have different rhythms or are otherwise notates with opposing stems.
In reply to You're definitely not by Marc Sabatella
Thank you! I learned how to use the voices, and it worked. I was using 1.3 on OS X 10.10.1. Thanks again for the prompt reply. --E
Actually, I think you need three (or four if you wanted to be pedantic) Voices per stave to faithfully reproduce this; one Voice each for the long syllables and the extra Voice (or Voices) for the small notes. In 1.3 it is a bit laborious. In 2.0 it is made easier by the fact that you can place parentheses around notes directly (like an accidental).
I've tried to sketch out the steps you would go through in 1.3. The last measure shows an alternative that is worth considering if you don't have to have an exact visual copy of the origrnal. Most singers would understand what it means, it is easier to do and it is easier to enter the lyrics.
In reply to Actually, I think you need by underquark
Thank you so much. I think I will use the second way, as it is more modern than the ancient hymnal I'm transcribing this out of ;)
It would be great if Musescore could automatically place parentheses around selected chords as well as around individual notes. Using staff text works, but you have to increase the font size and that means very thick parentheses heavy marks that draw attention to themselves, rather than whispering that the notes they enclose are just alternatives to consider. Plus you have to do all the positioning work yourself on every chord. Use case: suggesting alternative voicings in reharmonized arrangements.
In reply to It would be great if… by Stephen Cummings
If the location of a parenthesis is the same relative position to where the default text location is, then you only need to enter it once. Edit it, select it, copy it, and paste it in the new destination. So if all of your chord symbols are in the same spot relative to the staff, copy and past one that's in the correct position.
Notes are little more work, because a parenthesis around a C is never in the same position as a parenthesis around a G. You can still copy and paste as with the chords, but you may need to follow it up with a ctrl+arrow to move it up or down.