Difference between system text and staff text
There does not seem to be anything in the manual about system text versus staff text. So what is the difference between the two types of text and how should I use them?
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See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/text-0. "The difference between these two types of text is whether you want it to apply to a single staff, or the whole system. This makes a difference when extracting parts."
I'm afraid the handbook has left me none the wiser. There is one line which mentions the subject in passing and that's it. I have read the page on "extracting parts" but system text is not mentioned at all.
Where, for example, would I put tempo indications like Allegro, Andante etc? Or section markings, like A, B, C etc. Would I be right in thinking that "staff text" is simply a general purpose text that is attached to a particular location in the score?
In reply to I'm afraid the handbook has by geetar
Staff text is indeed general purpose text, attached to a single location in the score.
System text is automatically extracted to all parts. This is implied by that sentence but I guess not made explicit enough. An extra sentence would indeed be welcome; feel free to make the change.
Tempo text is separate. It behaves in part like system text in that it appears on all parts, but it actually controls the tempo as well, and uses different formatting. This is covered in https://musescore.org/en/handbook/tempo-0#tempo-marking
Rehearsal marks are also special, in that they also get different formatting but also can be automatically sequenced. See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/rehearsal-marks. But like system text and tempo markings, they are automatically applied to all parts. So are repeat texts like DC al Fine etc.
Basically, the things you expect to show on all parts do.
In reply to I'm afraid the handbook has by geetar
Added a half-sentence to https://musescore.org/en/handbook/text-0: "staff text will only appear in a part that contains the specific instrument the text is attached to, while system text will appear in all parts."
In reply to Added a half-sentence to by Isaac Weiss
the right link : https://musescore.org/en/handbook/text-0 forgotten space before ":" at the end.
In reply to the right link : by SlowRabbit
Ah, thank you—I'll be more careful in the future. ;-)
There is also a difference when using the "hide empty staves" feature. System text is never hidden, but staff text is hidden if it is attached to a staff containing only rests. Whether or not this is the ideal behaviour is debatable. Should a staff that is silent but contains text really be considered "empty"?
In reply to There is also a difference by shoogle
It has indeed been debated :-). Good arguments and examples on both sides. For me, the clincher is that it is easier to prevent hiding by adding an invisible note than to force it in cases where MuseScore otherwise won't.
In reply to It has indeed been debated by Marc Sabatella
That makes sense. I can't immediately think of a case where I would want it to hide, but it is easier to correct it that way.
In reply to That makes sense. I can't by shoogle
Does staff text apply after scores have been extracted`?
In reply to Does staff text apply after by Troubadix
I'm not really sure what you mean by this. Staff text always applies to the current score or part only. System text is meant to be applied to scores, not parts, and will appear at the top of the score and on each part. For system text, it doesn't matter if you add it before or after parts are created - it behaves the same either way.
Does that answer your question? If not, could you be more specific?
In reply to Does staff text apply after by Troubadix
Staff text continues to remain in the score after parts have been extracted, and it applies in extracted parts that contain the staff that it was attached to.
In reply to Staff text continues to by Isaac Weiss
So if I have a main score with its extracted parts, by adding a staff text in the main score it must appear in the excerpts?
In reply to So if I have a main score by Troubadix
It will appear only in the excerpts for the staves that you attach the staff text to—not in the rest of them. That's the difference between staff text and system text—system text would appear in all the parts.