Slash Notation Styles

This plugin is not needed anymore in MuseScore 2. See Fill with slashes. (The plugin would not work in MuseScore 2 anyway)

The "Slash Notation Styles" plugin simplifies the process of creating the various styles of slash notation used in jazz. Ordinary slash notation is where measures are filled with one-per-beat slashes to indicate that they are open for improvisation or comping. Rhythmic notation is where slashes with stems, flags, and/or beams are used to indicate a specific comping rhythm. Accent notation is similar to rhythmic notation, but the notes are reduced in size and placed above the staff with stems pointing up, thus allowing you to show both the melody and the comping rhythm on the same staff (in different voices).

This plugin requires MuseScore 1.1 or later.

Regardless of which style you wish to use in a given passage, you start by selecting the measures you wish to affect, and then you run the plugin. A dialog box appears to allow you to select which style to use, which voice to apply it to, and other parameters. For rhythmic and accent notation, you should have already entered ordinary notes representing the rhythm to be used; the plugin will move these notes to the appropriate location on the staff and turn them into slashes. For slash notation, any current content in the selected voice is deleted and replaced by one-per-beat slashes. All slashes created by the plugin are set to zero velocity (volume) so that they do not affect playback.

A description of the dialog box:

Clef: Select which clef is active for the selection. You need to specify this so the plugin can place the slashes on the proper line or space.

Style: Slash, Rhythmic, or Accent, as described above.

Duration: For slash notation, specify the duration of the slashes in tick values . The default of 480 will produce quarter note (crotchets) slashes. In 6/8 time, you will probably prefer either 240 to produce eighth note (quaver) slashes, or 720 to produce dotted quarter note (dotted crotchet) slashes.

Voice: Select which voice should be replaced with slashes.

Pitch: Select, by MIDI value, which line or space is used for the slashes. Normally this is set for you based on your Clef and Style selection, but you can override this if necessary.