Brackets

Updated 8 months ago

    Brackets/braces are used to connect multiple staves of one instrument (e.g. a piano's grand staff) or of a group of instruments (e.g. 2 x violins, viola and cello in string section) within a system. See Page layout concepts : system chapter.

    Brackets/braces are automatically applied when a score is created in the New Score dialog. You can easily change them if the default is not what you want (see below).

    To add brackets and curly braces, use Brackets palette.

    Adding brackets

    To add a bracket or brace to all systems:

    1. Click on the first measure of the staff where you want the bracket/brace to start, hold Shift and click on the measure where you want the bracket/brace to end.
    2. Click the desired bracket icon in the "Brackets" palette.

    Alternatively:

    1. Select the start measure, and click the bracket into place from the "Brackets" palette.
    2. Select the bracket, click on the adjustment handle and drag it down to the desired position. It will snap into place.

    Nested brackets can also be applied using these methods, applying the innermost first and ending with the outermost. The order can be edited subsequently using the "Column" property (see below)

    Editing brackets

    If you select a bracket/brace, you can edit its properties in the Properties panel (sidebar).

    • Column: Moves the bracket inwards/outwards.
    • Span: Extends or retracts the end of the bracket/brace.

    Changing bracket type

    • Select the bracket/brace in the score to be changed, then click on a new bracket/brace from the "Brackets" palette.

    Changing bracket span

    Use one of the following methods:

    • Select the bracket, click on the adjustment handle, and drag it to the desired position.
    • Select the bracket, click on the adjustment handle, and press Shift+↑/↓ to move it from staff to staff.
    • Alter "Span" in the Properties panel.

    Deleting brackets

    • To delete a bracket/brace, select it and press Del.

    Customizing bracket appearance

    Brackets/Braces also have a few global properties which can be adjusted from the Style menu:

    • Adjust thickness and distance from the staff in Format→Style→System.
    • Adjust distance above/below in Format→Style→Page→Enable vertical justification of staves.