What are linked staves?

• Dec 10, 2013 - 16:56

I have done searches and looked at the index in the handbook, but can find no definition.

Thanks.

Comments

• Dec 10, 2013 - 17:52

So, if I understand, it is, for example, when parts are generated from a score and changes are made to a part, those changes will be reflected in the score?

That was my first assumption, but reading some of the threads about linked staves confused me. Please signify if my initial assumption was correct.

Thanks.

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• Dec 10, 2013 - 18:07

What you are describing - a connection between the score and parts - are what I would call linked *parts*. Linked *staves* are the underlying mechanism that are used to implement linked parts. But this same linked staves mechanism is also used for a totally different situation: where you have a piece for guitar and you want two staves, one displaying standard notation and the other displaying tablature. The effect is the same, changes made to one staff automatically affect the other. But here we are talking about two staves within the same score (or part).

So for example, the recent thread and corresponding bug report about chord symbols refers only to the latter case. Definitely, chord symbols added to a score should appear in the parts and vice versa. But if one of those parts is a guitar part, and it is written using two two linked staves (one standard notation and one tablature), should the chord symbols appear on both staves? I'm thinking no. And perhaps the same for text, dynamics, etc - but I'm not sure.

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• Dec 10, 2013 - 18:14

Re: "But if one of those parts is a guitar part, and it is written using two two linked staves (one standard notation and one tablature), should the chord symbols appear on both staves? I'm thinking no. And perhaps the same for text, dynamics, etc - but I'm not sure."

My thought is that less clutter is better. If there is an actual reason to duplicate text, dynamics ets. I'm all for it, but to my mind the main purpose of notation is to transfer information in the clearest possible manner, and clutter is not a way to do that.

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• Dec 10, 2013 - 18:21

These 2 staves are alternative ways of spelling the same music, the musician would read either one or the other, so dynamics are needed on both. Chord symbols are a somewhat additional information, maybe for some other musician improvising along, so no need to duplicate.

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• Dec 10, 2013 - 17:47

Perhaps it is unnecessary, but I consider it a way to practice with the manual, and it might be useful to someone (maybe).

I'm going with the translation?

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