Add lyrics without notes

• Dec 31, 2010 - 19:06

How do I add lyrics when there are no notes? I have some measures with full rests (no notes); therefore, there is no note to select before tapping CTRL+L to create a lyric. How can I add lyrics below the staff when there are no notes to which attach the lyric?


Comments

I have done both things you've described by using normal text (well, it's called staff text). Click on the rest, and then ctrl t (or command t for mac-ians). Type what you want, click off of the text, and then click and drag the text wherever you want it specifically placed.
For verse numbers (or in my case, it was the person about to sing the specific line), I just use the first note, same ctrl t to add text, and then drag in front of my first lyric.

And to respond to David, I added text ("lyrics") to rests because it was a spoken line between sung phrases.

This solution seems to work the best for me:
1) Add an extra treble piano staff to the grand staff (or a bass staff if the right hand is in the bass clef).
2) Cut the right hand of the Grand Staff, and paste it into the new staff.
3) Write out the vocal melody in the Right Hand staff.
4) Add the lyrics to the melody using the Lyrics Text command.
5) Select the entire staff that contains the melody (where the RH originally was) and switch Voices 1-2. This will set the vocal line as the 2nd Voice.
6) Select the new staff that contains the RH.
7) Cut the RH, and paste it on top of the vocal line.
8) Select any note in the vocal line (which is Voice 2), and right click.
9) Under "Select," click "More..."
10) Check "Same Staff" and "Same Voice" and hit enter.
11) Delete all the notes.
12) Select a Rest from Voice 2 and repeat steps (9)-(11) to remove the rests
13) Remove the extra staff.

This might be roundabout, but it seems to be the cleanest way to have all the lyrics displayed without actually have the melody displayed. I prefer this to just setting the melody to invisible, as it cleans up the MuseScore file. You can still add/remove/edit the lyrics, just as you normally would in Lyric Mode. Also, if the lyrics are blocked by notes, you can adjust their vertical alignment in "Edit General Style" -> "Page" -> "Lyrics Upper Margin" and "Lyrics Lower Margin."

If there are lyrics involved, shouldn't there still be note on some staff for the vocalist to follow as they sing?
Whether or not the instruments are tacet!, if so, the lyrics would be associated with the vocal staff.

In reply to by murray45a

This method is for inserting lyrics when there is no vocal staff. For example, if you would like the lyrics in the middle of the Grand Staff for the piano. This is useful for the instrumentalist to just follow along with the vocalist, whilst not cluttering the page with an additional staff. It is also useful if the pianist is also singing, but does not actually require the sheet music for the vocals. But yes, if you have a vocal staff with the melody, you would obviously put lyrics with the vocal staff.

I, too, have this problem. I teach young children untuned percussion ensemble. They need to be able to follow the lyrics to keep up to where they are on the score. It is an important tool in training them that the rhythm and beat, accompaniment and words, are not always tutti/unison. I NEED lyrics under rests.

I also have this issue in MuseScore 3.5 and none of the offered bodges seem to work and I can't figure out stevegalant's method. FWIW, I'm trying to write out bass TAB and need the lyrics to anchor to the beat and not to the bass line. I need the piece on one page and so don't have room for a vocals staff. If I put one in and then hide it, the associated lyrics disappear. Trying to copy the lyrics from a vocal staff to the bass staff fails as the lyrics align to the bass notes and disappear where no note is available. I'm completely stumped with one piece as the bass doesn't come in until two bars after the vocals and I can't expand the rests enough for stave or system text lyrics to fit the availble space on the page. Also, if I use system or stave text exclusively, the lyrics don't keep sync with the bars as they expand and contract. I would so welcome the ability to anchor lyrics to measures rather than the notes of any particular part...

In reply to by pajaholic

I don't use tablature so I'll lend some theory to this.

Since this thread was last discussed it has been made possible to add a lyric to a rest, one at a time since adding lyrics to any rests is not common. Select a rest, press ctrl+L, type the lyric, select the next rest and repeat. To enter multiple words on a rest, press ctrl+ space to put a space between words. You can then have 10 or 12 words on a single rest if this helps the situation.

Now for the theory part. In tablature you can show rests as an option. Turn this option on so you have rests to work with for your lyrics. Once the lyrics are entered I suggest that you save your work for the next steps. Try a). turn off the rests in the tablature and see if the lyrics persist. If not the b) right click a rest and choose Select>All similar items and press v to make them invisible. This should leave the lyrics visible and the rests a light gray color on your screen. If you don't want to see the rests use the View menu and click "Show invisible" and they will disappear. In either case, they will not print.

If you are having difficulty lining up the lyrics and bass notes, then put all of the rests and lyrics in voice 2 (see voices ) for details on how to do this. FYI, if you click a voice 2 rest and add a lyrics, the lyric will be put into voice 2.

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