Adding a new measure has created a big gap on page 2of my score

• Feb 8, 2021 - 01:36

I was creating a new score fine using MuseScore 3.0. I discovered that I had left out a measure, but when I added one, I discovered that the measures beyond it on page 2, had now created a big gap between the last measure on the top line, and the next measure down. Deleting all measures on page 2 and appending new measures to the end of page 1, did not fix the problem. There was still a big space between the measure lines on page 2. See image attached.

Pleases, how do I fix this and get rid of the big space?

Attachment Size
Screenshot 2021-02-07 203021.png 38.36 KB

Comments

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

Thanks for the input. I am anxious to get this fixed. Unfortunately, using the Format/Style/Page/Vertical Justification menus, did not fix the problem. In the menu, I lowered the gap between the staves to only 6 spaces, but the gap is still there, beginning on page 2. Further, if I start a new composition, the default gap between staves becomes the same too large size, so whatever changed the gap, has now become the default. See the two image files below.

Any other suggestions please???? Screenshot 2021-02-08 122816.png Screenshot 2021-02-08 123007.png

In reply to by dragonwithafez

Thank you both. That seems to have done the trick, except on the first page. The staves on it are actually now too close together. There seems to be a difference between page 1 and page 2. See image below. Do you know why? What format control is making a difference between page 1 and 2?
Screenshot 2021-02-08 150152.png

In reply to by fsgregs

First, I wouldn't recommend worrying about this until you are done entering notes - decisions based on how a partially empty scores looks seldom end up making sense once the score is full.

But also, it's difficult to assist from only a picture - attaching hr actual score allow us to see what else is going on, like why the bad spacing on the second system of the first page (I'm guessing the pedal marking is attached incorrectly.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Marc:
Thanks again for your help. Today, I read up and added some "spacers" to the staves on page 1, and dragged them to widen the gap between spacers. I discovered that by doing so, the pedal marking lines under each base staff changed position. One of the lines dropped down almost 2 inches from its former position on the staff. When I deleted it, the staff immediately jumped in position. So, the problem does seem to be something to do with those pedal line placements.

Anyway, by using spacers and crossing my fingers, I've managed to spread out the staves on page 1 to a suitable distance. Everything on page 2 and beyond responds to the spacing commands on the "page" menu.

When the score is done, I will post it again and maybe you can examine why page 1 is so different from page 2. I am very very impressed with MuseScore and have vowed to learn most every command's function. Given how many there are, it will take a long time, but if you were instrumental in designing the program, I thank you and your colleagues immensely.

In reply to by fsgregs

To me it's pretty obvious from the picture something is wrong with the pedal markings. No need to wait until your done to fix it, just attach it as is and we can help you fix it now.

In general, if you are resorting to spacers, something is wrong in your score that should be fixed some other way, 9 times out of 10.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Marc:
Well, I will owe you a beer. You are most gracious to offer to help me out here. I know dealing with a complete novice can be frustrating.

OK, I have attached one of the two scores I am working on, for your very welcome assistance. I had originally written it years ago using another notation program I don't recall, then saved a MID file of it. All I've located is the MID file. The song is special to me, so I am delighted to learn of MuseScore. However, when I loaded the MID file into MuseScore 3.6, it split both the treble and bass notes into a 2-instrument (2 piano) score. Following the directions you and others gave me in another post, I was able to Implode the two voices into one, but it created lots of problems within the file. I was able to fix most of them, but a few I still need your help with. Since I want to use pedal marking in this score also, perhaps you can prevent me from screwing this one up. Specifically:

(1) The volume of the notes is no longer the same. When the synthesizer plays the score, some notes are too loud, some are too soft and a few don't play at all. Perhaps it has something to do with the info pulled in from the MID file, or maybe it has to do with the Implode function, but the song sounds lousy on the MuseScore synth at the moment, because the volumes of each note are different. I don't know how to reset all the volumes (velocity??) of all the notes to be the same. I would be most grateful for your help to fix this.

(2) I want both the base and treble parts to be played on the piano as a smooth, relatively quiet, rich concert grand piano sound. On a real piano, I would typically hold down the sustain pedal between measures, to allow the notes to blend and resonate beautifully, with real finesse. I don't know how to indicate that in MuseScore. It is important to me because I cannot play piano at even normal speed. I simply have never learned to read music. I can write music because it is done one note at a time, but I cannot read it, and I am 74 years old now. It would just not be possible for me to learn speed reading at my age. As a result, I intend to use the Synthesizer extensively on MuseScore, download a richer soundfont, and let my computer play all my songs for me. As such, I need the enclosed score to contain the exact commands and symbols it needs to blend the notes, use piano sustain, and play that rich sound. I would be most grateful if you were able to insert the components needed. I just don't yet know how.

(3) For some reason, the width of each measure is no longer the same. I have learned about the { and } commands to change measure width, but is there a global command to set all systems to the same # of measures per line (e.g. 4 or 5 measures per system)?

(4) I want the score to slow down toward the end (retard), starting at measure (bar??) 68 or so, and slow way down to a tempo of no more than 40 or so by the last measure . I understand you created a plugin to mimic that function, but I have not had success in using it. Would it be possible for you to insert it in my file so the song slows down to a final soft conclusion?

In advance, thanks so much. You can email the fixed file to me if you wish, at fsgregs@comcast.net.

Attachment Size
The_Winds_of_Time-fixed.mscz 30.98 KB

In reply to by fsgregs

Understood, and good luck!

This score doesn't seem to have any problem with the spacing, so I guess you fixed it already?

It does have pedal markings added incorrectly, as I mentioned elsewhere, it needs to be lone continuous lines with little /\ combinations on the specific note where the pedal changes, not / on one note and \ on another.

With MIDI files, MuseScore honors the original volume of the notes. To override that, do Ctrl+A to select all, then click the Notes button in the Inspector, then the Reset button next to the Velocity controls.

Widths of measures are not supposed to be the same - they are proportional to the notes in them. That's correct and you shouldn't normally try to defeat that as it makes the rhythms much harder to read.

If your music happens to be written such that having breaks every four bars makes sense, use Format / Add/Remove System Breaks to add these quickly. Or just add the breaks manually by hitting Enter where desired.

Regarding the plugin, if you explain what specifically goes wrong when you use it, we can help further. But you can also just add tempo changes yourself, you don't need the plugin.

I have had exactly the same problem, following the prompts on this page has fixed it, but I'm curious why musescore suddenly changes things like this, is this
1- just the result of using an open source free software, so it won't work properly and I should suck it up.
2 I inadvertently changed something without knowing and just a result of inexperience.

In reply to by carlosramsey4

It is never 1, if it is not working properly, a concise bug report should be made so the bug can be fixed (you might have to "suck up" the time required for it to become fixed though ;-) )

It most likely is 2; but we could help you get the experience if you share the score and steps to take to make it go wrong (which would be needed in situation (1) as well...)

In reply to by carlosramsey4

MuseScore continually strives to improve so that the default output looks more like how professionally published music looks. Professionally published music seldom has "ragged" bottom margins - instead, the staves are automatically spread out as necessary to keep bottom margins more consistent. That's why this improvement was made. But if you have some special case where you prefer to have an inconsistent bottom margin, we also provide the controls to go that result.

In the case shown here, the problem was really that the score itself was unbalanced - too many systems on the first page compared to the second. Professionally published music is seldom done that way - usually editors will strive to put similar numbers of systems on each page. That way when the staves are spread out to produce a consistent bottom margin, it looks good. Only if the user fails to balance the systems on the page does one come upon situations like this, where it's kind of a no-win situation - either large gaps between systems, or large gaps at the bottom of the page. So it's only in those cases where you might have to make the choice between those two options But much better to simply add a page break to balance the pages more evenly, and then everything should look great.

Do you still have an unanswered question? Please log in first to post your question.