Half note notation with beams?

• Jan 24, 2022 - 21:18

In some older music (examples are from Francois Couperin) the notation is very different from what we are used to nowadays, for instance the use of half notes which are beamed like eighth-notes. I wonder if it is possible in Musescore (I have version 3.6.2.5, te latest) to mimic this notation, here are two examples:
Couperin 32.jpg
Couperin 22.jpg
I have tried to accomplish this, and it is possible in the following way:
- choose time signature 3/8, but change display via properties to show 3/2
- notate in eighth-notes but change the noteheads to half notes via inspector
Thast looks good, but problems arise when there are rests, and for more than a few bars it is an enormous amount of work, so the question is if there is a more friendly or efficient way to do this?
thanks!
Jeroen


Comments

I supposed it's doable if you just want to recreate the appearance of the original score. Actual value 3/4 would be better with the pickup measure being 5/16. Enter the notes at half the duration shown on the original piece. Then [Ctrl]-select the notes you want to change and change the head type in Inspector. Then you'd need to change the whole notes, then make their stems invisible, then make the rests invisible and then add new rests from the Master Palette.

The only real short-cut here is selecting more than one note at a time and changing the head types.

Attachment Size
Untitled.mscz 9.38 KB

I was thinking of this couple days ago.

I didnt find anything different, than You. Here are some tips.
time signature - it should be 3/4, not 3/8, shouldnt it?

time saver

  • you can use Select - More - Same duration
    1) start with longer notes - half notes and change them to Whole note head, Stemless
    2) then select all
    3) unselect already fixed half notes (Select - More - Same duration; Action - Subtract from selection)
    4) in inspector choose "Notes" and you can change all other heads (sixteens, eights, quater) heads all in once

rests

You can hide rests (make them invisible, change Stacking order to 0) and then add proper rest symbols from master palete

It is far from ideal, but at least, itshould cover all Your needs.

In reply to by sammik

Thanks underquark and sammik!
Offcourse I hoped for a more sophisticated approach, but what is not there is not there...
Atl least I was on the right path (yes 3/4 is offcourse the choise, not 3/8). The select - more possibilities I was unaware off, but they seem rather powefull to accomplish this a bit faster.
Byt the way, is this kind of engraving possible with the (costly) programs like Sibelius and Finale?
best
Jeroen

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