How to connect lyrics when an open vocal score becomes a closed SATB score a few measures later?
Hello all! Basically the title's it.
I have a score where I want the first measures to be an open choral score because each voice section has splits somewhere in the piece. Now, I arrive at a part in the piece where the choir sings unison and I want to turn it into a closed SATB score to easily show that they're in unison.
How I did it so far is that I have 6 available staves, 4 of which are for the individual SATB, and the 2 remaining ones are for the male and female, aka, for the closed score. When I'm done encoding notes, I'll just turn on the option to hide empty staves.
Now, one word in the lyrics will be over into two measures. This word is over the measures where the open score would turn into an closed score. My problem is, I can't get a dash to exist in between the syllables of that word.
How do I accomplish this?
(Attached is screencap of the score. The topmost staff shows how the lyrics should look like, with "ikaw" being the word where I want a dash to still exist. The 6 staves below are the ones I'm trying to fix.)
By the way, In the score, there's a section where I would turn this the other way around, where the closed score turns into an open score. If I encounter a problem with the dash like this again, how would I approach it?
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Screenshot 2023-09-06 204341.png | 38.86 KB |
Comments
Add a system break at that double barlines and in Format > Style > Score tick Hide empty staves
In reply to Add a system break at that… by Jojo-Schmitz
Hey there! That's what I was doing, and it works just fine. I only attached the screencap just to show what I wanted with the word "i-kaw". My problem is the absence of the dash between "i-kaw" when I go from an open score to a closed score (and even vice versa).
Is there a way or a workaround where the dash would still exist when I change to an open or closed score?
In reply to Hey there! That's what I was… by potipot
You can enter the dash (hyphen) into the lyrics as an 'escaped' character.
See:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/lyrics#Escaping_characters_(that_ca…
So, use: Ctrl+- (Mac & Linux: Alt+-). before "kaw" or after 'I" or both.
In reply to You can enter the dash … by Jm6stringer
Thanks! This worked nicely. The inserted dash is a tad thicker than the musescore's own dash, but I don't mind it.
By inserting an underscore as an escaped character, this also worked nicely when I need a melisma over a measure that turns into an open or closed score. However, do you happen know how to extend a slur over a measure that converts into an open score?
In reply to Thanks! This worked nicely… by potipot
For the dash...
Using menu item: Format > Style > Lyrics you can set the 'Dash thickness' a tad thicker to match the inserted dash.
For the slur...
Normally a slur has an anchor (i.e., a note) at each end. You can use something like an invisible grace note for an (invisible) anchor at the conversion to open score. Be sure to uncheck 'Play' in the Properties panel so the invisible grace note does not actually sound. Click the slur and adjust the 'handles' for desired positioning to make it look like it's an extension at the conversion.
See:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/adjusting-elements-directly#change-…
for slur adjustment 'handles' info.