Varying local time signatures
I'm trying to change the local time signatures for the bass part only in bars 96-102 of the attached. I've had a look at other similar posts in this forum, but none seem to have an answer. I've tried doing it for real, and also "faking it". There's no way to do the former. The latter gets me most of the way, but inserting barlines from the Lines palette doesn't produce a real barline that I can put a time signature next to.
What I want to do is to make the bass time signatures from bar 94 as follows: 3/2 3/2 2/2 3/2 4/2 (just to clarify, 1/4 note = 1/4 note). I love MuseScore generally, but I can't help thinking that this could be easier.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| WiaN bass TS selection.pdf | 48.53 KB |
Comments
Is that PDF what you are trying to achieve/transcibe from or is it the result of your efforts in MuseScore?
If the latter, then do you have a copy of the original that you are trying to copy from?
If the former (i.e. that's an image of the original) then I don't see a problem.
In reply to Is that PDF what you are… by underquark
This is a couple of systems from my composition, which I've just recently finished and which I want to polish off, so it's very much the original. In fact, originally the bass was in 4/4 like the other parts, but its primary movement is in minims / 1/2 notes grouped in bars of irregular length, which is why I want to reflect that in the notation. The closest I could get so far is the 2/2 time signature, but I want to go the whole hog with the bar lengths irregular to reflect the word stresses, as I gave them in the OP.
If you're trying to add a time signature to just the bass, and not the other staves, hold Ctrl while you drag the time signature from the palette to the staff. If it matches he duration of the time signature in the other parts (like 6/4 with 3/2), obviously everything lines up, but if it doesn't match, the barlines will always line up, and the tempo of each part will be adjusted accordingly. 1 bar = 1 bar.
In reply to If you're trying to add a… by jscaranomusic
Ah - but therein lies the problem. I don't want the barlines to match up. Crotchet / 1/4 note = crotchet / 1/4 note throughout the example across all parts (in fact, throughout the whole composition). In other words, those notes proceed at the same pace (crotchet / 1/4 note=168 at that point) in all four parts. The bass is just organised differently to the other three parts, in irregular minim / 1/2 note-beat bar lengths as I gave them above (as opposed to the regular 4/4 bars with crotchet / 1/4 note-beat bar lengths of the other three parts). Can you see how this would result in bass barlines that don't align with those of the other three until the 3/4 bar 103? (I've done exactly what you suggest at bar 102, in which the soprano is in 6/4 while the other parts are in 3/2, but that was just fortuitous because the bar lengths match. The rhythmic reorganisation occurs within the same bar. In my example, the reorganisation occurs across several bars.)
In reply to Ah - but therein lies the… by Anselm Kersten
So, a bit like this? (this is only a few bars by way of example):
![Screenshot_20240425_141728.png]( "Screenshot_20240425_141728.png")
In reply to So, a bit like this? (this… by underquark
Ye gods, that’s it! What’s your secret? More to the point, what’s your bribe level? 😜
I’ll be even more impressed if you can actually conjure up the appropriate time signatures in the right places. So how did you do it? You’re going to tell me something bleedin’ obvious that was staring me in the face all along, aren’t you? Go on, I can take it. (Thank Odin this isn’t on video…😭)
In reply to Ye gods, that’s it! What’s… by qkjdmftzv8
Well, it's pretty laborious. I made all measures 1/4 then changed the text to 4/4, 3/2 or whatever. Next, selectively hide barlines to give the appearance of 4/4, 3/2 etc. Then notes need to be adjusted for duration, spacing. It gets harder if you also want flawless playback. Last time i did this I get a headache so I'll leave it to you to fiddle about some more. I don't in any case, fully understand what timings you want since i counted 43 beats on the top stave but the 3/2 3/2 2/2 etc. adds up to 40. You'll need to decide what to do about measure numbering (go with the 1/4 numbering, go with the top stave).
In reply to Well, it's pretty laborious… by underquark
"Oh, the funky horror!"
In reply to Well, it's pretty laborious… by underquark
OK, I've tried this and it's so a) laborious and b) uncertain that I'm just gonna flag it away and stick with the 2/2 in the bass, using the verbal stresses to do the job. I did try something else (I can't remember what) a few years ago with similar results. I wasn't sure sure enough then, and I'm not now, that all my efforts are going to result in anything workable. Thanks for your pointer, though.
But doesn't this reveal a problem that there should be a MuseScore solution to, especially if the note values align as they do here? I know I'm a technoklutz, but under these circumstances I can't see that a solution should be out of reach.
In reply to OK, I've tried this and it's… by Anselm Kersten
Guessing here--I'm not on the coding team--but I would expect that this is a very corner issue, needed by a (relatively) small number of people, and it is available through a workaround: a "laborious" and "uncertain" workaround, perhaps, but it **is* available. Thus, I would bet very low on anybody's priority list.
I'm not suggesting that this low priority is appropriate nor am I suggesting that it's inappropriate. (It's not something I would use, so I don't really have any insight into that question.) But I'm'a guess that's how it would go onto the list of Features requested. Nonetheless, request such a feature: if you don't ask, the answer is always "No".
In reply to Guessing here--I'm not on… by TheHutch
Right, you’re on. I will then. So there. 😜🤣
Seriously, thanks for prompting me to be proactive about this. It hadn’t actually occurred to me to ask. Shows how little brain this bear has! 🧸
In reply to Right, you’re on. I will… by qkjdmftzv8
" 'Silly old bear,' said Christopher Robin." :-D