Lassoing Lyrics
I like the notes entry of this program, but the lyrics are driving me insane!
How exactly do I lasso lyrics?
The word lasso is missing from the handbook.
When I try to generate a lasso I end up doing a tango with one of the words!
Once I master this one simple task the buckles of my straight jacket may be safely undone! I hope!
I'd appreciate what help may be rendered.
Comments
What are you wanting to do? What is your purpose for lassoing lyrics?
In reply to What are you wanting to do? by David Bolton
I am wanting to move lyrics between scores; move lyrics along the same score, and hopefuloly move them into a Word document,
In reply to Lassoing Lyrics by Derek Bernard
By move do you mean copy?
Copy-paste of lassoed lyrics is not implemented in current versions of MuseScore. To follow developments on this particular issue subscribe to the following thread:
#3911: Copy paste of multiple lyric syllables
In reply to By move do you mean by David Bolton
Hi David
Thanks for the input. Regretably this is turning into Catch 22.
I followed the link and opened the adeste file. The only snag was the first thing they wanted me to do was lasso the lyrics. Yes, but me being stupid I can't lasso lyrics, but I am willing to learn, and that's why I started this thread!
Any further suggestions?
In reply to Lassoing Lyrics by Derek Bernard
Here is a link containing some instructions as to "lasso". Perhaps this will help.
http://musescore.org/en/node/4448
Regards,
In reply to Here by xavierjazz
If I dare add a comment, I think that what isn't made clear, although it is hinted at in the node/4448 thread, is that the lasso has to go round the WHOLE of the lyrics. Some programs only care that the lasso goes THROUGH the lyrics. If you are used to one of those programs then you will worry that if you cast your lasso too wide that you might also select some notes.
MuseScore doesn't select things that aren't fully enclosed by the lasso, although it has a peculiar aspect to it. If you start the lasso below the lyrics (remember to hold the SHIFT key) and allow the lasso to go high enough to highlight some notes, when you release the mouse the lasso flips upwards and selects the notes rather than the lyrics.
This is inconsistent with what I say in the first paragraph; the whole of the note and stem/flag does not have to be selected in order for the lasso to assume that you wished to select the notes.
There is a philosophical/design decision to be made here. Does lasso selection in MuseScore imply that an object is wholly or partly contained by the lasso? Whatever the answer it should be consistent throughout MuseScore.
I must say that Sibelius (the only other score writer I know) took the partial solution. That can make it difficult in a busy score to just get the bits you want. I often find I have selected the lyrics plus a few other bits and have to go round removing bits from the selection.
In reply to Here by xavierjazz
Is there something particular on this thread you think addresses the issue?
Thanks.
In reply to Lssoing lyrics by Derek Bernard
You can lasso select lyrics by holding shift, click somewhere and drag to draw a blue rectangle around the lyrics.
When done, you can copy or cut them, but you can't paste them in the current score, another score or a word processing software. Does that answer you question?
In reply to You can lasso select lyrics by [DELETED] 5
Thanks for the reply, but I'm clearly not doing something right.
I lassoed the lyric as suggested: holding shift and clicking, but then as soon as I tried to copy or cut the lasso disappeared leaving the lyrics exactly where they were - uncut and uncopied.
What do you suggest?
Thanks.
In reply to Lassoing Lyrics by Derek Bernard
We have said it several times now. You are not doing anything wrong. The lyrics cannot be copy-pasted in current versions of MuseScore.
In reply to Understand? by David Bolton
You'll excuse me if I spit the dummy here.
One person says "You can lasso select lyrics by..." Someone else says "lyrics cannot be copy-pasted.."
And where did I get the concept of lassoing lyrics? Did I dream it, or what? Wasn't that in the handbook?
Whatever, it seems I'm wasting my time!
So, if I enter lyrics and miss a word at the start then they all have to be deleted and I have to start all over again?
Does anyone know of another program I may try? One feature I must have is a dotted slur; this is rare without spending big for very sophiscated programs which far excel my very simple needs.
In reply to Lassoing Lyrics by Derek Bernard
I see. Lasso, copy, paste are actually three separate actions. You can select (i.e. lasso) lyrics and then perform actions on those selected lyrics (such as move them around, change the font, etc.), but you cannot paste lyrics in current versions of MuseScore. Both statements are true. It sounds like your concept of "lasso" included all three actions: selecting, copying, and pasting.
MuseScore can create dotted slurs. Instructions are in the handbook. See slur .
In reply to Definitions by David Bolton
i feel a little dirty making so many demands for a free software...
but are there any plans to enable pasting lyrics into score in future versions of MuseScore? I'm doing vocal arrangements so multiple staves have the same rhythms & lyrics OFTEN.
i guess it would be tricky but if the rhythmic patterns are exactly the same for the notes you're pasting the lyrics into, seems like it should be feasible...
In reply to i feel a little dirty making by Rich Arnold
If you copy and paste notes the lyrics are pasted as well. If the rhythmic patterns are exactly the same then may you can experiment with changing the pitches after you have pasted them.
In reply to If you copy and paste notes by David Bolton
awesome - i was saving adding the lyrics until the last step so didn't realize copy & pasting the notes would also transfer the lyrics. modifying the pitches up or down is easy enough, so this is a great option, thanks.
In reply to What are you wanting to do? by David Bolton
My reason for selecting lyrics (lasso or otherwise) is that the note stems constantly overlap the lyrics. I can shorten the stems (but only one at a time - a chore) or I can move the lyrics with the mouse (but only one at a time - a chore). A facility to select lyrics between a first, clicked on item then everything from there to a later item would be a fantastic improvement. The lasso picks up notes as well as lyrics when the two are close (or overlapping as seems to happen a lot to mine) so pressing an arrow key changes the note pitch and deselects the lyrics instead of moving all the lyrics as a line. Is there some way to deselect some items among a selected group (equivalent to the alt-select in the Adobe interfaces).
In reply to Lassooing lyrics by FrankO
Right clicking that first lyric then selecting "select->all similar elements" lets you easily select *all* lyrics. Not sure if there's some trick using that approach to restrict it just a range, but it could be worth playing with if you haven't tried it already.
In reply to Right clicking that first by Marc Sabatella
Thanks for the help. Yes, you can select 'all' lyrics, but that really means all lyrics, not the subset that I'd like to move en bloc. I've tried to fiddle with that but without success.
User interfaces are often the make or break points of computer software, and the one created by Musescore is really not at all bad. Now the program's gone out for more widespread use, I'm sure people will come up with little tiddly bits such as my 'why can't I select a small portion of the lyrics' and those writing the code will make the adjustments. There are always small things: one example is why does the first bar/measure have to be numbered '1'? MSWord took an edition or two before it allowed the user to specify the number of the first page. In time maybe we'll have the same option to specify the number of the first bar/measure (one might be writing something that continues from a previous but separate file).
I truly appreciate everything that comes for free in Musescore; and the keen support of people like you, Marc, makes the experience a particularly valuable one.
Frank
In reply to Thanks for the help. Yes, by FrankO
The first measure is numbered "1" initially but you can change it if you want. In the handbook, see Measure operations , "Add to measure number".
In case you didn't look yet, you can also right-click and choose Select > More... and add a check mark next to "same system", to select the lyric syllables in just the one system.
In reply to The first measure is numbered by David Bolton
I agree with Frank that further enhancements to the interface in this area would be a wonderful thing - maybe a way to select first and last items, then add an option to that dialog to select all within that range? Or, hmm, maybe enable "Shift-right" to extent the selection to the next similar element for lyrics and other text items - maybe articulations and other markings too - just as it currently does for notes. Now that would be cool.
Meanwhile, though, one could resort to temporarily adding/deleting line breaks or playing with stretch just to make the "same system" option select the right range (and thanks for the kind words, Frank).
I have been adding lyrics for the first time, and it's much easier than I expected. But having edited them in a few places I find that some words are higher up in the space than others. it is possible to drag them up and down to align them by eye, but perhaps there's a better way?
In reply to aligning lyrics by [DELETED] 32286
Yes and yes :-). Hard to say without seeing the score, but most likely, the reason your lyrics are not aligned is that you have accidentally entered them in different verses. This can happen if you hit Enter or up/down arrows while editing. So what you should do is find the syllables that are lower than the rest - these are the ones you accidentally entered as a second verse - then hit up arrow to get back to the first verse and retype the syllables there, and delete the old syllables. Then they will all be aligned properly.
But if you wish to have some syllables higher or lower than others, yes, you can drag them, singly or in groups. Selection of multiple items can be done via shift-drag, also the right click menuoffers some selection options.
In reply to Yes and yes :-). Hard to say by Marc Sabatella
Thank you for your help. I now know why it happened, although it won't help me this time.
I had used repeat marks and written two verses under the same melody. Then I realised that note lengths needed to be different in the second and subsequent verses, to fit the sense of the words. So I cut and pasted the music to expand it and deleted the repeats. The lyrics went with the melody, ( I hadn't expected this,) which saved a lot of typing. But when I deleted the unwanted lyrics in each case the remaining ones were, in some cases, on the wrong lines.
In future I will try to plan better and avoid this trap.
The tips on selection will be very useful. Thank you again.