Clef change placement

• Nov 15, 2019 - 14:16

Good morning!
I was working on importing a previous project into Musescore today. In the piece (for solo piano), there are clef changes throughout. Musescore is placing those clef changes after the barline, in the beginning of the measure. The standard practice in engraving is to place a clef change before the barline - so, if measure 4 is changing from Treble Clef to Bass Clef, the Bass Clef will appear at the end of Measure 3, right before the barline for measure 4.
Can this be implemented?

Thanks!
Ryan


Comments

MuseScore too places clef changes before the barline, if they get applied to the measure, but after the barline if they get applied to the first note/chord/rest in that measure

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

Regardless of how the selection is made, if nothing precedes the clef only the measure, it should default to before the bar line.
As a composer, I’m not thinking “this measure will change clef,” I’m thinking “my musical phrase changes clef here.”

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

Mid-measure clef changes are fine. At the start of a bar, it is incorrect for the clef to be placed immediately following a barline. If a measure begins in a new clef, the clef falls before the barline. For the software to place it after the barline but before any notes is not a preferential thing, it's just incorrect.

In reply to by Ryan

To be clear: MuseScore supports both layouts, because both layouts are common, used for different purpsoes. So simply use the method that suits your purpose. For the ordinary clef changes that you want before the barline, apply the clef to the measure, not to the first note. For the type where you do want it after the barline, apply it directly to the note (same way you'd apply a mid-measure change).

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

"For the ordinary clef changes that you want before the barline, apply the clef to the measure, not to the first note."
Yes, and perhaps what is missing from this thread is this advice:
select the entire measure before applying the clef change.

This feature used to trip me up...

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Well. In a standard and most common situation, placing clef before the barline results in a better layout look for that measure, as there is no gap to accommodate for the clef. It's good, that there are both options, but I'd say clef placement before the barline is much more often needed and should be considered a standard situation, whereas clef going after barline as secondary/optional. However keyboard shortcut for inserting a clef puts it AFTER the barline by default, making the use of keyboard shortcut less usable. Would be good if it would be the other way around

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