Part Writing (Four-part harmonies)

• Apr 13, 2011 - 23:45

Hello,

Sorry if this is a ridiculously stupid question, but I just recently downloaded Musescore and I am trying to use it to do some of my Music Theory homework. I have an assignment where I need to part write using four part systems (soprano, alto, tenor, bass).

I know that to change stem direction, I must press X when editing the note, but is there a way to change the stem direction for two or three notes within a chord? For example, say I am trying to do the notes F and A in the treble clef, for the Soprano and Alto parts. When I put in the Alto note, F, and try to change the stem down the way an Alto part should be, it changes the stem of the A note as well. Please let me know if this is possible, or if I should stop trying to do this on Musescore.

Thanks,

Daniel

Comments

xavierjazz

• Apr 14, 2011 - 00:02

Check this out re: Voices: http://musescore.org/en/handbook/voices

leonbloy

• Apr 15, 2011 - 22:26

It seems you are placing the notes in a same voice, no? You shouldn't, you should take advantage of the four voices that Musescore provides (the four-coloured boxes in the toolbar).
Each voice should be in a different colour.
Apart from the convenience of stem directions, you are obliged to in that way. Because each Musescore voice is a single melodic line, it doesnt allow poliphony inside a voice (it allow chords, actually, inside a voice: but the notes must have the same duration).