Time signatures 6/4 and 3/2 should have same bar length

• Sep 16, 2018 - 12:42

I'm transcribing a score which includes a change from 4/4 to 3/2 for one bar, then back to 4/4.
When entering the notes, I used 6/4 instead of 3/2 as the 3/2 time signature was not available in the standard palette. This worked ok. There should be 6 crotchets in the bar, whether it is 3/2 or 6/4.

I then used the Master Palette to create the 3/2 time signature as this is what was in the source score.

I then put the new 3/2 TS in the score instead of the 6/4 I had used initially.

I was surprised when the 3/2 TS divided the bar into 2, each of 3 crotchets.

I've tried changing the TS at the start to 2/2, but this make no difference to what happens

Am I doing something wrong please, or is this a bug?

2 sample scores attached, showing the original (6/4) and the swapped (3/2) versions

Attachment Size
Swapped to 3.2.mscz 6.61 KB
Original 6.4_example.mscz 6.47 KB

Comments

Somehow you have made a 3/2 Time Signature but its properties are set to 3/4. Did you perhaps set the text to 3/2 but not the values?

In reply to by underquark

Thanks for this.

I have now solved this - I think!

When I created the 3/2 TS in the MP, I somehow got the Text setting of Create Time Signature (at the top) to 3/2 with a Value setting of 3/4 . I've no idea how I did this as doing it again today, the Text automatically changes to what you put in the Value (though you can change the text figures - I'm not sure why you would want to do that!)

I hope this is of some help to someone!

When you created the time signature you made the actual 3/4 and changed the diplayed to 3/2.

3-2 time sig.PNG

As seen in the picture, at the top right of the Time Signature palette (opened using Sift+t) you need to change the value to 3/2, yours is currently set at 3/4. The number under the / is part of a drop down to limit time signatures to standard values and can be changed.

If you right click a time signature and select Time Signature properties, you can only change the display, not the actual time signature and the global time signature also cannot be removed.

In reply to by Tim Kendal

You can change the text because time signatures like 8/8 are often written on the score as 2+4+3/8 and other similar situations.

It can also be taken advantage of to overcome problems with poly rhythm sections where one instrument is in 3/4 while the other is in 9/8 for example. There is a "How to..." that explains this more.

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