Adding new instruments mid-song (huge orchestral score, looking for soultions)
I am working on an opera with a traditional-ish sized orchestra. On the first page of the score I wish to include the full instrumentation without the singers, because it is only at about page 12 when the first singer should appear. For this I thought about using the "hide empty staves" sulution, buuuut......
Before that there are a bunch of necessary additional staves (i.e. the single trumpet staff that in the beginning of the score included 3 trumpets, later needs to turn into 3 separate trumpet staves - what I believe is called a "staff split").
So, considering the necessary staff splits and the fact that I am writing the piece (and therefore displaying the entire instrumentation as I write), the full score will be huuuge.
I've searched around the forum a bunch but I haven't found any simple solution. Is there any other work-around for this? Maybe some way to add a staff specifically to a single page (mid-song)?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Comments
Right click->Staff properties-> set the Hide when empty drop-down list?
See also: https://musescore.org/en/node/291033#comment-928321
In reply to Right click->Staff… by Shoichi
This was actually my fist idea. The problem is, when the staffs are not hidden (when I am writing) I am left with a huge score. Pic, Fl I, Fl II, Ob I, Ob II, Eng Horn, Bs I, Bs II, etc...
In reply to This was actually my fist… by gusandrade
You can compile them as stand-alone scores, then use copy and paste on the complete score...
Just an idea.
In reply to This was actually my fist… by gusandrade
I'm not understanding how the temporary vocal staff changes anything there. If you have a lot of instruments, you'll have a big score while working on it, whether or not you have a vocal staff set to "Hide when empty: Always" in Staff Properties. The setting of that option for that staff has no bearing on anything else about any other staff.
Personally, I'd just leave all staves visible while writing, then if desired turn on "Hide empty staves" globally (in Format / Style) when done. But if you know you'l ony be working on brass for a bit and want to reduce the visual clutter of those other staves, you could just define a part for the brass (File / Parts) and work in that.
Attaching your actual score and describing your problem in more detail would help us understand and assist better.
In reply to This was actually my fist… by gusandrade
When I've run into issues like this, I work in continuous mode because the instruments will probably never fit on a printed page. I use the first instrument staff for multiple instrument and the 1st instrument. I then use the other staves as needed and identify the instruments on the staff with staff text.
Continuous view is now a viable option, though there will come a time that it will slow down to the point you will want and eventually need to split the score. One good thing about an opera is that there are many opportunities to do this split. Select at least a few measures for all of the instruments then use save selection and all of the instruments and styles will be in the new file. You may need to update the time and key signatures and use measure properties to start the measure count at the proper spot. Don't forget to update other system items including but not limited to tempo and rehearsal marks.
When the album feature is restored at some point in the future, you will be able to combine the opera into a single file if you want to, but multiple files will probably be easier to maintain and update.
In reply to When I've run into issues… by mike320
Those are some great solutions, thanks guys! My primary concern was having to deal with a huge score that doesn't fit on a standard A3 page, but I now see that I might just have to write in continuos view and format the piece later on.
Thank you!
In reply to Those are some great… by gusandrade
format the piece later on
That should always be the case. Enter music first, only care about layout afterwards.
In reply to Those are some great… by gusandrade
Indeed, I don't see any way around a score being huge, and again, I don't see what the vocal staff that enters mid-score has to do with this. But FWIW, you don't need to use continuous view if you don't want. You can simply select a large enough page size, and/or small enough staff size. The preview in the page alyout window shows you if you've done well enough. Then you can revisit this when you're done. You won't be able to defeat the laws of physics then, either, though - unless you hide empty staves and never actually have an tutti passage where everyone is playing at once, you're going to need big paper or small staves.
In reply to Indeed, I don't see any way… by Marc Sabatella
When you've seen enough scores like this it does make sense. Seldom do you have a tutti with the entire orchestra and the chorus going together in a classical score, it just doesn't work, so you never need all of the instruments on a staff at once. With what the OP wants, he has the option of putting all of the trumpets on one staff, flutes on another and so forth if he wants, greatly reducing the number of staves needed in the most orchestrated sections. When the trumpets (or another sectoin) have the melody and their lines are crossing, he can put them on 3 staves and the chorus or soloists are likely to be tacit since them the trumpets would likely make the chorus not understandable.