layout, stretch and reduce spacing, and scores folder
Hi, I have just updated to the latest version of Musescore 3 from 2. Two slight problems.
1) I expected the scores folder to automatically copy over fro one to the other which has happened with previous up grades. Can I just drag the score folder from 2 to 3 or might I inadvertently lose the contents
2) In 2, I could select one or more bars, then click layout and stretch (increase or decrease) and the individual bar would either compress or expand slightly. Now nothing happens, though the instruction say it should work - is this a bug in the system, a change of function I haven't discovered or something no longer available. It is invaluable in writing lute tablature, as some bars with few notes are overlong, and some with runs, particularly if in thirds, are over cluttered and require a little more space. It can also be used when a score goes onto a fourth page by a line or so, because judicious adjustment of relatively empty bars can make an extra line of space in the three pages, thus avoiding a page turn. loss of this will e a nuisance.
Any thoughts gratefully received.
Comments
1) We deliberately don't reuse the old folder because it's a one-way street: MuseScore 3 can open MuseScore 2 files, but once saved, they cannot be opened in MuseScore 2 again. So most people find it preferable to keep their files separate, or to have separate copies anyhow. You can indeed copy over your MuseScore 2 files and put them in your MuseScore 3 folder if you like.
2) Stretch still works the same, most likely be the particular case you are trying simply cannot fit more measures on the line you are trying to fit them on. You'd need to attach your score and describe what extactly you are trying to do in order for us to say.
1) you can open MuseScore 2 scores in MuseScore 2, but should save them under a different name or in a different folder, as MuseScore 2 can't read the MuseScore 3 scores. That's why the folders are kept different.
MuseScore 3 treats reading a MuseScore 2 file as an import, any that way even prevents from accidential overwrites.
2) Same in MuseScre 3, nothing has changed in that respect. If it doesn't work for you, please share a score demonstrating this so it can get investigated
In reply to 1) you can open MuseScore 2… by Jojo-Schmitz
A couple of examples.
In bars 35-42, there are some bars I would like to stretch - 36, and some I would like to compress - 39 - 41 which worked fine in Musescore 2.
In bar 47, I would like to compress the last four quavers and thus give slightly more space to the minim at the beginning pf the bar which is cramped. Again, in musescore 2 this was easy but now nothing happens when I select and then use either the shortcut, or just clicking on the relevant sign in the layout drop down.
In passing, I do note that the tab program can be idiosyncratic about placing of the flags, and sometimes one has to redesignate a note from one voice to another to get the correct length flag. It would be immensely helpful to have the option to delete a single flag without altering anything else, or indeed add a flag of the correct duration over a note. In Lute tablature, the value of the flag applies to the shortest note in the chord under it, and can therefore move between voices, but it seems musescore tries to keep the flags attached to a particular voice even where another voice has shorter or longer note values.
Thanks, Nick
In reply to A couple of examples. In… by Nick Gravestock
I don't have a problem stretching measure 36 - I selected it and pressed the "}" and it stretched as expected. Could be your keyboard shortcut isn't hooked up properly - what OS, what keyboard layout? Does it work for you from the Format menu?
39-41 look to already be as tight as it can get given your current settings - you've already reduced the stretch down to 0, in fact. To make things tighter you'd need to change some of the settings in Format / Style / Measure. Looks like some are already modified from the default, at least from the MuseScore 3 default.
Not sure what you mean about measure 47. MuseScore has never had a command to stretch only part of a bar. The way to do that is by changing the "Leading space" in the Inspector, same in MuseScore 2 & 3. That, incidentally, would als be a way to compress the notes in 39-41.
Lute-specific notation is outside my expertise, so I'll defer to others for comment about that.
In reply to I don't have a problem… by Marc Sabatella
"In passing, I do note that the tab program can be idiosyncratic about placing of the flags, and sometimes one has to redesignate a note from one voice to another to get the correct length flag. It would be immensely helpful to have the option to delete a single flag without altering anything else, or indeed add a flag of the correct duration over a note. In Lute tablature, the value of the flag applies to the shortest note in the chord under it, and can therefore move between voices, but it seems musescore tries to keep the flags attached to a particular voice even where another voice has shorter or longer note values"
Unfortunately, your score comes (from what I see) from a MIDI file of Sarge Gerbode. And these scores come with different voices, often three, and completely mixed, sometimes close to a mess. See measures 18/19 for example (I added a standard linked staff to better visualize things)
![voices.jpg]( "voices.jpg")
If in this measure19, still, you exchanged votes 1 and 2, it would be better - the eighth note flag would be displayed. But fundamentally, it is not enough.
In a modern Tablature, the rhythm of two voices is supported (one voice above the staff, the second below).
Ex: Modern TAB.mscz
For Historical Tablatures, you will agree that no tablature allows this display. The rhythm, the flags, are above it. Polyphony is implied, it is up to you to determine the conduct of the voices, notes which are held, which are not, etc.
Let's take the same example, simple and brief always.
If I change the ordering of the voices (the rhythm that "moves" in voice 2 as top line), you notice a complete failure, everything aligns with the same rhythm of voice 1: TAB Voice2.mscz
It's better if you reverse the voices, but not yet enough, for example, last measure, for the bass line (voice 2): TAB Voice1.mscz
What we have to do is strictly align the note values in a single voice, i. e. 1. Like this, in standard notation: Standard One Voice.mscz
And now, with tablature, it works as you would like: TAB One voice.mscz
For my part, when I import this kind of file, I start in the settings of the import panel by grouping in a single voice 1. Then, of course, it's many work to clean up all that (so many tied notes for example!) But in the end, you get a perfectly clear file in Voice 1, and therefore with the correct display of the flags.
In reply to "In passing, I do note that… by cadiz1
Thanks very much for that. I use an Apple which doesn't allow me to use fronimo, so the only way of downloading the tab in an editable form from Gerbode's huge collection(which in fairness I rarely need to do ) is the midi into MuseScore and then edit it.
I didn't know about the grouping the voices into one option, so that is useful, but it explains why the voices are rather random - that makes it likely the problem is manageable one way or another. However, the option to alter flags individually would be a useful time saver, regardless of voices.
In reply to Thanks very much for that. I… by Nick Gravestock
"However, the option to alter flags individually would be a useful time saver, regardless of voices."
I would not be opposed to that, I agree. I think I've been reading this idea sometimes, but, I don't think there's a formal feature request for it.
Feel free to propose that, as a suggestion, in the Issue Tracker: https://musescore.org/fr/project/issues/musescore
In reply to I don't have a problem… by Marc Sabatella
Thank you - I am a relative novice with Musescore in that I don't use it frequently, though have used it for a while, so your comments are helpful. I confess I had never tried to edit part f a bar before and not realised that wasn't an option, and I wasn't aware of the 'leading space' option, so will explore that.
Much of Musescore is quite intuitive, but a few things are slightly more tricky to find a solution to for a relative novice!. What I can do with it is amazing, so I have no complaints, only admiration!
Nick