Compose in Free time, no meter, no bar lines

• Jun 17, 2022 - 05:05

I understand that there are workarounds to solve this dilemma. Can we create an easier way to compose without meter and bar line? A blank canvas disassociated from meter?

Comments

• Jun 17, 2022 - 15:45

It's certainly possible such a feature could be designed. But I suspect it's trickier than one might imagine to come up with some that works well. Feel free to brainstorm ideas for how it might work!

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• Jun 17, 2022 - 16:37

Try this:

  • Start with a standard score
  • Delete the time signature
  • Select continuous view
  • Right click in the first bar measure (measure for US rather than UK localisation)
  • In Bar Properties set the actual duration to something large - say 500
  • Start entering unmetered notes. (If you need more space just increase the actual duration some more)
  • When finished change to page view. (The super-long bar will extend beyond the page margins.)
  • Identify suitable break points and break the bar there from [Tools]>[Split bar before selected note/rest]. (This will add barlines at the break points.)
  • Right click on the barline and select all similar.
  • Adjust the properties of the barline to suit - e.g use keyboard shortcut V to make them invisible or select a dashed or dotted type in the inspector.
  • In [Format]>[Style]>[Bar numbers] disable the display of bar numbers by deselecting the first tick box.
  • Use [Tools]>[Remove empty trailing bars] to do just that.

A rather boring example is attached.

Attachment Size
Unmetered.mscz 21.49 KB

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• Jan 20, 2024 - 02:31

hello steve,

i tried your method but it's not coming up properly. I am not able to delete the vertical bar lines (see attached).

1) where do i click in order to get "continuous view"?
2) "Bar Properties set the actual duration to something large"
In Bar Properties I don't see "actual duration". Where do I set actual duration?

Attachment Size
deleting bar lines.jpg 50.63 KB

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• Jan 20, 2024 - 11:59

1) where do i click in order to get "continuous view"?
Bottom-right of the MS screen, where it says "Page view"

2) "Bar Properties set the actual duration to something large"
In Bar Properties I don't see "actual duration". Where do I set actual duration?
Right-click in an empty part of the bar, choose "Bar properties". It's under "Bar duration" (Nominal and Actual)

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• Jan 20, 2024 - 12:33

" I am not able to delete the vertical bar lines (see attached)."

There is nothing in the list of actions that I gave that mentions deleting bar lines. So just follow the instructions that are there and don't make up new ones about deleting barlines. When you split the super-long bar at the points where you want the bar to continue on the next system Musescore automatically adds a bar line. Then, as per the instructions - if you don't want to see those barlines, make them invisible.

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• Jan 20, 2024 - 12:55

But the questioner doesn't want to join the measures if (as he says) he is trying to follow the instructions I gave earlier. He has just split the long measure at that point and Musescore has added a barline which may or may not be wanted. Deleting the barline undoes the split operation.

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• Jan 20, 2024 - 14:37

Well, the original question was about how to do meterless music. Deleting the barlines to join the measures is actually the simplest way to do that unless you happen to have already counted the number of beats and already know exactly how many you want. WHich is to say, if they delete the barline and thus join the measures, they won't need to mess with the bar/measure properties dialog at all. Two different ways of achieving the same result, but in most cases, joining measures will be simpler.

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