instrument cues

• Feb 23, 2023 - 05:39

Is there a way to enter notes for a series of measures that are cues for another instrument? They are generally smaller in size as are all other notations like rests, etc.. This is very common in orchestral or concert band music.
I'm trying to re-write a trombone part for a concert band piece and there are cues for 2nd bassoon on the original. I can't seem to find anything in regards to cues specifically so maybe I just need to reduce the sizing for the specified number of measures I need???? Or maybe they're referred to as something other than cues?

Thanks for any help

Attachment Size
008 Amparita Bass Trombone.pdf 1.09 MB

Comments

I add cues using a second voice and then select the notes and rests to make them small. Using two voices allows for full sized but vertically offset rests for the main instrument to appear in the part. If the cue is in voice 1 it will be located above rests in voice 2. If you want it the other way round wth whole measure rests in the main instrument above the cue notes you have to first enter the cue in voice 1 and then swap voice 1 and voice 2. Having done all that you may well want to make the cue invisible in the score but leave it visible in the part of course.

It is a bit of a pain, but it works. It would be nice if eventually there would be a way to select a section in one stave, then select another stave and press an "Add cue" button and everything would get taken care of.

In Musescore 3. https://musescore.org/en/node/46231
1. Select the staves you want to display as cues and press "Notes" button in the "Inspector" ("F8" or "View-Inspector").
2. Tick the box "Small" in the "Inspector".
3. You may also untick the "Play" box for the correct playback.
4. Select the staves and press "Rest" button in the "Inspector".
5. Tick the "Small" box in the "Inspector".

Hm... I also see half rests there in your attachement. To mimic them you need to
6. Type them in the "Note input mode" ("N" key) in the second voice (Ctrl+Alt+2). You may also consider using the "Ctrl+Shift+Del" spell (https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/measure-rests). Now the score looks wrong. Those eighth rests hanging there at the A3 line are nasty. To the best of MY(!) knowledge the only way to handle them is the following:
7. Select the staves you are not satisfied with. Right-click one of the eighth rests in selection and left click "Select-More" in the dropdown menu.
8. Tick the boxes "Same voice" and "In selection" and press "OK".
9. Manualy adjust the vertical offset of the rests to 2.00sp.
There might be a better way.

In Musescore 4 it is easier: there is a box "Cue size" in Inspector. But the necessity of adjusting the quaver rests position and unticking the "Play" box stands.

Attachment Size
MusescoreCues1.png 740.1 KB

In reply to by PhysNoval

Phys Noval this has been very helpful thank you.
The only thing I'm stuck on now is having the cue notes and the rests for the 'actual' part being displayed on the same measures. I just don't know how to add a 2nd voice. When I press (Ctrl+Alt+2) nothing happens. Do I need to go to score properties or something? I searched for adding voices in the handbook and found nothing.

Thanks again

In reply to by frontslide7a

My pleasure.
To make use of Ctrl+Shift+2 shortcut you need to enter a "note input mode". I'm sure you have already been in it.
1. One of the ways to go into the "note input mode" is by pressing the "N" key. https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/note-input
2. You will see a blue note following your cursor.
3. NOW you can press Ctrl+Shift+2 and the aforementioned blue note will become green. OR you could press the "2" button on the "note input toolbar". Visit View-Toolbars-Note_Input if you lack that toolbar.
4. Now you can type the second voice.
5. https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/voices
P.S. There is also this trick which deserves to be mentioned: https://musescore.org/en/node/11370

In reply to by PhysNoval

It worked this time (I guess I wasn't in note input mode before) and I see now where the voices are listed on the note input toolbar (I was always wondering what those were for). I'll be able to use this in the future when I'm actually composing or arranging an actual score instead of just re-writing a bad photo copy.

Thanks again

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