Adding multiple voices on the same note
I have an original guitar score written with, at times, two different voices playing the same note. What's more, the notes are overlapping. That's easy enough to write freehand, but to try to write the same thing in Musescore is proving difficult. I know that notation software can do it, as I see it all the time. I have an example attached of a couple measures from Lagrima by Francisco Tárrega.
You can see in the middle example, "Score 1", where notes of different durations are overlapping. However, when I try to do this in Musescore, it puts the notes side by side. What makes matters even more challenging is that, in the linked tab, it will write one note on one string and the same note from a different voice on another string. It makes sense why it would do that by default, but I cannot seem to be able to change the tab so that both notes are played on the same string/same fret.
Is there any way for me to accomplish in Musescore what has been accomplished with this other notation software? And, obviously, if so...how?
Thanks!
| Attachment | Size |
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| Tarrega-example.jpg | 150.58 KB |
Comments
Use different voices.
The very first notes (F) will still be next to each other because otherwise you will not be able to distinguish between an eighth note and a half note. However, you can hide the note head of the eighth note, then it will look like on your template. You can see from the colors which voices I have used.
![Voices.png]( "Voices.png")
The result could then look like this after you have adjusted the stem directions and the beams.
I have no experience with tabs.
In reply to Use different voices. The… by HildeK
Oh, yes, this is brilliant! Thank you! I discovered it works the same way for tab. The interesting thing - it seems for both notation and tab - is that you can somewhat still see the note/tab in Musescore, but when you go to print, save or export it it doesn't show up at all. This is fantastic. Thanks so much for your help!
In reply to Oh, yes, this is brilliant!… by phyter
In fact, it's preferable to use voices 1, 2 (and 4 for bass) than voices 1, 3 (and 2 for bass). I'm a guitarist :)
Your editing work will be simplified and you'll save time.
Using voices 1 and 3 (and after hiding the eighth note on the first beat), you get this - you notice that the stems are not in the wished direction.
Whereas with voices 1 and 2, this - which means you don't have to do any extra work changing the stems direction :
Then you add the bass in Voice 4 (again, to avoid having to change the stems direction), result:
And what's more, since the classical guitar is a polyphonic instrument, we're closer to the spirit of SATB, and for consistency : the upper melodic part is provided by the Soprano, Voice 1, - and not by Voice 3, the Tenor would have trouble singing it :) - , the arpeggiated accompaniment by the Alto, Voice 2, and finally the Bass, Voice 4.
I actually use Voice 3 very little, if at all, except in certain passages with chords in Spanish Renaissance polyphony (Luis Milan, etc.).
In reply to In fact, it's better to use… by cadiz1
Another great tip! Thanks so much. I appreciate it!
In reply to Use different voices. The… by HildeK
My note is shaded in like your half note in the first measure. How do you get rid of that?
In reply to My note is shaded in like… by marcusthompso
"How do you get rid of that?"
Not really matter since the aspect of these shaded notes don't appear when printing. However, you can do: menu View / Show / Untick "Show invisible"
In reply to Not really matter since the… by cadiz1
Thanks, that worked!
In reply to My note is shaded in like… by marcusthompso
(Edited, involontary duplicate)