Possible to Implode a single staff's multiple voices into a single voice?
The v4 Handbook states that it's possible, working within a single staff, to implode multiple voices into a single voice:
Combine notes from multiple voices in a single staff into one voice
1. Select a range of measures in a single staff.
2. From the menu bar, select Tools→Implode.
All selected notes in the staff are now displayed in voice 1.
The text sited is from this section of the v4 Handbook
But when I run the Implode function—as described, on a single staff that contains multiple voices—I see NO change. Same result seen in MuseScore 3.6, 3.7 and 4.3.2
What am I missing?
scorster
Comments
Works fine here.
In reply to Works fine here. by graffesmusic
Well, it doesn't work if the note values are not the same in the different voices. And it's expected that this won't work since, in the same way, it's impossible to write, say, quarter notes in Voice 1 and half notes in the same Voice 1 etc. One overwrites the other. So, in the same way the feature Implode cannot work ((or partially, if certain notes have the same value in a certain voice)
On the other hand, as expected, the Implode function works totally on a single staff if all note values are identical (e.g. a chord with quarter notes in Voices 1, 2 and 3).
In short, the result depends on the content of the staff (in terms of voices and note values)
See:
In reply to Well, it doesn't work if the… by cadiz1
Thanks guys. And I very much appreciate the animation posted by cadiz1, which conveys certain matters quite clearly.
I was hoping for an option that would preserve note onsets by sacrificing durations when merging voices. I've almost completed a score to demonstrate. Will probably post that tomorrow. Please see the attached image which should suffice for now.
So them, roughly speaking, the required precondition is that note values in both voices must match—except that doesn't work when one voice has a note and the other nice has a rest.
I can see how this could be challenging to describe, but the lack of mention is a significant handbook omission.
scorster
In reply to Thanks guys. Very much… by scorster
"I was hoping for an option that would preserve note onsets by sacrificing durations while merging."
Well, you don't need Implode for that. Select a measure (for example) containing notes values say whole and half notes and in different voices -> Type 5 -> And you get only quarter notes (with the voices respected) - and the lower values, eighth notes, for example, are respected.
From this point on, the Implode function will work, as already seen, partially or totally, if you combine everything into a single voice.
In reply to "I was hoping for an option… by cadiz1
Perhaps I could have said it better, so I'll rephrase:
I was hoping for an option when merging voices that would preserve note onsets at the expense of sacrificing durations.
I've also added an image to my previous post. It shows my desired result: where all notes start "on time" ... and to achieve that within a single voice some durations must be truncated.
The problems with setting all notes to quarters (via the 5 keystroke):
1) it produces some odd results on the example in the image
2) moreover, I don't want to change the rhythm
scorster
In reply to Perhaps I could have said it… by scorster
But you do change rhythm between 'before' and 'desired''.
Probably this will sound the same on a guitar, but not on a piano.
In reply to But you do change rhythm… by graffesmusic
**graffesmusic wrote> ** But you do change rhythm between 'before' and 'desired''.
In terms of durations, yes I'd want that aspect of the rhythms changed. But importantly the note onset timing left unchanged. I should have been more clear. It's the note onset timing that I want preserved, at the expense of durational accuracy.
Probably this will sound the same on a guitar, but not on a piano.
Correct. The purpose is to produce simplified guitar notation, because the TAB Ring plugin can produce elegant and convincing playback durations when tablature is present, and it can do so more accurately than what might require three or four voices.
Correct again, regarding piano: I don't recommend this duration reductive style of notation for piano as there's no means, other than voices, to produce the desired durations in playback.
scorster
In reply to Thanks guys. Very much… by scorster
It only works if it can be notated in one voice.
![implode.png]( "implode.png")
In the desired 'After Implode' result, you have changed the note duration in the 2nd voice.
Do you want the 'Implode' function to change note durations?
It works fine in this case:
In reply to It only works if it can be… by graffesmusic
@scorster: Ah, I hadn't seen your previous comment.
So, in this case: select the measure / type 4. Everything will be in eighth notes. Then use the Implode function: be careful not to select both staves together (standard + linked TAB), only one of them, say the standard, if not, odd result...
And you'll get the desired result.
In reply to Ah, I hadn't seen your… by cadiz1
See:
In reply to See: [inline:Video 1.gif] by cadiz1
Yes, in simple circumstances your approach works perfectly.
But in an ever so slightly more complex example, the preparatory steps easily mount and the process becomes more time consuming. Consider these two examples:
In reply to It only works if it can be… by graffesmusic
graffesmusic wrote > In the desired 'After Implode' result, you have changed the note duration in the 2nd voice.
Yes, as a preparatory step that's exactly what I did. After eliminating duration "conflicts" between Voice 1 and Voice 2, Implode works ... as does selecting all and sending all notes to Voice 1—although that requires the added task of deleting the remaining rests in Voice 2.
graffesmusic wrote > Do you want the 'Implode' function to change note durations?
Yes, I hoped Implode would have that option. Said differently, a "voice implode option that preserves note onset timing" would:
1) do the necessary preliminary duration matching.
2) then assign all notes to Voice 1, as implode already does.
3) delete all the rests from Voice 2, as implode already does.
So Step 1 is currently unavailable.
scorster
In reply to graffesmusic wrote > In the… by scorster
Ok, i see your point. But only if given a choice of what to do via a dialog box and not by default.
I doubt that this would make it to MS core. Probably a plugin could be made for this.
In reply to Ok, i see your point. But… by graffesmusic
I agree with your three comments!