Merge voices in unison while another instrument is playing
I've been finding it a bit tedious to look at my score when half the instruments aren't playing and only the piano is. I'm trying to do a choral work but i don't know how to merge the voices together into one stave when they are unison and have them split again to 3 when they are in harmony. Is there a way to do this?
Comments
Look at menu option Format > Style... > Score > Hide empty staves within systems
Handbook: https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/showing-staves-only-where-needed
To merge two unison voices, you can try menu option Tools > Implode
Handbook: https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/implode-and-explode
But for copying a unison section, I generally use the Selection Filter (F6) .
Handbook: https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/selecting-elements#exclude-range
You need the target staff to have rests available in Voice 2. Then you can swap the notes in the source staff into Voice 2 (Tools > Voices > Exchange voice 1-2) before you set the Selection Filter to only "Voice 2". Then cut-and-paste the Voice 2 notes from source staff to target staff, and finally remember to reset the Selection Filter to "All". The Selection Filter helps to avoid copying across unwanted duplicate info like lyrics, dynamics and staff text.
Another technique is to use a separate hidden staff which is never displayed on the screen or a PDF.
In reply to Look at menu option Format >… by DanielR
I managed to hide the empty staves, but I haven't successfully merged the unison parts to one stave, using implode just puts the same notes into different voices on the first part and keeps the bottom two staves. Is there another way to merge the unison parts?