How best to write divisi fingered tremolo on one stave?

• Oct 22, 2024 - 22:16

What's the best way to show two separate fingered tremolos for divisi 1st violins – is it possible?

I have them on separate staves for audio playback but would like to use divisi for live performance .pdf parts.

I can't seem to get the type with the bars between the note's stems, as indicated in screenshot 1. attached and in the handbook here: https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/tremolo

Screenshot 2 is what I've got so far and was wondering if I could show them on one stave as divisi. I figured the negotiation style in screenshot 1. would be the way to go if I could get the stems in opposite directions with the X key!

Thanks!

Attachment	Size
1. MS Handbook.png	11.75 KB
2. Can this be on one stave?.png	6.82 KB

Comments

SteveBlower

• Oct 22, 2024 - 23:06

Your link is to the Musescore 3 handbook. Here is the link to the version 4 handbook. https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/tremolo-and-rolls The description may be a bit clearer, but version 4 works exactly the same as version3.

From your picture 2 it seems you have used a single note tremolo - bars through the stem. To get your picture 1 you need the version with just the bars and no stem (yes, whole notes don't have stems but you still need to use the correct icon in the pallet). You also need to recognise that to have a two note tremolo with a duration of two quarters you need to apply the tremolo to two quarter notes. The note heads will be automatically adjusted to give the appearance of half notes.

JAMJ001

• Oct 23, 2024 - 16:15

Thanks Steve: I finally twigged that the second note has to be placed on the appropriate following beat, not vertically above the first note, doh!

Curiously, the way I was doing it still creates a fingered tremolo. At least the two pitches are distinct, and if anything they hold over the bar more smoothly on playback, in case you ever find it preferable when saving as a .wav.

The correct way seems to start them afresh on the next bar, rather than having a smooth continuation, with or without ties. But the correct way certainly cracks the .pdf divisi issue - thanks!