Lyrics Above and Below staff

• Mar 30, 2025 - 20:57

In the Style panel, we can select lyric placement either above or below the staff. In Text Styles, we have Lyrics odd line, and lyrics even line. It would be nice if those choices also offered above and below, so I could set odd lines above, and even lines below. This would be very helpful for barbershop notation.


Comments

Good idea. Although that would make things too easy for you:)
Until then think about this idea:
Don't worry about the style panel or odd and even lines. Enter a word of the first lyric. If you want it above, select it and open properties. Select "show more" at the bottom. Select "above". that moves it above. Continue entering lyrics. If there is no "show more", select the "Appearance" button when you open Properties. If the next verse is below the staff, leave it there. If the third verse is above the staff, follow the same procedure for the first verse. It will appear below the verse already there. And so on, and so forth.

In reply to by bobjp

My way is easier! But thanks for the tip.

The situation is this: In barbershop, the lead voice (voice 2 on the treble staff) carries the primary lyric line. The tenor, voice 1, is generally the "echo" line. Think "Sweet Adeline, (sweet Adeline)." Baritone is voice 1, above the bass staff, and bass is voice 2, below. There are a bunch of rules about the lyrics, but they aren't important, now.

If I enter the lead lyrics first, when I enter the tenor, the lyric overlaps the lead line, and makes it hard to use the X trick to move it above. (So, Mikey, why don't you enter the tenor line, first?) Because in many bbs arrangements, the tenor may only have an echo in a few places. Since the lead line goes front-to-back, it's just easier to put that in, first.

The same is true with the bass and bari, but since they are used less, the problem isn't as bad.

Hence, my request!

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