Alternating time signatures

• Aug 4, 2010 - 14:03

Would it be possible to add the ability to list alternating time signatures at the beginning of the score? For example, for a song alternating between 6/4 and 4/4, both time signatures would be listed together in the first line, then the program would know to alternate between the two as new bars (measures) were added. (Here's a Wikipedia example, if my explanation wasn't clear.)

I know you could manually add a new time signature at the beginning of every bar to work around this, and that implementation would be tricky, especially when it comes to deleting bars (measures), so I understand if this is really low on the priority list.

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• Aug 4, 2010 - 15:51

The workaround might be more simple that you thought. So just in case, and for future readers.
For the snippet from wikipedia, I created a flute score in 6/8. Enter the first measure. Change the actual duration for measure 2 to 3/4 (right click on the measure -> Measure properties->actual duration). I enter the note for measure 2.
Then I added some leading space to the very first note (Right click on the note -> note properties). And I added the 3/4 sign from the text palette (Press Z to display it).
Of course, MuseScore does not know about the second time signature and will not pickup the right one according to the content of the measure but it seems a very rare use case no? Someone has other examples of such a notation?

Attachment Size
AlternatingTimeSig.mscz 1.6 KB

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• Aug 4, 2010 - 17:43

This regular alternance is the rythm of Huapangos (north Mexico), and is found in many latino american music. That' the traditional introduction to La Sandunga (Tehuantepec, south of Mexico) .
There is also just hemiolas in ternary music...

The notation is disparate....
Often, specially in latino scores, the peculiarity is not given by any measure fugure....it is clear from the music.
And you may have 3/4 or 6/8 for the whole score. Or even 3/4 running by two, in such cases the hemiolas implies some indication denying any accent on the first time of the second measure.
But, in non-latino, and sometimes in latino, you find 3/4 and 6/8, either when requested , either at the beginning, in case of regular alternance..
I have quite a lot of such scores
So it's sure that the 3/4 6/8 sign would be useful.

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• Aug 4, 2010 - 20:01

Definitely something I'd support for the 3/4 6/8 hemiola, though I don't know if it makes any sense for time signatures that alternate actual measure length. Mostly it would just be good to be able to have the visualization of the two times at the beginning. The automation of beaming would be nice but could be done manually.

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• May 11, 2011 - 23:43

I did the hemiola by just changing beam properties, with the start beam just begin the figure. I am doing a 3/4 in a 6/8 hemiola, the middle 2 I did the start beam and middle beam, and it was a-ok.

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• Jul 31, 2019 - 06:49

I second this request. Alternating time signatures are not uncommon in some literature.

In the meantime this can be accomplished the following way:

1) Pick one of the time signatures and assign it to all of the relevant measures. In the screenshot I picked 4/4

2) go to every other measure and change the actual duration to the real value Screenshot 2019-07-31 at 13.29.21.png

3) Change the time signature appearance to show both signatures by entering two values in each field. Screenshot 2019-07-31 at 11.47.43.png

4) Restore full measure rests for all measures. https://musescore.org/en/node/119161

This method works quite well for creating a score but it has a a few draw backs:
1) you cannot create distinct grouping for each signature. You have to alter each measure manually
2) You cannot create multi measure rests. the 4 empty measures in teh screenshot cannot be collapsed.
3) If you don't like that the 2 numbers of time signature are too close together then you have to add them manually into the staff. Be aware that they may move if you make changes to the score.

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• Jul 31, 2019 - 15:53

There is an easier way. Choose 3/4 as the time signature. When you encounter a 4/4 measures press 5 ctrl+shift+a (or any other note name) and a quarter note A will be inserted where you press that (you can press any key from a - g if you need one of these notes), you can then edit the note length in may ways. Q halves the note length, W doubles it, shift + Q makes it one note shorter with a dot, shift + W adds a dot. You could actually add several shorter notes using chtrl+shift+notename if this makes more sense in your situation. I think this is easier since you don't have to open measure properties, it's all done with the keyboard. One disadvantage is that you cannot insert a rest, but you can insert the note any where in the measure if it starts with a rest.

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