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DS and flow problems

I am currently in the process of putting a Strauss waltz on to NWC, but I am having trouble getting the flow directions entered as written.

After the introduction, there are a number of sections each with master repeats and special endings, and then a "DS al fine" which indicates the section is to be played through without repeats until the start of the next section.

i.e.: INTRODUCTION <segno> A A B B <Fine> CC <DS al Fine>
(A B - go to next section) - this last is a consequence of executing the <DS al Fine> command.

The problem is: after a <DS> command all master repeats are ignored unless you use a <coda> command. Also, all other <DS> commands appear to be ignored. There has been some discussion on this in the Newsgroup, and in one post Fred Nachbaur wrote
>the double bar lines I had inside the first ending for >visual purposes actually DO something!
Fred, what *does* the double bar do?

Now, am I missing something, or if not does anyone think there is the basis for a "wish" here? I was thinking thusly:

After a <DS> has been executed, the flag is reset on ecountering (say) a <section close> or maybe a <section close> followed by a <section open>. Similarly the <DS al Fine> could possibly (and with care) also be reset in this way. The <Coda> command could then be reserved for the true ending of the piece.

Help, please!

Bob

Re: DS and flow problems

Reply #1 –
I don't know!! Repeats, special endings and flow directions are areas where I still have perennial problems. In the particular case I mentioned, the double barline inside the body of the first ending "intercepted" the flow to the second ending. I was hoping someone else could shed light on this that even a logic-challenged fellow like me can understand :-)

Re: DS and flow problems

Reply #2 –
Robert, I think your problem arises because your "fine" is not a "fine". That is, it is not the the end of the entire piece; it is just the end of a movement. NWC expects a fine to indicate the very last bar line of an entire piece.

I understand that Strauss Waltzes are meant to have a break between sections - to allow the dancers to get their breath back, change partners, allow the band to get the beers in or whatever - and should really be considered as a suite of waltzes. You usually see a pause (fermata) marked over the double bar at the end of the section to indicate the break. Of course this is inconvenient in concert situations and the entire collection of movements is played without a break. The concert band I play in find this can make for a very long (and tedious)concert item so we usually leave out most of the repeats.

I have digressed a little but this leads to a sort of solution to your problem - treat the sections as separate pieces.

You then get a different problem... how do you stick the sections together so they appear as they do in the original sheet music? Well, until Eric grants a wish allowing concatenation of NWC files for printing, I think you have to make do with cut and paste to a WP package or similar or just cut (with scissors) and paste (with paste).

HTH

Stephen Randall

Re: DS and flow problems

Reply #3 –
For printing, there's no reason you couldn't glue the sections back together. Open the first section in one window, the second section in another. Copy a staff at a time (without clefs, key and time sigs as appropriate) from the 2nd window, and Paste to the end of each staff in the 1st window. Repeat for the remaining sections. If you do a lot of this sort of thing, do up a macro to reduce the tedium.
 

Re: DS and flow problems

Reply #4 –
Thanks for all the advice! As ever - this forum is the best.

I don't need to print as I am using my own copy of the miniature score - I just thought it would be a neat way of demonstrating repeat features in NWC, even though, as Stephen pointed out, they are very seldom played in their entirety. Next stop - the wish list.

Btw, Fred, you - "logic challenged"?? (and this is the man who fraternises with fractals .... :~}

Bob