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Topic: How to connect staves in SATB + piano score? (Read 3486 times) previous topic - next topic

How to connect staves in SATB + piano score?

I am witing a piece for four voices (S-A-T-B) with piano accompaniment. I want to connect the 4 'voice staves' with a 'orchestral style' black vertical line, and the piano staves with a brace. However, the black line runs all the way down from the soprano staff to the piano's lower grand staff (i.e. all six staves). Is there a way to restrict the black line to the 'voices' only?
Thanks

Re: How to connect staves in SATB + piano score?

Reply #1 –
If you go to Staff Properties and set the "style" for the voices as "orchestral" and the piano as upper and lower grand staff, you'll get the bar lines connecting the voices to each other but not to the piano. Section endings will be the same, but the black line at the beginning of each system, which I guess is what you're talking about, will connect all the parts together. Usually this is a good thing - it makes singers and pianist less likely to skip a system or go to another line of the same sytem.

I don't think there's a way to disconnect the begining, though you could put "section open" bar lines at the beginning of each part, and have them hook up any way you like. I tried that just now, and it looks prety good.

Re: How to connect staves in SATB + piano score?

Reply #2 –
Vocal parts don't normally have the bar lines connected since they would otherwise break up the lyric lines. For SATB without Piano I make the S and B staves Orchestral which gives a nice thick bracket at the start of each system, but which doesn't extend the ordinary bar lines.

Re: How to connect staves in SATB + piano score?

Reply #3 –
Thank you John and Peter for your advice.

Peter:
you wrote:
"For SATB without Piano I make the S and B staves Orchestral which gives a nice thick bracket at the start of each system, but which doesn't extend the ordinary bar lines."

This works perfectly, but I want SATB with piano. The problem is that when I add staves for the piano, the thick black bracket will include these staves as well -which it shouldn't.

So again, my question: is there a way to confine the orchestral bracket to the 4 voices only, and the piano brace to the piano part?

Re: How to connect staves in SATB + piano score?

Reply #4 –
Ivo, please add this to the wish list.

I also would like to have this feature, but it doesn't exist yet.

Re: How to connect staves in SATB + piano score?

Reply #5 –
I could have sworn I replied last night.
Where'd it go?
 

Re: How to connect staves in SATB + piano score?

Reply #6 –
I figured it out.
Too many things happen at this house, what with 3 kids, 11 grandkids, and 8 great-grandkids all running around here.
Yeah, it's a BIG house...