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Topic: Spacing with underscores (Read 3721 times) previous topic - next topic

Spacing with underscores

OK...so I'm at a loss on this one.  I've mastered the use of the underscore to force two syllables onto slurred notes.  Here's the problem - the spacing is off.  If I add spaces to the lyrics to try and get the second syllable closer to the second note, I end up increasing space between the notes as well.  Is there anyway to increase spacing in the lyrics without increasing spacing in the notes?  (I'd like this to be relatively painless, since I haven't mastered inserting things as text, etc, and am not sure I have time to before I need this).  Thanks

Re: Spacing with underscores

Reply #1 –
Noteworthy now offers some options for lyric placement you may want to explore. Highlight the notes involved, right click, choose properties, and then the Note tab. Note the options for Lyric syllable. By choosing, illustratively, "always", syllables will show up on each tied or slurred note.

Unfortunately, the selection is generic and will apply to all lyrics for that staff. One workaround is to create hidden layered staffs with non-sounding notes and make a different syllable selection for the staves/lyrics requiring different treatment of syllables over a tie or slur.

Re: Spacing with underscores

Reply #2 –
The invisable, layered staff is the simplest.  Remeber, if you select the entire staff and set the visiblity to "never" the lyrics still show.  Thus you can slur notes in the staff holding the lyrics, or break, say a quarter into two eighths, and it won't show.  Just be sure you mute the whole staff as well.

As to extra space, there is no limit on how many underscores you use.  You can write "my__________love" and it will show as a whole lot of spaces.

Re: Spacing with underscores

Reply #3 –
If you want a lyric syllable to attach to a note, then you should use Steve's approach to have a lyric syllable assigned to that note. You can still skip the note in some lyric lines by using the underscore.
 

Re: Spacing with underscores

Reply #4 –
Short addendum. My prior comment may have been a bit confusing.

If you select one or more notes, and select "always" for the lyric syllable placement, that selection will apply to the notes selected within that particular staff (not the entire staff). Thus, at one point, you could have the lyric syllables apply to each note of a given slur or tie, and at another point within that same staff, have the syllable continued over several tied or slurred notes within the given staff.

My suggestion related to a case where different treatment was desired for lyric syllables in a different verse. In that situation, hidden staffs (muted) and layering can come in handy. You may need to play with lyric placement parameters as to each staff to make them appear correctly.

By the by: the "always" feature can be handy even for sustained syllables over several tied or slurred notes if you desired to insert dashes/hyphens or visible underscores to reflect the continuation.