Bar length

Topic: Bar length (Read 5371 times) previous topic - next topic

Bar length

2004-11-23 07:35 pm

Is it possible to reduce the length of a bar? I'm trying to do psalm tones but don't want the bar so wide as the verse isn't lining up with the refrain.

Code: [Select · Download]

!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1^|Opts:Stem=Down,Tie=Downward
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-3^|Opts:Stem=Down,Tie=Downward
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Down
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Thanks

Kath

Re: Bar length

Reply #1 – 2004-11-23 10:00 pm

Yes Kath, that is possible. However, the thing I am thinking of is a global setting, so it applies to the whole piece, not just selected bars.
Normally, 'Increase note space for larger note durations' is ticked in the Options tab of the Page Setup. Remove the tick, and the bars much narrower, all of a sudden.
hth
Rob.

Re: Bar length

Reply #2 – 2004-11-23 10:39 pm

Rob

Thats the problem I only want to alter the last few bars not all of it.

Kath

Re: Bar length

Reply #3 – 2004-11-24 05:26 am

I'm not sure if its intentional or not, but you seem to have changed the time from 6/4 in bar 1 to 7/4 in the other two bars. I wonder if that might be part of the problem (although I doubt it).

The lyrics should align with the notes. If you're trying to do something different like having two words in the duration of one long note, you might try putting the lyrics on their own staff, filling it with invisible muted notes of the appropriate lengths, so each word starts where you want it to, then layer the staffs so the lyrics will look like they're part of the main staff.

Another way would be to make bar lines out of text, and insert the text wherever you need them. Just use the "pipe" sign (the vertical line) on your keyboard in one of the larger fonts, perhaps Page Title. Placement might be a little more accurate if you add them to the layered staff aligned with hidden muted notes.

Re: Bar length

Reply #4 – 2004-11-24 03:35 pm

Thanks David, it isn't something I've composed its a recognised psalm, the psalm tones don't work to the same time signature, hence the problem. Your work around using the 'pipe' symbol will sort me out though thanks.

Kath

Re: Bar length

Reply #5 – 2004-11-25 03:32 am

Just discovered you can fake a bar line with a hidden notehead on a muted quarter note too. You may need to set the stem direction and adjust the stem length. Try it?

Code: [Select · Download]

!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:4z|Opts:StemLength=8,Muted
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0
|Bar
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Re: Bar length

Reply #6 – 2004-11-25 02:23 pm

That still doesn't solve my problem David, but thanks for trying. What I have done is take away increased spacing for larger notes then used the additional extra spacing to stop the notes being too cramped in the other bars.

Kath

Re: Bar length

Reply #7 – 2004-11-25 04:39 pm

Hi Kath,
Would you mind providing the words that go with that 3 bar clip, please? Realizing you've already solved the problem, I'd like to try one more thing just for the fun of it.
DAvid

Re: Bar length

Reply #8 – 2004-11-25 06:24 pm

The thing is David the words are not the issue as with psalm tones the words are sung a bit like a chant so they don't match up exactly. For the semitone for example there may be 4 words or only 1 word depending on the verse. The refrain, the bit with lyrics, is written as normal.

I wanted to keep the bars for the lyrics as wide as possible to make it easier for the psalmist to sing as it looks rather busy, but reduce the other bars to make the music on the printed page easier to see when singing.

I would still be pleased if there was another way of sorting it as that would possible be more flexible.

If there is anything else you would like me to send for you to play around with please ask.

Thanks for all your help and interest.

Kath

Re: Bar length

Reply #9 – 2004-11-26 03:42 am

Try this, Kath:

Make a new file, with two staffs.
Copy this clip onto the new staff:

Code: [Select · Download]

!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-1^|Opts:Stem=Down,Tie=Downward
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:Whole|Pos:-3^|Opts:Stem=Down,Tie=Downward
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar|Visibility:Never
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

That was the first part of your clip above, with the bar lines set to invisible.

Now make a lyric for staff 2, using this text, positioned above the staff:

I want-ed to keep the bars for the ly-rics as _ wide as possi-ble

Close the lyric editor.

Paste this clip onto the second staff.

Code: [Select · Download]

!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:Half,DblDotted|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0z|Opts:StemLength=0
|Bar
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

Now set the top staff properties to "layer with next staff" and click View/Allow layering.

Check the result in both the edit window and in the print preview window. It won't be pretty because I'm not very familiar with melismatics.

I think you'll find the bar lines inserted wherever you wanted them in the second staff will show up nicely, and you can move them around a bit by adjusting the note lengths. The lyrics follow the note values in the second staff too. If those notes are muted, they won't playback.

Notice I set the notes to the "invisible notehead" setting and the stem length zero. I'm not sure this will work just by making the notes have regular noteheads and stems, but set as invisible, but you can give it a try.

Re: Bar length

Reply #10 – 2004-11-26 03:12 pm

Thanks David! a very crafty work around! It opens up quite a few possibilities as well for future 'fiddling'!

Kath

Re: Bar length

Reply #11 – 2004-11-27 08:51 am

This NWC program may be inexpensive and deceptively simple to use, but there are a heck of a lot of workarounds. Fun, isn't it?

Re: Bar length

Reply #12 – 2004-11-28 11:37 am

And whilst that implies that there are shortcomings that we all grumble about (me included) and then get on without, maybe it also suggests that there is a good solid infrastructure that the whole shebang is built on, and that - given time - these features that we currently workaround to achieve will eventually come to fruition.

I am currently pursuing the User Tools thingy for all I am worth at the moment, and I think we have opened up quite a vista here.

Re: Bar length

Reply #13 – 2004-11-28 07:11 pm

Amen, Andrew.