Skip to main content
Topic: Two questions (Read 7877 times) previous topic - next topic

Two questions

I am fairly new to this software.  I have a couple of questios:
1) How do I enter another voice in a polyphonic style piano score? Say if I write a 3 part fugue for piano, how to I enter a seperate voice line?

2)How do I enter a group notes other than triplets, like a quitaplets (group of 5) or septablets (group of 7)?

Thanks!

Re: Two questions

Reply #1
Add another staff using Ctrl-A. That's the easy part. You can then assign another voice/instrument to it, and even layer it again, so visually the staves are combined.

As for n-tuplets: NWC supports triplets only. Workarounds for other groupings exist, but I am no expert. You can wait for others to add their say, or browse around - there is enough to find in the Forum history.

Re: Two questions

Reply #2
Thanks for the reply.  I'm still a little confused though. Creating another staff is easy.  But then what is next?  Basically I'm trying to write a Bach style 3-part Fugue on a piano, but I can't seem to enter multiple, independent voices on the same staff.  If I create another staff, wouldn't that becomes three staves?

Also what exactly is thie Layers function?

Once again, thanks!

Re: Two questions

Reply #3
Hi Jeff,
I think I understand where the confusion is...  If I'm right then my https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=5266.msg33899#msg33899 addressed to "Nik" should help.

If I'm wrong or the description doesn't make sense to you please let me know.

Lawrie
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Two questions

Reply #4
I have got an example for you. Look here:
http://home.versatel.nl/rddenheijer/zilt/nwc/QuandMonMary.nwc

This seems to have multiple voices on one staff, but there are really four staves. Use Alt-F, G, Contents-tab, and de-select 'Allow Layering' to see the individual staves.
This should give you an idea of how layering works, and how you can get it to work for you.

Re: Two questions

Reply #5
Layering is a feature where one staff is superimposed over the one below it.  In Rob's example, staff 1 is layered over staff 2,and staff 3 is layered over staff 4.

Layering can be toggled on or off a bit more conveniently from the drop-down View menu.  When it's on, you can have one staff sitting on top of another, make either one active, and enter notes on it, but it's easiest to toggle off the layering, do the work, and toggle it back on again.

You can also create chords with all note stems in one direction or in both directions, so layering isn't always needed.  Look in the help menu index for "Chord Member Command."

Re: Two questions

Reply #6
OK, so I'm closer to the solution than before, but still not there yet.

I figured out how to get the layering function work. Now I can open a seperate file, create two staves, then combine them into one.  Is there a way I can copy the combined staff and paste back to my piano score?

If not, what would be the best option?  I can go back to create another staff on my piano score, but then I can not do "Partial Layering," can't I?  That means I have to combine the entire staff?

Again, thanks for the help.

Re: Two questions

Reply #7
G'day Jeff,
I'm not quite sure what you're wanting here... The staff layering feature is usually used as an end in itself,  for achieving a visual result that you have great difficulty doing without the layering feature.

If you are trying to create chords, then you wouldn't normally use layering.  Chords are created by pressing <Ctrl-Enter> with the cursor placed at the appropriate position on the staff...

E.G. to create a C chord, place the cursor on the C space and press <Enter>, move the cursor up twice to the E space and press <Ctrl-Enter>, now up 2 more times to the G space and press <Ctrl-Enter> again.  This is a C chord on one staff.

I hope I'm on the right track here and this has been helpful,
Lawrie
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Two questions

Reply #8
Yes, you can do "partial layering".  The layering feature is triggered by ticking the box marked "layer with next staff" on the "Visual" tab  of the "staff properties" dialog box.  You can get this by right-clicking on the currently active staff and selecting "staff properties" from the drop-down menu.  (Or by using CTL-e – I tend to be a little mouse-oriented.)

Each staff to be layered must have this checked.  So, if you have four staves and only mark the first and third to be layered, you will get two visible staves, made up of the first and second combined, and the third and fourth combined.  You then can toggle back and forth between combined and not using the "allow layering" box on the "Contents" tab of the "Page Setup" dialog box.  This is obtained from the "File" drop-down menu on the menu-bar, or (at least in Version 2 -- I don't have Version 1.75 installed, so I can't refresh my memory).  In Version 2, and perhaps in Version 1.75 -- some kind soul here will correct me -- you can also use the "allow layering" item on the "View" drop-down menu, or ALT-v, ALT-a.  Note that the "allow layering" toggle applies to the all staves, not just the active one(s), while the "layer with next staff" applies to individual staves.

Thus, "layer with next staff" indicates at a staff may be superimposed on the following staff (and you can have more than one consecutive -- vertically consecutive -- staves piled up on the first staff not so marked), while the "allow layering" activates/deactivates this permission.

I hope this isn't totally incomprehensible, but if it is one of the less verbosely challenged poster will clear it up, I'm sure.

Re: Two questions

Reply #9
The only thing to add is that you can move staffs up and down the screen by using Control-PageUp or Control-PageDown.  This might facilitate layering if layering is an afterthought.

Re: Two questions

Reply #10
Perhaps rather sadly, I find that the inability to add an additional staff for jsut a few bars is a nuisance !
Tony

Re: Two questions

Reply #11
Agreed, but it would be a major change to the program.
A simpler fix would be for the program to suppress the printing of staves that contain nothing but rests for the entire width of the page.

Robin

Re: Two questions

Reply #12
Sometimes the workaround is needed at just the wrong time, distracting from the work under way.

To alleviate this, try creating the blank staff before you start composing.  Just make a bar with a whole rest, then a bar line.  Make them invisible, then highlight them, copy and paste (one operation - just hold down Ctrl-V) to the next bar.

Now when you need the workaround, you just have to drop down to this spare staff, and do a little notation there.  At the end of the piece, just cut off the unused spare bars.

Re: Two questions

Reply #13
David,

Thank you for that suggestion

Tony

 

Re: Two questions

Reply #14
Happy to help, Tony.  Been there.