Skip to main content
Topic: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff (Read 11278 times) previous topic - next topic

Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Help!  I'm new to this software (downloaded it 3 days ago).  I have a self-imposed deadline of 3 hours - when I hope to be able to print out this piece and take it to a band who is interested in playing it. 

I want to have the left hand playing in the treble while the right hand rests.  Is this a layer tool job?  I can't figure out how to do it.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Jewels
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #1
Hi, welcome to the forum.

If you simply want to tell the musician to switch hands, insert Text entries of lh or rh on the Treble staff. If you want something else, describe it.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #2
Jewels,
welcome to the forum -
I hope you enjoy using NWC.

This is a little late for your deadline , but ....

If I'm using the "Piano" template to start from,
I would notate it as per attached sample

"LH_TREBLE.nwc" in NWC2.5.5 format

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #3
Thank you, Rick G. and Haymo, for your replies.  I've been out of commission due to a molar extraction.  Back at it again now. 

How do I attach an excerpt so you can see what I'm trying to do?
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #4
Jewels,
when I start writing this reply, there is a display of:
"Additional Options..."
at the bottom left.
Click on it, and it opens 3 options,
plus a block marked "Attach:"

I use the "Browse.." option to navigate to the file (on my PC) which I want to send to the forum.
(Watch the extensions for filetypes which are allowed.)
and remember (if my memory serves me correctly): you are only allowed 1 MB for the total of all the files you send to the forum.)

Should you wish to attach more file(s) after the first,
click on "(more attachments)" and browse on your PC for it /them.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #5
I believe Jewels needs to upgrade their membership to NWC2User...
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #6
Thank you, Lawrie and Haymo!

Lawrie, I was just thinking that I must need to upgrade, but that didn't make sense, because I just purchased the latest version.  After a daunting search, I discovered I hadn't completed the Licence Authentication process.  Now that I have done that and linked it to the forum, I do have the ability to attach, just as you, Haymo, have suggested.

So, here is the section I'm trying to work on. I have attached it. Can you see it?

The elements in red, I want to hide, so they are read for playback, but not printed on sheet music.

 I think I must need to layer.   I've looked on the "Help" under the Keyboard and Command References,  but I can't figure out how to layer.
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #7
I amend that...only the RESTS that are in red do I want to hide.
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #8
And I actually want to add three right hand notes in the bass staff on the next to last measure, to finish the arpeggio.

Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #9
I amend that...only the RESTS that are in red do I want to hide.
Something like this?

Select the rest, press <Alt+Enter> to get the propeties page, click on the Visibility tab and then select "Never" from the list box.

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

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #10
Wow! Laurie, thanks!  I guess I need to play around with the ,<alt> button more.

It worked for measures 1, 2, 3, and that's what I need there. 

But I still cannot input the three 8th notes above the half rest in measure 4. I have shifted the note stems up, then tried to add the notes as if they are part of a chord <ctrl>+<enter> to no avail. This has worked with quarter rests, as you can see in measure 4, treble staff. Remember that I want to finish the arpeggio with the right hand in the bass staff. So the half rest has to stay so the pianist knows not to play the left hand.

I'm going to keep hunting around in the Help Reference, but your suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks again for your help!
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #11
Well, I just decided to go ahead and finish that arpeggio in the treble staff. Makes it harder to read, I think, but at least it solves the problem.

So, Lawrie and Haymo, as a thank you, I attach the fixed and cleaned-up section with a few bonus measures. Hope you enjoy this excerpt of "Murray's Jig!"

Jewels
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #12
But I still cannot input the three 8th notes above the half rest in measure 4. I have shifted the note stems up, then tried to add the notes as if they are part of a chord <ctrl>+<enter> to no avail. This has worked with quarter rests, as you can see in measure 4, treble staff. Remember that I want to finish the arpeggio with the right hand in the bass staff. So the half rest has to stay so the pianist knows not to play the left hand.

Something like this?

The half rest is now a hidden quaver (8th) rest, there is a text "half rest" for appearance and the 3 quavers (8th's) placed in the left hand staff.  A hidden dotted crotchet (quarter) rest placed in the right hand staff to make up the time for the now missing notes.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #13
Jewels,
thanks, this jig is beautiful.

I've been using NWC for YEARS, and never noticed that I could use
"Alt + Enter" to edit highlighted items.

I've always been using:

"Ctrl + E" with my left hand.
(My paws are quite large)

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #14
Son of a gun!  I too usually use [{Control}{E}] but I knew [{Alt}{E}] works too.  I didn't realize I could use [{Alt]-[Enter}] instead.  

With a Microsoft Natural keyboard I find [{Control}{E}] is the easiest, but it's nice to know the alternatives.


The jig's pretty. 


Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #15
Let's not forget: MENU, O
Registered user since 1996

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #16
Well, for that matter: I didn't know of ctrl-E. :-)
I always used alt-enter (Windows standard for "properties").

Good to know that's possible to get there with a single hand via ctrl-E.

Rick, what do you mean with "Menu, O"?
With the local menu (same as right mouse click) I can't see any shortcut; you must do "Menu, Up" to get to "Staff properties". ""O" does nothing.


Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #18
Right!
Indeed in that case it's "properties", not "staff properties...".
This should have made a bell ring in my head...

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #19
Something like this?

The half rest is now a hidden quaver (8th) rest, there is a text "half rest" for appearance and the 3 quavers (8th's) placed in the left hand staff.  A hidden dotted crotchet (quarter) rest placed in the right hand staff to make up the time for the now missing notes.


That's how I want it to look.

So, Lawrie, apparently the hidden stuff overrides the visible?
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #20
Thanks, Haymo & David, for the compliment.  This was one of my first compositions. I guess all those years of piano lessons (with a smattering of theory), singing in the choir and listening to classical music all congealed while I was bedfast a couple years back. Has that happened to anybody else? ...where after years of wishing you could compose, it just comes to you!  Not to say it's not work.  Because it is. But this is FUN! And you guys are making it even more so with all your friendly help!  I appreciate it so much!
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #21
Something like this?

The half rest is now a hidden quaver (8th) rest, there is a text "half rest" for appearance and the 3 quavers (8th's) placed in the left hand staff.  A hidden dotted crotchet (quarter) rest placed in the right hand staff to make up the time for the now missing notes.

Okay, Lawrie, I thought I understood this.  I didn't want to just cut and paste what you had done. I want to understand how to do it, and I can't duplicate it.  How did you get the half rest showing, and put the hidden 8th rest? Sorry to need so much hand-holding!
Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #22
Okay, Lawrie, I thought I understood this.  I didn't want to just cut and paste what you had done. I want to understand how to do it, and I can't duplicate it.  How did you get the half rest showing, and put the hidden 8th rest? Sorry to need so much hand-holding!
Hi Jewels,
The hidden 8th rest is there to get the correct timing.  The half rest isn't actually a rest at all, it is a text entry.  If you look, you will see the anchor that is used to place the text entry.  In this case it is the second object in the bar so if you position your cursor at the start of the bar, press <RightArrow> then <Shift+RightArrow> you will highlight the anchor. 

Now press <Alt+Enter> to get to the properties dialogue.  This will show you the text entry's details.  Note especially that the "Display Font" selected is "Staff Symbols - NWC2STDA".  Click on the "Char Map..." button and you can hunt through the font for the half rest character - it corresponds to "m" in a normal text font - select it and click OK to place it in the text box.

On the "Placement" tab you will note that it is "Center" justified, placed "at next note/bar" and that it does NOT preserve width.

So, the hidden 8th rest is there to consume the correct amount of time to allow the 3 * 8th notes to be in their correct place and the text entry "half rest" is there for appearance.

I hope this helps.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.


Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #24
Well, the one we are talking here is the local menu.

You can get there via a mouse right click or pressing that odd key on the right of the space bar. The one between the "windows" and the "Ctrl" keys.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #25


Now press <Alt+Enter> to get to the properties dialogue.  This will show you the text entry's details.  Note especially that the "Display Font" selected is "Staff Symbols - NWC2STDA".  Click on the "Char Map..." button and you can hunt through the font for the half rest character - it corresponds to "m" in a normal text font - select it and click OK to place it in the text box.

Lawrie, I thank you! Your explanation about the the trick of putting in the rest as "text" took this newbie a few minutes to figure out, but when I did... Yowza! That "Display Font", "Staff Symbols..." opens up a whole new world for me!  I had had several other questions about hiding components, and this answers a lot of them!

My composition is now complete, thanks to all the help from you and Haymo! Now I can get this to the Irish band guy - they might play it. If so, that will be the first public performance of any of my compositions. I'm a bit nervous!

Hats off to you!


Stay-at-home mom. A rookie composer who discovered she can create piano pieces too difficult for her own self to play.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #26
You're most welcome Jewels :)

Hope it all goes very well for you.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #27
Well, the one we are talking here is the local menu.

You can get there via a mouse right click or pressing that odd key on the right of the space bar. The one between the "windows" and the "Ctrl" keys.
Thanks,Flurmy.  The prOperties open when I centre-click the highlighted feature.  The Windows key beside the spacebar doesn't have any choices with O underlined, though.  Maybe it has it on newer operating systems or other keyboards (I use XP Pro and a Natural keyboard).

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #28
David,

It does if you have a selection.

That's the catch.

And, by the way, I wrote "right click", not "center click".
And not the "windows" key but the one between the (right) "windows" and the (right) "Ctrl" keys.

Quote
Maybe it has it on newer operating systems or other keyboards

No. I'm using XP too, but for sure it works also with win2000.

 

Re: Piano - Left Hand in Treble Staff

Reply #29
...And, by the way, I wrote "right click", not "center click".
And not the "windows" key but the one between the (right) "windows" and the (right) "Ctrl" keys.
Thanks!  My mouse is configured differently, I don't have a setting for right click - the left button is double-click, the right button is single-click and the wheel is Context/Alternate Select.  There's another button too, but it is set to give me F5.

Re the other key - Son of a Gun!  I have it too!  10 years on this keyboard and I've never noticed it nor pressed it by mistake. 

I'm happy now...