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Topic: number of bars in each line? (Read 2620 times) previous topic - next topic

number of bars in each line?

I'm trying to search for the way how to display the same number of bars in each line(ex: 4 in each or 5 in each...) in both monitor and paper.

I have searched for it, but it was possible. Does anyone know about this problem? or anyone knows the useful tips for it?

Re: number of bars in each line?

Reply #1 –
(1) NWC does not display the number of bars per system (line) on the computer monitor. Instead, each staff is displayed on a single line, like a railroad track. That's just the way the program works. You can check how it will print using "print preview."

(2) To manually control where the staff break occurs: Highlight a bar line, right-click, properties, "force system break." If your composition has more than one instrument staff, this is done only on the uppermost staff (that is, uppermost as seen in the NWC editor).

NWC1.75 doesn't have the capability to pre-set a required number of measures per staff system. As described above, you can force staves to break at certain points, but you can't instruct them NOT to break if the music is too wide.

If you can't fit all of the measures on a single line, you can reduce the staff size, un-check expansion for longer note duration, and reduce the size of some fonts. In particulr, if your music has lyrics, you may find that a lot of horizontal space is taken up by the lyrics, if the font size is too big.

To make the final staves fit nicely across the page width, specify the staff endings as "hidden." Then, manually place system close bars at the end. On the top staff, the closing barline should have "force system break."

I often use the above techniques. Some things, such as church hymns, are naturally organized by vocal phrases of about 4 measures each. It helps to have the music print that way.

Re: number of bars in each line?

Reply #2 –
It seems to be more or less traditional to have either 4 or 6 measures on a typical line.  Six is often a "comfortable" fit.  It seems easier to count when there is an even number of bars.

When I try to control the number of measures per line, I try to mix up number per staff.  Maybe a six, a six, a four and a six, or some other variation.  That way the musician's eye is less likely to move to the wrong line.

Re: number of bars in each line?

Reply #3 –
If a line has larger notes, I might put 5 or 6 measures to a staff.  With more complex music, perhaps only 3.  If I were to use a "one size fits all" approach, it would make some parts of the music very crowded, hard to read, and other parts would simply be a waste of paper.

Re: number of bars in each line?

Reply #4 –
In some old music (pre 1600) which I have transcribe almost all the notes (but not ALL) are whole and half.  To keep things from sprawling all over the page I have set the print control to equal space per note and then added a hidden, layered staff filled with rests.  You may have to experiment, but typical combinations would be:

notes:  1/2 1/2
rests:  1/4 1/4 1/2

notes:  dotted-1/2 1/4
rests:  1/2 1/4 1/4

You can get quite good looking spacing, and not have to remember where you stuck in text items.