Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Note & rest Chords of different duration (Read 3352 times) previous topic - next topic

Note & rest Chords of different duration

I work with barbershop music a lot. We get a lot of hand written pieces that are very hard to read. The problem I'm running into is the four voices singing at different times with notes being different durations. When there is a rest for one part I haven't been able to get a note to line up with it. Even when they are of the same duration. I seem to have picked up the texting solution for the harmony part lyrics, but I'm very new with NWC and haven't tried layering as I wasn't sure exactly how to do it. I haven't registered yet, I'm 2 days into the trial period.

Am I missing something in my chord instructions? Where do I find out more about layering? Is there any options, page set ups, or customizing I can do to keep my notes from spreading out so far?

Re: Note & rest Chords of different duration

Reply #1 –
For help on the chording issue, have a look at the help file, Chord Member Command

Layering is in many cases the easiest, most flexible way of dealing with multiple voices on a single staff. Layering is enabled via the Page Setup Command and is selected on a per-staff basis using the Staff Properties Command, in the Visual tab

[Note: The links shown in blue above will take you to the online help on NoteWorthy Software's site, but you can access the same information off-line using the built-in "Help" system. Press F1 for context-sensitive help, or select Help from the title bar.]

Re: Note & rest Chords of different duration

Reply #2 –
Best way for barbershop is not to use the barbershop template but just use 4 blamk staves.Write the Tenor with all stems up and change the slurs and ties to up, Lead stems down ties and slurs down Bari all up Bass all down.
set the midi options to -12 for tenor and Lead (if we are talking male voice barbershop) as the male voice in the treble clef sounds an 8ve lower. For printing, layer the tenor to the lead and layer the bari to the Bass. But if you want to make learning tapes or CD s leave the staves separate so one part can be sent to one speaker and the other three to the other. Make two files. One with latering call "Song-print" and the other with separate staves, as you set up each voice part "Song-Lead"  etc.If you need more help please em llucyy@tpg.com.au

Re: Note & rest Chords of different duration

Reply #3 –
I think the best way is to use a template, but take care in making it.  Start with a blank score and four staves, inserting a treble clef, modified to shift down an octave on the Tenor and Lead staves with a bass clef on the Bari and Bass lines.

For each staff press F2.  Under "General", change the name to Tenor, Lead, Bari, or Bass.  Under "Visual", change the style to "Orchestral" and, in Tenor and Bari only click on "Layer with next staff".  Under "Midi" change stereo pan to 32 or lower and part volume to 95.  Under "Instrument" feel free to experiment but start with Choir Aahs, Voice Oohs, or Synth Voice.

Under File -> Page Setup (or open book icon), make your choice on the "Allow Layering" checkbox.  Some people like to see their work in progress, others wait until the final step.

For each staff, click on the blue "L" icon (or cntl/L) and create one lyric line for each part.  Under "Staff Placement Alignment", put the Tenor and Bari lyrics on Top.

To change file information, click on the "i" icon (or cntl/I).  Since this is a template, don't fill in the title but under comments, something such as "Music prepared by (your name)" and instructions as how to use could be inserted.

Under File -> Save as, go up a level, back down to "Templates", give it a name of "Barbershop" and save it.  The next time you need to transcribe one of the old songs, click on it when you create a new file and much of the file prep will have already been done.

Give all lyrics to the lead.  When all parts are singing the same syllable, their notes can be selected with the lyric syllable attribute changed to "Never" (using underscores in their lyrics also works).  When doing tags and other parts where not everyone sings the same syllable, give each part separate lyrics.  As mentioned by llucyy, entire staves can be selected with all Tenor and Bari notes set to stem up with Lead and Bass stem down.

To then create a training file for a specific part, change the instrument and/or move the part volume or stereo pan to a (near) maximum level.  Be sure to select "Save As" for the final product (e.g., IdaRose_bari).  A chorus or quartet member can change stereo pan (or how close his ear is to the right speaker) so the NoteWorthy Player would suffice.

HTH