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Topic: Four-line staves and leger lines (Read 10474 times) previous topic - next topic

Four-line staves and leger lines

I am trying to write some plainsong. I have suppressed the note stems successfully, and I can fake the plainsong clef as a "common time" mark and an invisible alto clef; and I can set the staff to be a four-line staff not five. But the leger lines seem to go wrong, and I can't see why.

I think this is the relevant bit of the file:

|AddStaff|Name:"Staff"|Group:"Standard"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Section Close|Visible:Y|BoundaryTop:12|BoundaryBottom:12|Lines:4|Style:Standard|Layer:N|Color:Highlight 1
|StaffProperties|Muted:N|Volume:127|StereoPan:64|Device:0|Channel:1
|StaffInstrument|Trans:0|DynVel:10,30,45,60,75,92,108,127
|TimeSig|Signature:Common
|Clef|Type:Alto|Visibility:Never
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:b-1|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:3|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:4|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:4|Opts:StemLength=0
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:3|Opts:StemLength=0
!NoteWorthyComposer-End

The two Gs just before the end should be on leger lines, but either the lines are missing or they are too short to show.
What am I doing wrong, please?

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #1 –
Looks like a bug. Since the user can suppress leger lines on a note-by-note basis, IMO by default, NWC2 should show the leger lines.

Why anyone would choose NoteWorthy for ancient manuscript emulation is a mystery to me..
Registered user since 1996

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #2 –
It seems to be that ledger lines do not work correctly with staves that have less than 5 lines (just write a scale than change the number of lines to a number less than 5 to illustrate this)

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #3 –
Not all plainsong is ancient, and the notation is the one in current use - I'm not trying to emulate ancient notation. (Though I wish I could; ah, neumes in Noteworthy... Just a pipedream, alas.)

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #4 –
Quote from: adge –
the notation is the one in current use
Can you provide a link to an example? I'd like to learn more about current notation that uses something other than 5, 1 or 6 lines.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Rick G. –
I'd like to learn more about current notation that uses something other than 5, 1 or 6 lines.

5 and 1 are common, but 6?
I ignore this one too.
Can you provide a link for this, Rick?

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #6 –
I assumed Rick was referring to Guitar tab which is 6 lines - in which case 4 lines is common too, for bass tab...

Of course, tab doesn't use ledger lines.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Lawrie Pardy –
I assumed Rick was referring to Guitar tab
I was. Forgot about Bass tab. Uke tab is probably 4 lines.
If there is such a thing as a Mandolin tab, it might use more than 6 lines.

This is still a bug, but with no examples of anything other than 5 line staves needing leger lines, it is an inconsequental bug.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #8 –
I completely forgot tablatures!

Quote from: Rick G. –
If there is such a thing as a Mandolin tab, it might use more than 6 lines.

Nope.
Mandolin, as soprano banjo, has 4 couples of strings with the same tuning (the tuning of the violin).
It's like saying that tablatures for 12 strings guitars need 12 lines...

Charango instead has the central couple tuned at octave interval.
Probably 5 lines are enough but I never saw a charango tablature so I don't know for sure.

And the lute tablatures? And the "liuto tiorbato" o "arciliuto" ones? :-)
 

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #9 –
Rick,

I can't find a link, but I know I've seen two-and-three line chant in the current Book of Common Prayer in use in the USA.  This would be in the edition used at the altar.  Essentially, one uses the number of lines one needs.

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Robin L. Øye –
Essentially, one uses the number of lines one needs.
Notes needing leger lines would be an indication that one needs more staff lines. Of course there is a limit, 5 maybe?
Registered user since 1996

Re: Four-line staves and leger lines

Reply #11 –
Rick,

I think one might use a ledger, but only one.  Mostly, though, one uses the lines one needs.  Of course, percussion parts are a different story.  I've used two and four there, and likely some other number, depending on the number of instruments per player.