Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Can I use open note heads with 8th notes? (Read 2425 times) previous topic - next topic

Can I use open note heads with 8th notes?

I have a series of triplets--actually two triplets or 6 notes per beam--and want the first note to be held as a half note, i.e. throughout all 6 beamed notes. How can I make the first note an open note head like a half note?  Thank you.
--David

Re: Can I use open note heads with 8th notes?

Reply #1 –
Change the head of your first eighth note to a Blank Space notehead (it's in the button bar) and then place a text version of the half-note notehead directly before it (press X to insert text, choose the Staff Symbols font, and use the character map to locate the notehead). Here's what it looks like:

Code: [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.75,Single)
|Clef|Type:Treble
|Text|Text:""|Font:StaffSymbols|Pos:-1
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1z|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

This won't affect the sound; if you want to hold the first note during playback, you'll have to use layers, use a hidden staff, or place hidden pedal markings.

 

Re: Can I use open note heads with 8th notes?

Reply #2 –
Thank you, William. I tried both methods you suggested--text vs. layer staff--and chose layered staff. Layering turned out to be easier in the long run, though playback doesn't matter to me (I've never used that feature; I'm always just printing scores) and I still had to make the note head blank for the 8th note so the open head half note of the layered staff would show. It took me a while to find and set a User font to the font that includes note heads in its character set and change the font size many times until it matched the other note heads (at least I'd only have to do that once), then manually placing the text--horizontally, then vertically different for each different half note (this one a G, that one an F, etc.)--after copying and pasting one already inserted. Another plus--with layering I could add a stem in the opposite direction of the beamed stems. Thanks! I'll get the hang of this pretty soon.

Re: Can I use open note heads with 8th notes?

Reply #3 –
David,
I was just re-reading your original message; is this what you were trying to do?

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.75,Single)
|Chord|Dur:8th,Triplet=First|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First|Dur2:Half|Pos2:0
|Note|Dur:8th,Triplet|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th,Triplet|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th,Triplet|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th,Triplet|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th,Triplet=End|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
Of course with this technique, both noteheads will be visible.

Re: Can I use open note heads with 8th notes?

Reply #4 –
Thanks, Mike. Yes, that would work, too. But I like the cleaner look of the half note head replacing the 8th note head (two stems on same note head) even though it's more difficult to put in.