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Topic: Why use hidden staves? (Read 4729 times) previous topic - next topic

Why use hidden staves?

I’ve been rethinking my workflow. I'm sure I’m being inefficient and missing some key things. I’d welcome suggestions.

I start with a melody staff.

Then I create just one hidden staff full of notes that I attach chord names  to as lyrics. This helps me think through my harmonic progressions. I will usually delete this by the end of the composition because the chords tend to clutter up the score and the
Harmony is Contained in the voices and instrumental parts.

What else could or should I use h s for? I do find my staves are quite cluttered with dynamics and tempo and text and lyrics etc. It’s hard to move things around because I keep grabbing the wrong thing. 
 
Thanks




Re: Why use hidden staves?

Reply #1 –
There are lots of reasons one might find a hidden staff useful and from my point of view they are always associated with getting the aural playback right while leaving the printed score less cluttered.  E.G.
1) a "conductor" or "tempo" staff.  Where you might want to have tempo variations occur that are easily managed but are subtle enough to not really have any place in the printed score.  rit.'s need a beginning and end metronome mark to work, but these usually have no place in the written score, just so the mm for the a tempo that would usually follow.

I also use one of these staves to add "swing" to my jazz scores.  A series of quaver (1/8) rests with alternated dotted quaver (1/8) or dotted crotchet mm's with the same numerical value in the speed before each rest.  This is an approximation of the swing feel that works well for many tempo's  (E.G swing at 120 would be dotted quaver at 120 mm, quaver rest, dotted crotchet  mm at 120 then the next quaver rest, rinse and repeat...)

2) playback of some passages.  Once upon a time we didn't have access to user objects, so if you wanted, say, a tremolo then you either had to have a bunch of hidden notes cluttering things up and making it hard to have correct notation OR you got the notation right, muted that part and then used a hidden, sounding staff to actually play the tremolo.

3) ditto for subtle dynamic changes

4) a turn, trill or mordent etc...

and so on...  anything where you want an effect in the playback but do not need the clutter in the printed score.

For what it's worth, I wrote a workflow suggestion sometime ago for creating lead sheets.  Some of the techniques are now redundant, but the fundamental processes still have value:
https://nwc-scriptorium.org/helpful/leadsheetsinnwc2.pdf
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Why use hidden staves?

Reply #2 –
Thanks. I’m reading it now.

Which processes are redundant?

Do you still use global modifications? I’ve never used it.

Re: Why use hidden staves?

Reply #3 –
Hi SEBC,
I use Global_Mod extensively.

Redundant processes:
a) While I still use text chords, the new Chord user object may be more suitable for you.

b) we no longer need to use Global_Mod to make the rest in a Restchord invisible by moving it off the page, Restchords now have a property to hide the rest portion.

c) there is now a trill object so text trills are redundant

d) Melismata are now available as an object so no need to use a text entry to try to create one.

e) by using PageTextMaestro (user object) I no longer need to create text entries for page numbering and song titles on 2nd and subsequent pages.

Hmm, maybe it's time to revisit this guide with user objects in mind...

I noticed that my link to the pdf didn't work correctly, so this link will take you to the general area:
https://nwc-scriptorium.org/helpful.html#Explanations
Then look for "Lead Sheets in NWC2.pdf"
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Why use hidden staves?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Mike Shawaluk –
You probably meant ChordPlay.nw.
I'm not interested in that plugin since all I want is the display of the chord name.
How can I make ChordPlay hush?  ;)

Of course I can (and I do) use text for chord names, but having a... "dedicated" item simplifies the creation of a user tool to transpose the chords or also to simplify operations on them like, for example, moving all them up or down at once.
(N.B. Yes, I already did the transpose tool for text chords long ago and it still works fine, but...)

Re: Why use hidden staves?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Flurmy –
I'm not interested in that plugin since all I want is the display of the chord name.
How can I make ChordPlay hush?  ;)

Of course I can (and I do) use text for chord names, but having a... "dedicated" item simplifies the creation of a user tool to transpose the chords or also to simplify operations on them like, for example, moving all them up or down at once.
(N.B. Yes, I already did the transpose tool for text chords long ago and it still works fine, but...)
It's easy to make ChordPlay hush; just set Note Span to 0 (which is the default value)

One of the nice parts of the ChordPlay.nw object is that it automatically transposes, but I assume you knew that. No user tool required.

Re: Why use hidden staves?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Mike Shawaluk –
It's easy to make ChordPlay hush; just set Note Span to 0 (which is the default value)
That's all? Good!
But I didn't think it worked that way, even if I wondered what's the difference between span 0 and 1.
Maybe reading the instructions...  :-[

Quote from: Mike Shawaluk –
One of the nice parts of the ChordPlay.nw object is that it automatically transposes, but I assume you knew that. No user tool required.
You assumed wrong.  :o
Probably I stopped early following (reading) the thread because I decided I wasn't interested.
Thank you, Mike.