Orchestral score measure numbers

[miker]

I'm completely out of my comfort zone, here. I've attached part of a score. Where are the measure numbers supposed to be? At the top of each Staff Group? If so, how do I get them there, and not in the middle of some groups, and missing on others?

[RMK]

I prefer measure numbers on the top staff at the beginning of each system and also under each measure stack (centered). I'm working on a project for a major orchestra at the moment and that is exactly what they requested.

You can set where measure numbers occur and set different preferences for score and parts in the measure number region dialog box. You can also turn off measure numbers in the staff attributes DB.

[motet]

The staff attribute "display measure numbers" also comes into play. I agree it's best only at the beginning of each system--otherwise, they're going to get in the way. One frequently sees them at the top of the winds and the top of Violin I, similar to rehearsal marks.

[motet]

By the way, there should be a vertical line on the left extending through all instruments; otherwise, it will be confusing as to where system breaks are. Usually the other barlines are not so broken as you have them, either. See Gould, maybe, for advice.

[miker]

Thanks. I can run a vertical line down through everything, and that puts the barlines also through everything. BUT he wants shot barlines in the percussion staves at the bottom. How do I deal with that?

I'm posting the entire score template, this time.

[motet]

I would put Document options / Barlines / Left barlines back to the defaults (see below). Then you don't need one giant group in order to get a left barline.

[miker]

Thanks. I have the left barline going all the way down the page. I created a group with no bracket, from the piccolo through the tubular bells, and the barlines extend through all the instruments, stopping at percussion, so that they still show the short barlines.

But this is only on page one! How do I get these staff groups and barlines to extend to the next, and future pages?

Thanks for helping me out on this, everyone.

[miker]

By the way, there should be a vertical line on the left extending through all instruments; otherwise, it will be confusing as to where system breaks are. Usually the other barlines are not so broken as you have them, either. See Gould, maybe, for advice.

I looked at some other finale templates, and the barlines are continuous within the groups, but broken between them. And I think that's how the composer wants them, as well.

[motet]

But not broken on the left as you originally had it (I never said to put everything in one group).

In the Group Attributes dialog there's an "all measures" button.

I'm not familiar with this sort of orchestra, but typically for the between-staff barlines, the woodwinds are in a group, the brass are in a group, percussion is in a group, and strings are in a group. Percussion typically sits between brass and strings.

[motet]

To clarify: you need a barline on the left extending the entire system; otherwise it will look like multiple systems. Putting the left-barline settings back where they were will accomplish that. Then group group things in sections to draw barlines through the section, but not so finely-divided as only flutes, only oboes, etc.

[miker]

Did that! Thanks so much for all this help. I'm totally at sea with this sort of thing.

(I think) only one more question, regarding the measure numbers. Should they show on the first measure of each page, only? If so, how do I do that? Or is that a bad thing, and they should show, for example, every 5th measure? That, I can do.

[motet]

Beginning of each system, which may be the same as each page in your case. Every 5 measures is OK, too, but they're out of the way at the beginning of the system.

[miker]

Thank you, sir. It's going to the composer. I'll let you know, if I need more help.