Independent time signatures question

General notation questions, including advanced notation, formatting, etc., go here.

Moderators: Peter Thomsen, miker

rheinonen
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:41 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2014
Operating System: Windows

Post by rheinonen » Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:50 pm

At some point in my piece, it is convenient to use multiple time signatures, i.e. two staves in 6/8 and two staves in 2/4. Thus I have enabled independent time signatures for each staff. However, I'm having trouble changing the time signature elsewhere, for all staves, without modulating the tempo. That is, say I'm in 3/4 and I want to modulate to 2/4. Finale playback interprets this as a *tempo change,* i.e. 2 beats in the place of 3. So: once I've enabled independent time signatures, how can I make a time signature change while maintaining a steady tempo?


User avatar
zuill
Posts: 4418
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:35 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2011-v26.3.1
Operating System: Windows

Post by zuill » Sat Apr 06, 2019 4:23 am

I remember some issues involving the independent signature being the top staff. Maybe that's not causing your trouble.

By the way, you might try using a Staff Style for the independent signature, and then only apply that style to the measures needed. That may circumvent the tempo change you are experiencing.

Zuill

P.S.: To clarify the Staff Style suggestion, only apply this to 2 of the staves, not all 4. And only apply to the measures where the independent signature is needed.
Windows 10, Finale 2011-v26.3.1
"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

User avatar
motet
Posts: 8225
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:33 pm
Finale Version: 2014.5,2011,2005,27
Operating System: Windows

Post by motet » Sat Apr 06, 2019 5:27 am

A brief experiment suggests that the eighth note of the non-independent time signature remains constant in playback, so perhaps choosing which staves are independent and which aren't would help. I like Zuill's suggestion of staff styles only where needed. In the worst case, I think you can insert expressions to set the playback tempo where you're having problems (these can be textless and thus invisible).

Post Reply