the use of different metres per staff

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JJVE
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 10:15 am

Post by JJVE » Tue Jan 25, 2011 10:32 am

In some of the earlier music I edit I need to be able to use different metres in different staves at the same time. Currently one can only change the metre per bar and it then applies to all the staves at the same time. It would be great if I could unlink the staves and change the metre per staff.
JJ van Elburg


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Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6589
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:56 pm

Actually the layout "staggered barlines" has been possible in Finale for many years - via several clever workarounds.

The attached files demonstrate some of the workarounds.

I don't know the nature of the "earlier music" you are editing, but I'm pretty sure that the desired layout is possible with Finale 2008.

Indeed it would be nice if Finale had a "built-in" solution for staggered barlines, so you didn't have to use these workarounds.
I know that many Finale users have requested the feature "staggered barlines".
We just might get that feature some day.

But don't hold your breath.
Finale's document format is basically some sort of data base file format - with the measure as a primary data container.
Staggered barlines will require a major re-designing of the way Finale works "under the hood".
Attachments
OverlappingSystems.mus.zip
(12.52 KiB) Downloaded 681 times
StaggeredBarlinesCanon.mus.zip
(7.84 KiB) Downloaded 680 times
FalseBarlines.mus.zip
(6.68 KiB) Downloaded 669 times
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

Tyranny1
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:28 am
Finale Version: 2009 mac
Operating System: Windows

Post by Tyranny1 » Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:55 am

OK, I know its been years since this thread died, but just in case anyone is out there, in the same shoes I was in yesterday. I have found the perfect work around!

But first, there are three types of polyrhythms...

1. Same tempo/similar meter (4/4 with 12/8 etc) with aligning bar lines... Finale does this.
2. Assumed different tempo/any two meters with aligning bar lines... Finale does this.
3. Same tempo/different meters with staggered bar lines, and thus aligning beats. Finale does not do this!, BUT...

Here's the trick.

For my example I needed one staff in 3/4 and the other in 4/4 with staggered bar lines and aligning by beats.

1. Enter your parts in both staffs in 1/4, 1/8... or simply in 1 beat measures (eighth notes will not beam across bar lines, sorry)
2. Hide your time signatures and hide bar lines
3. Then change the time signatures (while still hidden) as desired (the notes shouldn't move!).
4. Un-hide time signatures, revealing desired time signature.
5. At 22pt font size use the text tool and enter |'s in place of bar lines.

I know its not perfect, but you'd never know when looking at it and the music will align by beats
Attachments
staggered bar lines.jpg
"in the style of Led Zepplin"
staggered bar lines.jpg (38.79 KiB) Viewed 14046 times

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