How do you deal with divisi in strings when it is simple and doesn’t require separate staves? Do you create a playing technique? If so how do you make the font of that identical to the font of the div./unis.? The playing technique font is automatically a bit bigger and though I can adjust the font itself, I can’t see where to adjust the size.
You can use the Player Labels paragraph style to mimic the appearance of the automatic player labels added for divisi/unison transitions.
It’s under Library->Paragraph Styles.
Jesper
I think Daniel was suggesting you use normal staff text (shift-X) with the player labels paragraph style applied…
1 Like
Oh so you are suggesting to change the player label font to match the playing technique font?
NO! You want your div text to appear in the same font (paragraph style) as it would had you used a change divisi instruction! That style is called Player labels.
Ok that works but that’s tedious, as I need to drag down the menu to the desired font every time. It’s annoying that I can’t choose any font and size for playing techniques. Or am I missing something?
I don’t know why you are harping on about playing techniques? You are faking a divisi - you label it using text.
If you need to show div./unis. frequently, just grab an earlier instance and copy (alt-click) it where you need it. You only need to choose the paragraph style once!
1 Like
I’m “harping on” about playing techniques because that was my original question, if that was what people use for this case. I guess the answer is no, I should use text. Sure I can copy paste, but that means searching for previous instances, scrolling around a big project to find it and scrolling back to where I was. Is it hard? No. But playing techniques are way easier to use.
Then use playing techniques. Folks here are just trying to help based on their experience.
Then I am back at square one, because the playing technique font can’t be the same as the staff label technique.
Hi, for this I invariably use staff text labels, but I have set up a custom key command and custom paragraph style because I wanted them slightly different from the other labels – which I then invoke via Streamdeck for div. and unis. where with one push of a button it types it for me automatically:
For short passages and limited moments of divisi, or quickly alternating divisions, as you have guessed it’s a lot simpler/easier/faster to leave it on a single staff and label it this way.
You could do such a thing with an app (Keyboard Maestro - Mac / AutoHotKeys - Windows); but if you don’t want the extra app, what you can do is at the very least set up the desired paragraph style to a key command:
If you prefer playing techniques, go for it. The reason I prefer staff text is because sometimes you might need to modify the labels to the score, for example:
div. a2, a3
3 soli div.
non div.
div. half pizz, half arco
etc. - therefore text is more flexible than adding playing techniques for each possible variation – and it all still uses the same paragraph style should I ever make any changes, they would all update.
1 Like
ah, there we go, to best understand a divisi question, ask a string player 
thanks! I will probably create a key command as you suggest.
1 Like
I am a string player, too - still I use Staff Text with appropriate Paragraph Style and copy/paste a prior event. I don’t mind going back in my score, as it’s at the same time part of my proofreading.
I like going back through my personal scores but right now I am doing transcription and time is of the essence (ie time=mula)