I have a solo viola piece that is exclusivily in open time signature. It’s all bared, but each measure has a different number of notes (5-10). Is there a way to quickly do the note input? I’d rather not have to calculate the number of notes and values for each measure, change the time signature, then not show them. Could I just input notes, then jump to the next measure and input some more, etc.?
Any ideas much appreciated !!
First, enter an open time signature.
After entering all the notes for one bar, press shift-B then the pipe symbol " | " (it’s the same one which you would press twice to enter a double barline), followed by Enter.
One other “trick” which might suit your way of working - it is possible to copy a barline and then paste it (at least in an open time signature).
For example:
Obviously, if you use the Copy function to copy something else that “something else” will replace the barline on the clipboard.
This is how I do my chant work.
Alternatively, you can put in a long succession of notes (30-40) and then go back and select various notes and use the bars popover to insert barlines that way, too. Beware, however, that barlines will occur before the note that is selected, not after.
(As an aside, this has always puzzled me a bit; it seems more natural to me to add a barline after a selection, not before, but I digress. I’m completely habituated to it now.)
I should clarify: inserting barlines happens before selected notes when you are not in note entry.
If you are actively in the midst of note entry in open meter, you can invoke the barlines popover at any point, and it will insert the barline at that spot, just as you’d expect and as makes sense work-flow wise. (In other words, the barline will not jump back a note, but add to the score wherever the caret is currently located.)