MakeMusic Forum

Home | Log In | Register | Search | Help

MakeMusic Forum > Public Forums > Finale - Windows - FORUM HAS MOVED! > ¿How to? Different time signatures for each stave. The same time value for a quarte note on each.

Forum Quick Jump

[ << Previous Thread | Next Thread >> | Show Newest Post First ]

Pascual
Registered Member

Date Joined Nov 2002
Total Posts : 16

Posted 1/15/2004 6:47 AM (GMT -6)

Hello,

I want to ask you about the following:

A friend of mine is writing a wind quintet.
At some moments of the piece each instrument has different time signatures.
Let say, the clarinet is playing in 3/4, the oboe in 4/4 and so on.
So each stave has a different time signature.

He wants that the quarter note of the clarinet (in 3/4) has the same duration of the quarter note of the oboe (in 4/4).
Not that a measure of the 3/4 lasts the same as a measure of the 4/4.

How can this miracle happen?

P. Parra
Spain.

Ron.
Composer

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 8828

Posted 1/15/2004 8:55 AM (GMT -6)

I'm confused: either the 3/4 measure is played in the same time period as a 4/4 measure (in which case it is impossible that a quarter note would have the same duration in each), or the quarter notes are equal (making it impossible that the measures would have the same duration).
I don't see how your friend can have it both ways, unless he knows something about time and space warps that I don't.
Do you have a sample to share that migth shed some light on this?

Ron
Finale 2004a, W98 SE

Peter Thomsen
Registered Member

Date Joined Jun 2000
Total Posts : 8331

Posted 1/15/2004 9:50 AM (GMT -6)

Only with a lot of work!

I'm sorry to tell you this, but independent barlines is one of the features for Finale that have been requested for many years and not yet made it into the application.

Here is a workaround:

1) Set the real time signature to 12/4, displayed as 4/4.

2) Where you want a display of 3/4, set the Staff Attributes to have "Time Signature" as an independent element. Now you can let the time signature for that staff be 12/4, displayed as 3/4.

3) Add false barlines as measure expressions. You can find the barline thickness in the Document Options, and copy the number to the clipboard. My own preference is 0.5 points.
Create the false barline as a shape expression. In the Shape Designer, draw a (bar-)line from (0;0) to (0;-24 points).

4) Since these false barlines don't cancel accidentals, you will have to proofread your accidentals carefully (also your courtesy accidentals).

Peter

PS You have to insert rehearsal letters. Measure numbers won't work, since e. g. the third measure of the oboe part isn't at the same place as the third measure of the clarinet part.

Ron.
Composer

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 8828

Posted 1/15/2004 11:24 AM (GMT -6)

pascual said...He wants that the quarter note of the clarinet (in 3/4) has the same duration of the quarter note of the oboe (in 4/4).
Not that a measure of the 3/4 lasts the same as a measure of the 4/4.

How can this miracle happen?

This is the key to Pascual's question, I believe. It seems he wants to have both options at once for multiple time signatures. Yes, one can make fake barlines so you have have a 3/4 measure that's shorter than a 4/4 measure, but Pascual said that

a measure of the 3/4 lasts the same as a measure of the 4/4 -- and that says to me, that the barline for the 3/4 is in the same place as the barline for the 4/4. And that means that a quarter note in a 4/4 bar is shorter than a quarter note in a 3/4 bar.

It's a contradiction.

Ron
Finale 2004a, W98 SE

Zuill
"The Troll"

Date Joined Oct 2003
Total Posts : 29077

Posted 1/15/2004 11:58 AM (GMT -6)

I believe he said "Not" that a measure.... He wants the quarters equal, "Not" the measures. I think it was the way the sentence started with the word not that was confusing.

Zuill

"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

Finale 2004a, Win 2000 or XP

Ron.
Composer

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 8828

Posted 1/15/2004 1:44 PM (GMT -6)

Sorry, I misunderstood. In that case, Peter's answer is what I would do too.

Ron
Finale 2004a, W98 SE

Pascual
Registered Member

Date Joined Nov 2002
Total Posts : 16

Posted 1/15/2004 2:31 PM (GMT -6)

Sorry for my English. I wanted to say the following:

He wants that the quarter note of the clarinet (in 3/4) has the same duration of the quarter note of the oboe (in 4/4).
So, he does not want that a measure of the 3/4 lasts the same as a measure of the 4/4.

Anyway, thanks to all of you.

Pascual.

Ron.
Composer

Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 8828

Posted 1/15/2004 2:45 PM (GMT -6)

My fault for not reading carefully enough. I hope Peter's solution works for you.

Ron
Finale 2004a, W98 SE

Forum Information

Currently it is Thursday, November 30, 2023 5:03 PM (GMT -6)
There are a total of 403,820 posts in 58,165 threads.
In the last 3 days there were 0 new threads and 0 reply posts. View Active Threads

Need Support? | Forum Help Manual