Usertip - Measure numbers

Thursday, 7 August 2008

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Measure numbers
User Tip #: 108 Offered By: Marsu Last Modified: 2004-01-06 03:28:50

Some of us may have to augment the number of the measure; typically after a repeat section, to have a "more logical" numbering.

To perform such a thing, you may :

Enter a bar line
(quick key: TAB or *)
Enter a 64th rest
(quick keys: 6, -, Space)
Select those two items
(quick keys: Shift+left+left)
Make them invisible
(quick keys: Ctrl+E or Alt+Enter, Alt+Home, Ctrl+PGDn, Ctrl+PgDn, N, Enter)

This will add 1 to the measure numbers.
If you want to add more, simply copy (Ctrl+C) then paste (Ctrl+V, Ctrl+V...) the selection as much as you want.

You may want to add a hidden tempo change before and after the hidden measures, to keep playback as accurate as possible.
First add a tempo with a value of 750 (base: Dotted Half) to make all of this as short as possible,
then a tempo with the previous value.

You may also force the line break of the first visible bar line, in order to place it at the beginning of the staff (where you see the numbering)

If there is more than one staff, then copy the whole thing to other staves too.

Oh, and while I'm at it: if you want to have measure which "doesn't count", simply enter a text item (with the pipe "|" character, Alt+124) in a standard font, for instance) instead of a real bar line :-)

Feel free to send me (or add) comments or asking an example!

------------
I just had an idea to make exactly the reverse thing — I mean having measures with "bar lines that don't count".
Here is how:

Start by adding a staff over the highest one.
Fill it with measures with a single whole rest you set to "never" display (set the first one to that, then copy/paste it for the others), with the correct "normal" time signatures at the proper places.
When you need two measures (for example) that count as one only, insert a time signature that has twice the normal current value (since the example is for two).
Delete one measure to keep the same length (two minus one)
Don't forget to re-enter the "normal" time signature.
When everything seems correct in the Print preview, layer this toppest staff to the next one.

See the linked file to have an example! (I made three "double measures")

tip108.nwc [1 KB]

User Comments

From: Fred Nachbaur
When: 6 Years Ago

If you make the 1/64 rest a "grace rest," the time delay is even smaller, perhaps not even requiring any tempo adjustment. :)

From: Peter Edwards
When: 6 Years Ago

If you just want to increase the bar count (without layering) then put hidden bar lines onto the top staff. If the extra bars are before a rest then put grace rests into the dummy bars. But if the next bar starts with an actual note then these rests will subtract themselves from that note. The answer is to tie hidden grace notes through the dummy bars and onto the real note. Make sure accidentals and dynamics are consistent.

From: David (in Delta) Palmquist
When: 4 Years Ago

Consider using the lyric editor to reduce the tedium of manual bar numbering, when you want to print the bar number for each bar.

Configure the lyric editor to one lyric line, aligned at the top, syllables aligned at the left. The lyric will consist only of numbers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 etc. The only entries on the staff would be

a hidden, muted quarter note on beat one of each bar,

hidden rests as needed to pad out the measure to the right number of beats to align each bar with the underlying score, and

a bar line.

Each number will appear just after the bar line of each measure, when this staff is layered to the next one.

Some tinkering will be needed if you have to number a special ending. Let's say there's a four bar passage, the 4th bar is a first ending. You would have to consider if the second ending bar (second time bar in England?) is numbered 8 or 5, and if you decide it's 8, then change your lyrics to 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 etc