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Hello group,

Getting incredibly frustrated as I am unable to do a simple notation using software.
What I'm trying to write is similar to this:



Not sure about the exact terminology but basically I can not add other accompaniment notes ( as they did here ) below or above the dotted crotchet in the same bar. The software wants me to have either the dotted crotchet, OR the quaver triplets, not both. I've tried MuseScore and Finale ( an older version ) both refuse to let me write this notation . Can you recommend how I can do this , what software would be better or what am I doing wrong ? Thanks !

You can do it in Finale. I'm at work now till tonight. Don't ask.

Off the top of my head I believe you have to add another layer in Finale to do what you want.


Look here: https://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/FinaleWin/Content/Finale/Tut2EnteringNotes4.htm

Hope that helps

Look for an option to use multiple voices per stave

In MuseScore you can write the upper voice (dotted quarter notes) using voice 1, and the eight notes with voice 2. To select a voice number, look for the number 1-4 at the right of the note input toolbar.

It's doable in MuseScore, Finale, or any serious notation software (Dorico, Sibelius...). For MuseScore, you need to look at "shared noteheads" in the user manual: https://musescore.org/en/handbook/noteheads

Or the modern way. Staffpad

You do need active stylus device iPad or Surface Pro etc...

Perhaps I could help, but I'm on Sibelius.

Layers will do it in Finale (although I'm not sure about feature differences between the free and paid versions): layer 1 for the upper voice and layer 2 for the eighth notes.

Have you tried using a second voice?

This is not just a matter of the division of voices. I think many users in many sheet music editors will get this version first:




Recently I worked on a piece where it was necessary to merge the sixteenth note and the half note (that is, "black" and "white"). This is also possible.

In Musescore, you need to use a second voice, and then change the "head type" of the eighth note to that of a quarter note.

Get the notes in by using two voices, then click on the eighth note and look for "head type" in the menu:


Once you change it to "quarter", it'll look like this:



And if anyone ever stumbles across this and wants to do it in Lilypond, here's the relevant portion of the manual: http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/multiple-voices#collision-resolution

You can also do it by making the notehead invisible, using the same menu or the shortcut "v".

If you're familiar with LaTeX and how great it is:

https://icking-music-archive.org/software/indexmt6-2012-12.html


I never pursued it that far but I guess you can import and export scores to/from MIDI as well.

LaTeX is nice, but for music notation, I would use LilyPond. (And Frescobaldi)

(There is a MIDI importer : http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.19/Documentation/usage/invoking-midi2ly.fr.html)

Lol, that would be a pencil 😉

By the way, some interesting music fonts for Finale, Sibelius and Dorico here:

https://norfonts.ma

Thanks for the helpful replies people ! I was about to do it "the old fashioned way" as some suggested.

I did it !! And it took me a mere two hours to complete two bars ! So proud...

My favourite is Mup by Arkkra Enterprises. Definitely doable with Mup. Download and use for free. It is the only software so far in context of my hobbies I have been willing to pay for so far (years before they went free).

Advantages:
1. Beautiful music sheet and in the meanwhile I have learnt that the PostScript output is fully vectorgraphical.
2. lots of parametrization and versatile control over the output.

However I have to mention the disadvantages:
1. Lengthy to type, so I created an own music notation language for myself especially to be able to type quick -- had even no MIDI controller at that time. I compile my langauge into mup for about 1 1/2 decade so far. Actually the second attempt seems to be quite sustainable for my own purposes
2. No MusicXML support. This is actually hurting the most. As I already have a compiler for my language, I decided to compile to abc notation and from there I can use an existing script to convert into MusicXML Backwards conversion is not there yet, I guess in a few years to come...
3. No unicode support.

Anyone interested, feel free to contact in private PW message