Multi-measure rests in scores
Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:03 pm
It would be great if the "create multi-measure rest" function worked in scores too, instead of just the separate parts.
I write/arrange a lot of front ensemble and battery (marching percussion) music for marching bands. Typically, people like myself create a completely separate scores just for the battery instruments and pit instruments, rather than adding battery parts to the wind score. It makes rehearsals a lot easier for percussion instructors who don't need to see the wind parts. Also, If we added all those parts to the wind scores, the scores would be so huge that we wouldn't be able to print on normal 81/2" x 11" paper, which is usually what our clients are limited to.
The drawback is that when the percussion section(s) have an 8 or 16 measure rest, it wastes a whole page or two in the score with empty measures. It is also a pain for instructors to have to manually count how many measures of rest there are. It would be great if I could just create a multi-measure rest right there in the score. Unfortunately (at least in Sibelius 5.2.5), that function is disabled for scores.
I understand the argument that you don't want measures to inadvertently turn into multi-measure rests while something is a work in progress. The solution to this is to not make multi-measure rests automatically create themselves in scores, like they do in parts. Let it be a manual-only function. For example, if i haven't gotten a chance to fill in a bunch of blank measures yet, they won't automatically turn into multi-measure rests without my permission. However, if i decide I would like to create one, I can simply go up into the menus and create one at will. It should be pretty simple as far as software programming goes and i can't see any negative side effects. I hope you'll include this in future versions of Sibelius.
I write/arrange a lot of front ensemble and battery (marching percussion) music for marching bands. Typically, people like myself create a completely separate scores just for the battery instruments and pit instruments, rather than adding battery parts to the wind score. It makes rehearsals a lot easier for percussion instructors who don't need to see the wind parts. Also, If we added all those parts to the wind scores, the scores would be so huge that we wouldn't be able to print on normal 81/2" x 11" paper, which is usually what our clients are limited to.
The drawback is that when the percussion section(s) have an 8 or 16 measure rest, it wastes a whole page or two in the score with empty measures. It is also a pain for instructors to have to manually count how many measures of rest there are. It would be great if I could just create a multi-measure rest right there in the score. Unfortunately (at least in Sibelius 5.2.5), that function is disabled for scores.
I understand the argument that you don't want measures to inadvertently turn into multi-measure rests while something is a work in progress. The solution to this is to not make multi-measure rests automatically create themselves in scores, like they do in parts. Let it be a manual-only function. For example, if i haven't gotten a chance to fill in a bunch of blank measures yet, they won't automatically turn into multi-measure rests without my permission. However, if i decide I would like to create one, I can simply go up into the menus and create one at will. It should be pretty simple as far as software programming goes and i can't see any negative side effects. I hope you'll include this in future versions of Sibelius.