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Multi-measure rests in scores

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:03 pm
by gmardoc
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.

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:26 pm
by Jeremy Hughes
Hi there

You can allow multirests in scores, most easily by typing the keyboard shortcut, which is shift-command-m (shift-ctrl-m on Windows, I think).

Hope that helps

Jeremy

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 12:09 am
by gmardoc
Thanks for the tip. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but it looks like this is an all-or-nothing command. I tried it out and it turned ALL my bar rests into multi-measure rests, including the ones at the end of my score which I still plan to enter music into. I tried the "split multirest" option from the layout menu, but it doesn't work.

I guess I can wait until I'm completely finished writing to use that command, but then I'll have to do some re-formatting as far as page breaks and whatnot go. It would still be nice if Sibelius gave us the option to manually create individual multi-rests where, and when, we choose.

Re: Multi-measure rests in scores

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 5:09 am
by ihasseb
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.

Re: Multi-measure rests in scores

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:16 pm
by mbrowne
There is a simple workaround if you don't mind doing some extra work for the bars you don't want to be included in the multi-measure rest...create a hidden note or rest in those bars. This works best if you create the hidden note or rest in a 2nd voice. So for example, switch to voice 2 and enter a quarter note rest, then hide it (Edit > Hide or Show > Hide - Shift-Command-H on Mac). Then Sibelius won't treat it as an empty bar, so it won't be included in the multi-measure rest.