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PROBLEM WRITING DRUM PARTS

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:02 pm
by sus4
Actually I don't have a problem writing drum parts on a score. The problem is the stems of the drum part. What I usually do is write the snare drum in first using it as "voice one" and the bass drum as "voice two". The problem is after I write the snare part and direct the stems to point upward, when I start adding in the bass drum the stems from the snare part change and start facing downward. This is not what I want. I keep going back and forth adjusting the stems. Very frustrating. I looked in the manual under voices and it said nothing about drum or percussion parts in regard to the stems direction. So, the way I want the drum part to look is the stems on the snare notes should point upward and the stems on the bass drum part should point downward. Now, I do get this to happen only after much frustration of adjusting the stems many times. So, is there a way of having the stems stay upward when I write the snare part the first time and stay that way while I'm writing the bass drum part? Thanks for any help.

Re: PROBLEM WRITING DRUM PARTS

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 3:46 am
by bobp
If you are going to use voices and a five line staff to put purcussion parts on, It might be easier to go by the staff rules Sibelius goes by. When writing for a drum kit, the bass goes in the bottom space, snare on the B or C (depending on the sound you want), toms, the few above that, and cymbals above the staff. Stem direction is not important, as long as players know which notes are theirs. I have used this arrangement before and there was no problem. Otherwise, you might want a separate line for each instrument.
Now, perhaps there is a way to easily do what you want. I've never had to look for it.

Re: PROBLEM WRITING DRUM PARTS

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 1:50 pm
by sus4
If you're writing professional drum parts on a score I don't see how you can not do it properly without using voices. You can't put a quarter note one the first beat of a measure and right underneath that note put an eight rest. You have to use voices....I'm pretty sure and stem direction is important. Anyway, thanks for your reply.

Re: PROBLEM WRITING DRUM PARTS

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 4:39 pm
by andyg
You should be OK using up to the four voices allowed per stave. 1&3 will be high, and stem up. 2&4 will be low, and stem down. At some point, you may have to resort to a little fakery and flip things around. I'm just re-engraving a score with a drum part and although most of it has been straightforward, a couple of bits have made me scratch my head a little. But it has done the job - so far, as I'm only on page 2 out of 6! But it is a 1960s pop song so I don't think there will be anything outrageous coming up!

Re: PROBLEM WRITING DRUM PARTS

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 7:16 pm
by bobp
Yes, Andy has a way to do what you want.
But, when I see professional scores with multiple percussion parts, Very seldom are two of them played at the same time on the same staff. A player often switches instruments during the piece, But each player has their own line. That is what my answer was about.

Re: PROBLEM WRITING DRUM PARTS

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:35 pm
by MikeLyons
Don't change the direction of the stems. As soon as you start adding voice 2 notes/rests, the voice 1 ones will automatically adjust.