Alignment of notes in piano chords containing different voices

[MacG64]

Hi! Brand new to the forum and really hoping someone can help. For reference, I am using SIBELIUS 6 with Windows.

I am trying to input some piano chords, which have different voices, and in order to show the voice-leading need to have the stalks differentiated. (This is actually the beginning of bar 16 of 'Promenade' from Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition"). As you can see, in the attached picture, this has worked well in the first chord where I have input the G and C using Voice 1 and was able to differentiate the motion of the lower part by using Voice 2. However, on the second beat of the bar, as you can see from the attached image, I have run into problems: I cannot get the alignment to work properly when I try and put the stalks in the right direction. Perhaps this problem is occuring because here the voices crossover here: I want to show the Eb and then E natural quavers of the first beat resolving upwards to the crotchet F in the inner voice on the second beat - all with the stalks going down and the middle C and A on the second beat with the stalks going up. I have tried a few different solutions/swopping voices etc and nothing is working. Have trawled through the menu options: I am thinking either I can "fix" it by doing something about the alignment OR is there something I could do with the stalks?? I can get all the notes into alignment obviously when I am not trying to show the voice leading and have tried various ways of fiddling with the stalks but no joy! I hope I am making sense.

I've looked around in the forum but can't find anything to do with my particular issue. I am keen to try an solve this as in piano music you often have different voices within one hand like this and part crossing in terms of voice leading.

Any help gratefully received!

[MikeLyons]

Possible solutions:

1. Use voice 3 for the F
2. Use the plugin "Narrow two voices".

[MacG64]

Hi Mike,

Brilliant! Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to get in touch - much appreciated. Just used the Voice 3 solution. RESULT - been fiddling around with that for the last couple of days.

Sally

[MikeLyons]

Like everything else, it's easy when you know!