Sibelius Question & Answer Thread

[lukeottevanger]

Have yet to try out the staff-hiding advice.

Meanwhile . . .

Near the beginning of the Overture, I have a fermata over a ingle measure's rest, which I want to last five-ish measures' duration.  Suggestions on how to get playback to reflect that?

TIA!

Invisible metronome marks before and after (right-click to hide)

[karlhenning]

Knew it had to be easy; and, thanks!

[Guido]

Is there way of replacing Sibelius' midi sounds with better ones?

[lukeottevanger]

Yes (look into substitute devices and editing sound sets and all the rest). But I wouldn't know the details of how to do it.

[karlhenning]

Luke? Little help? 

[sul G]

With what, Karl? Sorry, I've only come on for the first time today and am a little out of the loop.

[karlhenning]

If you download this score-in-progress . . . the last two bars of notation, I've figured out how to add an arpeggio sign, but I don't know how to shift things so that there's room for it . . . guidance? TIA!

[sul G]

For precise alteration of positions I tend to alter x or y coordinates in the 'General' drop down of the 'Properties' box. I'm not sure precisely what you're trying to do, mind, but this feature is a great help when one wants to override default positions, and often works when drag-and-drop doesn't.

[karlhenning]

Mille grazie!  Perfect.

[karlhenning]

Another question:

Consider m. 226 below.  In my MS., I actually had the A and G connected with the same stem.  This is a case where I don't particularly need to insist on that 'style' for that measure . . . but I wound up making them independent stems.

I entered both notes on the treble clef, and tried to cross the G down to the bass clef . . . what happened was, that both notes were crossed down.

As I say, this measure I can leave be;  but in the closing section practically every bar will have eight-note chords, and the stemming will indicate the two hands, and the right hand will often have notes on both staves.

Help! 

[karlhenning]

While I'm at it . . . the final eighth-note dyad in m.224 . . . how may I add 'let-ring' "ties"?

Thanks again!

[sul G]

Another question:

Consider m. 226 below.  In my MS., I actually had the A and G connected with the same stem.  This is a case where I don't particularly need to insist on that 'style' for that measure . . . but I wound up making them independent stems.

I entered both notes on the treble clef, and tried to cross the G down to the bass clef . . . what happened was, that both notes were crossed down.

As I say, this measure I can leave be;  but in the closing section practically every bar will have eight-note chords, and the stemming will indicate the two hands, and the right hand will often have notes on both staves.

Help! 

OK.

In the case of the bar given, try flipping the stem of the lower note (press X) and then lengthening it artificially (by clicking on the end and dragging, or using arrows) until it joins the higher note's stem

In the case of you later examples, similar. But you won't need to flip, I assume, because your lower stave will have chords in two voices, so the upper voice's stems will automatically point upward.

It's a cheat, I suppose - the stems aren't really joined, one is simply extended to overlap the other. But it ought to work (haven't tried it as far as I remember) and I'd guess it would stay fairly rigid if you started pulling staves about later, as long as the overlap was sufficiently long.

[karlhenning]

Thanks!

[sul G]

While I'm at it . . . the final eighth-note dyad in m.224 . . . how may I add 'let-ring' "ties"?

Thanks again!

Well, I'd have thought simply adding ties but not tying them to anything would do it! That's what I did here, for instance. Maybe this isn't what you mean, though

[karlhenning]

That is what I mean;  looks simple 

[karlhenning]

With parts for The Mousetrap, I borrowed one of Hindemith's ideas (or anyway, as a performer, I noted this practice first in the Hindemith Clarinet Sonata).  Where there isn't the layout space for full cues on a separate staff, to cue the rhythm of the other part on a single line.  This was quite a time-sink in Finale, but it paid dividends in efficient rehearsal with Pete Cama-Lekx for so involved a piece.  I should be so delighted to learn that such a cue-line in Sibelius is as simple and intuitive as so much else in the software . . . .

Guidance, please?! 

[sul G]

With parts for The Mousetrap, I borrowed one of Hindemith's ideas (or anyway, as a performer, I noted this practice first in the Hindemith Clarinet Sonata).  Where there isn't the layout space for full cues on a separate staff, to cue the rhythm of the other part on a single line.  This was quite a time-sink in Finale, but it paid dividends in efficient rehearsal with Pete Cama-Lekx for so involved a piece.  I should be so delighted to learn that such a cue-line in Sibelius is as simple and intuitive as so much else in the software . . . .

Guidance, please?! 

Create your part, and then add another staff above either as another 'instrument' or, maybe better, as an 'ossia' stave (better because it is smaller, cue size).

After this, you can change the upper staff to a single line. I'm not at the right computer, so I can't remember the exact sequence, but essentially

highlight staff
right click
create
staff type change
and follow your nose.

Again, there's probably a more 'official' way to do this, but this way works for me. I used it with the parts for Elegy and Ascent, and whatever the problems with the piece, the parts were OK! 

[karlhenning]

Mille grazie!

[ChamberNut]

My question to Sibelius fans:  Why is Sibelius' Symphony No. 7 constantly rising up the ChamberNut charts with every additional listen?  Is it just a natural phenomena?

0:)

[karlhenning]

To know it, is to love it!