6

enter image description here

I'm a total beginner with all things music theory, so I figured I'd ask.

I'm trying to enter this into MuseScore, but the triplets in the last two bars are confusing me. If I try to enter them I get these extra rests. What am I doing wrong?

enter image description here

Edit: I am able to make desired triplets if I make some new measures in 2/2 and 4/4 time. But I'm wondering, why can't I make such a triplet in measure 52? 52 is in 2/2 time. All I can think of is that MuseScore doesn't like the staves changing time signatures separately. Any idea how to work around this? FYI: I am using MuseScore 3. I realize this is out of date, but I can't stand the way dynamics work in MuseScore 4.

enter image description here

Improve this question
6
  • 2
    I am equally confused. Entering these triplets should be straightforward: Select duraction 1/2 and press Ctrl+3 to enter a tuplet of total length 1/2. Then enter the first three notes. Then again select duration 1/2, press Ctrl+3, and enter the second group of notes. Could you possibly share with us step by step how you enter these tuplets, and when the problem starts to appear?
    – Lazy
    Commented Feb 22, 2023 at 8:35
  • 3
    I bet the problem has something to do with the fact that each staff changes time signature at a different moment.
    – Elements In Space ♦
    Commented Feb 22, 2023 at 8:58
  • That looks like what a less-than-smart DAW will do if the notes & score prefs aren't quantised
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Feb 22, 2023 at 13:19
  • The software thinks you need an extra 1/16 + 1/64 + 1/256 + 1/1024 ≈ 1/12 of a measure in the "triplet tempo", which is equivalent to an extra 1/8 note in the "base tempo". No idea why, though.
    – Michael Seifert
    Commented Feb 22, 2023 at 16:21
  • 2
    As Elements in Space implies, MuseScore may not be able to handle Strauss's unusual combination of time signatures. I wonder what Strauss thought he gained by writing the soprano in different time signatures from the orchestra here. (In the 2nd to 4th bars of the excerpt.)
    – Old Brixtonian
    Commented Feb 22, 2023 at 18:36

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

In short, this is a basic quarter-note triplet where the first two quarter notes of the triplet are combined into a single half-note value.

MuseScore's triplet function is based on making a triplet out of whatever note or rest value is currently highlighted. As such, because this is a triplet that takes up two quarter-note beats, you'll want to first highlight a half note (or half rest) before clicking the triplet option; note that the half rest is highlighted blue while I click triplet:

enter image description here

With the triplet now created, click on the half note to enter that first half note of the triplet:

enter image description here

The rest should be relatively straightforward to reach what you want:

enter image description here

Improve this answer
2
  • I'm doing just that and it doesn't work. It works if I do that in a different measure, but for some reason not in the one I'm trying to do it in. Just to see what would happen, I tried making some measures in 4/4 and 2/2. When I made the triplets in those measures it worked perfectly. So I'm wondering, is the problem the fact that the staves in the score change time signatures at different times?
    – AdrianD
    Commented Feb 22, 2023 at 20:39
  • @AdrianD are you in note-inputted mode?
    – justANewb stands with Ukraine
    Commented Feb 23, 2023 at 8:55

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.