User Manual
8.15
The default mode of note entry is single-voice mode: all notes on each sta pertain to a single instrument.
In multi-voice mode, up to four parts can be notated on the same sta: as many as eight in a grand sta.
If you want, you can assign each to a dierent instrument (see Short Score Sta, next topic).
Two Voices
It’s convenient to discuss using multiple voices on a single sta rst with two voices (this topic) and then with up
to four voices (next topic). With two voices, all notes with stems pointing up are the upper voice (Voice 1) and all
notes pointing down are the lower voice (Voice 2). Of course, to Enter notation you need to be in Edit mode.
Visual Help
If you nd you would like a visual indicator of the separate voices, you can
go to the Menu bar and select View > Show > Show Voice Colors (so it
receives a checkmark in the menu). Voice 1 notes remain in a standard
black color and all Voice 2 notes then appear in a purple color.
Enter Voice 1 (Upper Voice)
By default, all notes you Enter are considered to be part of Voice 1. Until
you add Voice 2, note stems of Voice 1 will point in either direction, depending on the degree on a sta.
Enter Voice 2 (Lower Voice)
To switch to Voice 2, press [Windows: Ctrl + 2; Mac: + 2] or go to the Entry Palette and click in the
third pane from the left. To verify you have multi-voice entry enabled and you are in Voice 2, you view a small
v2 mark in your Music Cursor.
Switching to Voice 2 triggers two events: all succeeding notation you Enter appear as Voice 2
(stems down). At the same time, every time you add a Voice 2 note, any Voice 1 note(s) in the same beat that
happen to have stems down now have their stems pointing up. In the example below, Voice 2 notes have
been added to only the rst half of the measure: note how the upper F in beats 1 and 2 point upward.
Two voices on beats 1 and 2 (only).
To assign a dierent instrument to Voice 2 than Voice 1, see Change Instrument per Voice in Chapter 11.
When you nish with Voice 2 and want to return to Voice 1, press [Windows: Ctrl + 1;
Mac: + 1] or click in the Entry Palette (third pane from the left).
Shared Voices
For notes you share on both voices, press [Windows: Ctrl + 5; Mac: + 5] or click in the
Entry Palette (third pane from the left). To verify the notes you Enter will be shared by both
voices, you view a small v1+2 mark in your Music Cursor.
Multi-Voice Entry