Systems

A system is one line of music across the page, including all the staves that constitute the staff system. This entry contains instructions for spacing, indenting, moving, or resizing systems. See Page layout for information on setting initial system position and size settings. See  System (line) break ,  Measure layout, or Page turns for further instructions on laying out the measures that constitute systems. 

For instructions on compacting staff systems by omitting empty staves (when printing orchestral scores, for example), and varying the number of staves in each system by removing blank staves, see Optimizing systems.

To indent or move a system

It’s common practice to indent the first system of a piece—not only for aesthetic reasons, but often to allow room for staff names to be written out in full. The following instructions show you how to indent or move a single system; if you want to indent all systems, a better method would be to simply increase the page margin. See Margins for full instructions.

1. Click the Page Layout Tool  . Each system is surrounded by a dotted-line rectangle.
2. Go to the page containing the system you want to change.
3. To indent a system, drag its upper-left handle. To move a system, click within the staff lines and drag.
4. Instead of dragging, you can enter values directly into the number boxes. See Edit System Margins dialog box for more information.
5. When you’re viewing Staff Systems, you’ll notice a boldface number to the right of each system. The numbers on the systems (the first system is number 1) help you identify each system, so you’ll be aware if the system layout has shifted.
6. From the Edit Menu, choose Update Layout.

To force a system onto the next page

Use the following technique if you’re laying out the pages of your piece and find that you need to force the last system on one page to the top of the next page. If you want the system to always appear at the top of a new page, see Page Turns.

1. Click the Page Layout Tool  . Each system appears, surrounded by a dotted-line.
2. Go to the page containing the system you want to move.
3. Click to select the system.  
4. From the Page Layout Menu, choose Systems, then Edit Margins.  
5. Enter a larger number in the Distance Between Systems text box. Make sure the Distance checked is the only box checked.
6. Click Apply. If the system doesn’t move to the next page, continue increasing the Distance Between Systems and clicking Apply until it moves.
7. Click Close.
8. From the Edit Menu, choose Update Layout.

To reduce or enlarge a system

You must be in Page View to reduce or enlarge a system.

1. Click the Page Layout Tool  . Each system appears, surrounded by a dotted-line.
2. From the Page Layout Menu, choose Resize Staff Systems. A dialog box appears, asking how to resize the system. Click Hold Margins if you want to reduce (or enlarge) the music itself but not the system margins, thus increasing (or decreasing) the number of measures that fit on a line. Click Resize Vertical Space if you want to tighten up (or expand) the space between this system and the next, proportional to the reduction (or enlargement).
3. Enter the desired reduction or enlargement percentage. Specify the region of systems you want to affect and click OK. The measure widths will probably appear uneven at first.
4. From the Edit Menu, choose Update Layout. To restore a system to its original size, click on the Page Layout Menu and select Resize Staff Systems again. When the dialog box appears, enter 100 (%).

To omit empty staves from a system (Optimizing)

See Optimizing systems.

To create variable-distance systems

See To create variable-distance systems.