Barlines

Use the Staff tool to break barlines between staves. Use the Measure tool to set the barlines for staves. Files created in SongWriter 2001 or later will always have a final barline on the last measure of the piece. As you add or delete measures, the final barline will move to the new last measure.

To draw the barline between staves

Bracketed staves have an important characteristic: instead of drawing barlines only on the staves, the barlines are drawn through staves in a group.

Make sure you’re in Scroll View before you begin; if you’re not, choose Scroll View from the View Menu.

1. Click the Staff tool  . The Staff Menu appears.
2. If you haven’t yet created the bracket, do so now. See Bracket Attributes Dialog box.
3. Click a bracket handle, then choose Staff > Add Bracket. Or, double-click a bracket handle. (Or, choose Staff > Add Bracket without selecting a group.)

Tip: If brackets do not appear in page view, turn off Allow Individual Staff Spacing in the Page Layout tool. You can then re-apply as needed.

4. Click OK to confirm your bracket settings and return to the score.

To break a barline between staves

To break a barline above a single staff in a group whose barlines are otherwise drawn through the group of staves, follow these instructions:

1. Click the Staff tool  . The Staff Menu appears.
2. Select the staff immediately below the desired break, then choose Staff > Edit Staff Attributes. Or, double-click a staff, staff handle, or staff name handle immediately below the desired break. The Staff Attributes dialog box appears.
3. Click Break Barlines Between Staves, then click OK. You return to the score; the barline is no longer drawn continuously through the space above the staff you selected.

To create a double, final, or solid barline

1. The Measure Attributes dialog box appears.
2. Click the Measure tool  , and double-click the handle of the barline you want to change.
3. Click the desired barline type.
4. Click OK

To move a barline

1. Click the Measure tool  . A handle appears on each barline.
2. Drag the handle of the desired barline horizontally. The measure becomes wider or narrower. If you move a barline in Page View, you don’t just change the width of the measure whose right barline you drag; you also increase or decrease the width of the measure to its right, making this a useful technique for touching up your page layout. (You can adjust all measures in a system except the last one with this method.)

To create a single, double or solid left barline

1. Click the Measure tool  , and double-click the barline on the system *before* you want a left barline. The Measure Attributes dialog box appears.
2. Click the desired barline type.
3. Click OK (or press ENTER)).
4. Choose Document > Left Barline from Previous Measure. The selected barline appears to the left side of the measure.

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