Writing second voices for percussion lines is extremely difficult or impossible.

[brenostoliveira]

Issue type

UX/Interaction bug (incorrect behaviour)

Description with steps to reproduce

1 - Try writing a second voice line on any percussion instrument that does not use tonal clefs.

Supporting files, videos and screenshots

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0e30b814-18da-458f-95b8-dd6e2311c744

What is the latest version of MuseScore Studio where this issue is present?

4.4.3-242971445, revision: github-musescore-musescore-eb6b367

Regression

I was unable to check

Operating system

Windows 11

Additional context

No response

Checklist

• [X] This report follows the guidelines for reporting bugs and issues
• [X] I have verified that this issue has not been logged before, by searching the issue tracker for similar issues
• [X] I have attached all requested files and information to this report
• [X] I have attempted to identify the root problem as concisely as possible, and have used minimal reproducible examples where possible

[MarcSabatella]

The percussion input system is being designed for 4.5 to be more intuitive, so hopefully that helps. But meanwhile, it's hardly impossible, nor even particularly difficult - just rather non-obvious. The simplest way in most cases is to customize the drumset definition, if you want a given note to default to voice 2. Or, if you want to override it for just a few notes, then while in note input mode, select the item on the palette then click the voice button, then click in the score or double-click the palette normally.

See the Handbook chapter on percussion notation to learn more, and if you have questions, feel free to ask on the official Support forum at musescore.org.

[SteveBlower]

It is possible to do this, and once you have found out the workflow it is not particularly difficult. However, that workflow is rather obscure.

1. Enter the notes in one voice 1.
2. Exit note entry mode
3. CTRL+Click to select the notes you want to be in voice 2
4. Click the voice 2 button in the toolbar
5. Add voice 1 notes again to those you just moved to voice 2.

This came up recently in the musescore.org forum https://musescore.org/en/node/371056

[MarcSabatella]

That method works too but not for tuplets, which is why it goes wrong in the video above. You can however use Tools / Voices to move the entire content of the measure to voice 2. So, if you have a single measure you want in multiple voices without customizing the drumet definition to make that the default for other measures too, you could enter the voice 2 notes first using voice 1, then Exchange voices 1-2, then enter the desired notes for voice 1. But as I note above, you can actually enter notes directly into voice 2, as long as you clickt he voice 2 button after clicking the appropriate palette item but before clicking to enter it into the score. And to be clear, the shortcuts will always use the default voice; no way to override that for a single note.

[brenostoliveira]

In the video I also try to move the content to the second voice, but without success. The way I found to achieve this was to write the two voices on a melodic instrument and copy it to the percussion. My intention in writing the second voice is to create a polyrhythm on the same instrument.

[MarcSabatella]

Yes, as I mentioned, moving notes to another voice using the buttons fails if they are tuplets. Instead use Tools / Voices.

Please don’t hesitate to ask for help on the official support forum when you are having trouble seeing how to do something - but also be sure to check out the appropriate Handbook sections!