Score Layout and Printing

Nuendo 10.3.0

The documentation covers the Score Editor in Nuendo that includes an extensive set of functions and tools for music notation and score printing.

Platform-Independent Documentation

The documentation applies to the operating systems Windows and macOS.

PDF Documents and Online Documentation

Conventions

In our documentation, we use typographical and markup elements to structure information.

Key Commands

Many of the default key commands, also known as keyboard shortcuts, use modifier keys, some of which are different depending on the operating system.

Score Editor

Score Editor Toolbar

The toolbar contains tools and various settings for the Score Editor.

Score Display

The main area of the Score Editor window shows the notes in the edited parts on one or several staves. Parts on different tracks are shown on different staves.

Page Mode

The Score Editor has two different modes: Page Mode and edit mode. Page Mode offers additional features which are directly related to how the score is displayed and printed.

Status Line

The status line shows the mouse time position, the mouse note position, and the current chord.

Info Line

The info line shows information about the selected note.

Extended Toolbar

The extended toolbar contains additional tools for your score.

Filters

The filters bar allows you to filter out indicators, handles, and other non-printed elements from the score.

Symbols

The Symbols tab in the left zone of the Score Editor contains symbols that you can add to the score.

Inspector

The Inspector provides settings for working with MIDI tracks.

Inspector Settings Dialog

You can configure which Inspector sections are shown. You can also specify the order of the sections.

Ruler

The Score Editor rulers are only available in Page Mode. They are graphic rulers that are shown at the upper and left border of the score and help you to position symbols and graphical objects in the score.

Position Info Window

The Position Info window helps you to determine and edit exact positions for symbols, objects, and staves in your score.

Zooming in the Score Editor

You can zoom in the Score Editor using the standard zoom techniques.

Score Editor Basics

The Score Editor allows you to display any possible piece of music as a score, complete with all the necessary symbols and formatting. You can extract parts out of a full orchestra score, add lyrics and comments, create lead sheets, drum scores, tablatures, etc.

MIDI Notes vs. Score Notes

MIDI tracks in Nuendo hold MIDI notes and other MIDI data. A MIDI note in Nuendo is defined by its position, length, pitch and velocity.

Setting up a Display Quantize Note Value

You can define the smallest note value that can be displayed by setting up a Display Quantize note value.

Preparing Scores

When you prepare a score, we suggest you do things in the following order, since this minimizes the time needed if you make a mistake somewhere and need to redo a step.

Activating a Staff

Only one staff can be active at a time. The active staff is indicated by a rectangle to the left of the clef symbol.

Setting up the Page

Before preparing the score for printing, you must make some page settings for your project. This also affects the on-screen display of the score.

Clef, Key, and Time Signature Settings

Before you enter notes into a score, we recommend that you first set the clef, key, and time signature for the staff.

Setting up Note Names

In the Score Editor, you can display note names in the following formats: English, German, or Solfège.

Transposing Instruments

Scores for some instruments, for example, a lot of brass instruments, are written transposed. Therefore, the Score Editor provides the Display Transpose function that transposes notes in the score without affecting the way they are played back.

Printing from the Score Editor

When you have made all necessary changes to the score display and you are satisfied with the result, you can print your score.

Exporting Entire Scores as Image Files

You can export a complete page in various image formats. This allows you to import your scores into desktop publishing and drawing applications.

Transcribing MIDI Recordings

You can create scores by transcribing your MIDI recordings.

Preparing Recorded Parts

Inserting Display Quantize Exceptions

Some situations may require different staff settings on different sections of the track. The staff settings are valid for the entire track, but you can insert changes wherever you like.

Resolving Parts That Contain Mixed Notes and Triplets

You can split the notes on a staff into separate tracks or convert a polyphonic staff into polyphonic voices.

Converting MIDI Notes to Match the Score

You can change the lengths and positions of some or all the MIDI notes in the edited parts so that they have exactly the values shown on screen.

Adjusting Rests

If there is no rest after a note although there should be one, you can try changing the settings in the Score Settings dialog.

Adjusting Note Lengths

If the recorded note is displayed with the wrong length, you can try changing the settings in the Score Settings dialog.

Entering and Editing Notes

You can create scores by entering and editing notes in the Score Editor.

Snap

The notes that you enter or edit in the Score Editor snap to positions defined by the note length and quantize values.

Acoustic Feedback

Acoustic Feedback allows you to hear the pitch of the note while moving to hear the pitch of the note at the mouse position.

Lock Layers

You can assign different types of objects to different lock layers and instruct Nuendo to lock one or two of these layers. This way, you cannot accidentally move other edit them.

Setting up the Staff

Before you start entering notes, you must make some initial staff settings.

Note Values and Positions

The most important settings for entering notes are the position of the note, the length of the note, that is, the note value, and the minimum spacing between notes, that is, the value that is selected in the Quantize Presets pop-up menu.

Note Input

You can show bars and beats positions when you insert notes.

Note Selection

There are several options to select notes.

Editing Note Positions

You can edit note time positions by dragging, by using the info line or by using key commands.

Editing Note Pitches

You can edit note pitches by dragging, by using the info line or by using key commands.

Moving Notes across Staves

You can move notes from one staff to another. This is useful if you edit several tracks.

Duplicating Notes

You can duplicate notes, even on different systems at the same time.

Cut, Copy, and Paste

You can use the regular commands to cut, copy, or paste notes.

Note Length Adjustments

You can edit the actual length of the notes, or you can edit the displayed length of the notes.

Splitting Notes

You can split two notes that are strung together by a tie.

Deleting Notes

You can delete notes.

Setting up a Split Staff

You can set up a split staff.

Multiple Staves

When you have parts on several tracks selected in the Project window, these are put on one staff each when you open the Score Editor. This allows you to work on several staves in parallel.

Inserting Clefs, Keys, or Time Signatures

You can insert clef, key, or time signature changes anywhere in the score.

Troubleshooting for Note Display

Score Settings Dialog

Score Settings – Project Tab

On the Project tab, you can specify which font and style are used for various elements in the score.

Score Settings – Layout Tab

On the Layout tab, you can make settings for the different layouts.

Score Settings – Staff Tab

The Staff tab shows the settings for the currently active staff.

Score Settings – Text Tab

On the Text tab, you can set up the text for your score.

Polyphonic Voicing

Nuendo allows you to set up polyphonic voicing with up to eight voices. This can make music with multiple voices clearer and easier to read.

Setting up Polyphonic Voices

You can set up your score for polyphonic voicing.

Activating Voices and Entering Notes

You can enter notes directly into active voices.

Inserting Display Quantize Changes for Active Voices

You can apply Display Quantize changes to active voices.

Creating Crossed Voicings

You can create crossed voicings for vocals, for example. Crossed voicings allow you to set up the stem direction and other note properties. This automatic distribution may require some manual editing.

Merging Polyphonic Voices

You can combine up to four tracks into one track with polyphonic voices.

Converting Voices to Tracks – Extract Voices

You can extract polyphonic voices from an existing track and create a new track for each voice.

Additional Note and Rest Formatting

Nuendo provides advanced options for formatting notes and rests.

Note Stems

You can flip the direction and edit the length of note stems.

Set Note Info Dialog

The Set Note Info dialog allows you to change the properties of all notes individually.

Setting up Accidental Options

You can set up the display of accidentals for all tracks in the project.

Using Enharmonic Shift

You can use Enharmonic Shift. This is useful if one or several notes are not displayed with the accidentals that you want.

Changing the Notehead Shape

You can change the shape of noteheads.

Colorizing Noteheads

You can assign colors to noteheads.

Copying Settings Between Notes

You can copy the attributes and settings of one note and use them for other notes.

Beams

Nuendo automatically groups notes under beams. You can determine how notes are grouped.

Tied Notes

Tied notes are two or more notes that are tied together.

Moving Notes Graphically

You can move notes graphically. This is useful if you want to change the layout without affecting the score or playback.

Moving Rests

You can move rests manually.

Displaying Cue Notes for Voices

You can set up voices to display cue notes.

Converting Notes to Cue Notes

You can convert regular notes to cue notes.

Creating Grace Notes

You can create grace notes by converting any note into a grace note. Grace notes do not affect the rest of the score display in any way.

Editing Grace Notes

You can edit grace notes.

Converting Grace Notes to Regular Notes

You can convert grace notes to regular notes.

Building Tuplets

You can build tuplets by permanently changing the MIDI data of the notes.

Quantizing the Display to Show Tuplets

If you recorded a tuplet and it plays back as you want it, but it is not displayed correctly, you can quantize the display.

Tuplets Dialog

The Tuplets dialog allows you to set up tuplets, triplets, etc.

Working with Symbols

Nuendo provides a Symbols tab that holds specific symbols that you can insert in your score.

Layers

In Nuendo, a score page always has multiple layers: the note layers, the layout layer, and the project layer. Any symbol that you add to the score belongs to one of these layers, depending on the type of symbol.

Symbol Details

The Symbols tab contains symbols that you can add to the score. These symbols are arranged in different sections.

Inserting Note Symbols

You can insert note symbols such as articulations and ornaments to one or several selected notes.

Inserting Note-Dependent Symbols

You can insert note-dependent symbols, such as arpeggios and strum directions, for specific notes, or you can insert them freely.

Symbol Handles

Symbols that have a length or a size, such as crescendo/diminuendo, slurs/ties, image files, or bars, have handles that allow you to resize or edit the symbol.

Moving Notes and Symbols

You can move notes and symbols with and without affecting the score playback.

Copying Notes and Symbols between Bars

You can move or copy notes and symbols from one bar to one or several other bars.

Resizing Symbols

You can resize symbols.

Resizing Note Symbols and Dynamics

You can resize note symbols and dynamics.

Aligning Symbols

You can align symbols horizontally.

Aligning Dynamics

You can align dynamic symbols horizontally.

Working with Chord Symbols

You can insert chord symbols into your score or have Nuendo analyze selected notes and create chord symbols.

Inserting Chord Symbols

You can insert chord symbols into your score manually.

Creating Chord Symbols from a Recording

If you have already recorded the chords for a project, Nuendo can analyze them and create chord symbols.

Displaying Chord Symbols from the Chord Track

You can display the chord symbols from the chord track. Chord symbols can be viewed, edited, and printed out in Page Mode.

Working with Text

You can insert lyrics and other text types into your score.

Text

Text is tied to the bar and staff position, that is, if you move the bar or the entire staff, it moves with it.

Lyrics

Lyrics are tied to the note position. If you move the note, the text moves with it. The spacing between notes is adjusted to make the lyrics fit.

Block Text

Block Text is text that you can paste from the clipboard or import from a text file.

Layout Text

Layout Text is text that is inserted on the layout layer. You can insert it for multiple staves. Layout Text is tied to the bar and staff position. If you move the bar or the entire staff, the text moves with it.

Page Text

Page Text is text that you can insert on the Layout Layer or on the Project Layer. Page Text that you insert on the Project Layer is part of the project layout and is shown in all layouts.

Words

You can save words that you use frequently as dedicated symbols in the Words section. This saves time, since you do not have to type the same word repeatedly.

Text Attribute Sets

Text attribute sets are presets that contain all font, size, and style settings. By creating text attribute sets for the settings you use most often, you can save a lot of time.

Context Menu Options

The context menu for text contains several options.

Setting up the Text Font

You can set up the text font for selected text or for all text.

Setting up the Font for Other Elements

You can make settings for virtually all text and numbers that appear in the score.

Finding and Replacing Text

You can replace all occurrences of a specific word or group of words with another word or group of words regardless of font, size, and style settings.

Editing Staff Names

You can set up staff names in the Score Settings dialog.

Melisma Lines

Melisma lines extend from lyrics to indicate that a syllable should be sung over several notes, for example. You can also add melisma lines to text that is an advice about articulation or playing style to indicate that it applies to a specific musical phrase.

Setting up Bar Numbers

You can set up how bar number are displayed.

Working with Layouts

Nuendo automatically creates layouts when you edit a single track or a combination of tracks. Layouts are presets that contain settings for the layout layer. They are an integral part of the specific track combination.

Extracting Musical Parts from Full Scores

You can extract a musical part from a full score.

Open Layout Dialog

The Open Layout dialog lists all available layouts for the project and allows you to edit different combinations of tracks.

Importing Symbols from Another Layout

You can import all layout symbols from the selected layout into the current layout.

Removing Layouts

You can remove layouts that you no longer need.

Showing Markers in Layouts

You can show markers that you created in the Project window in the current layout in the Score Editor.

Exporting Layouts

You can export layouts together with all staff settings and import them into other projects.

Working with MusicXML

Nuendo can import and export MusicXML files.

MusicXML vs. MIDI

MusicXML and MIDI handle note representation and sound differently.

Imported/Exported Parameters

Nuendo can import and export MusicXML files, which makes it possible to transfer musical scores to and from applications that support this file format. However, there are some restrictions concerning the parameters Nuendo supports.

Additional Techniques for Designing Your Score

Nuendo provides advanced options for designing your score.

Auto Layout Dialog

The Auto Layout dialog contains settings for automatic layout adjustments. You can also specify a number of values for the layout functions.

Reset Layout Dialog

The Reset Layout dialog allows you to delete hidden or underlying layout elements, which in effect restores the score to default settings.

Adjusting the Staff Size

You can adjust the staff size of single staves.

Setting the Staff Size for All Staves

You can set up the staff size for all staves. This setting is part of the layout. Use it if you want to print a full score slightly smaller than the parts for each instrument, for example.

Editing Barlines

For each barline, you can choose whether you want a regular barline, single barline, a double barline, a repeat sign, etc.

Moving Barlines

You can move barlines with or without affecting the surrounding bars.

Breaking Barlines

You can break barlines that stretch across a grand staff.

Adding Brackets and Braces

You can add brackets and braces to the current layout.

Setting the Default Number of Bars per Staff

You can specify how many bars you want to display across the staff by default.

Setting the Distance Between Staves

You can set the distance between staves.

Inserting Page Breaks

You can insert page breaks.

Hidden Objects

Hidden objects can be useful for different purposes.

Multiple Rests

Nuendo allows you to set up how multiple rests are displayed.

Creating Pick-Up Bars

You can create pick-up bars.

Creating Pick-Up Bars by Hiding Rests

You can create pick-up bars by hiding rests.

Scoring for Drums

In Nuendo, you can score for drums and assign unique noteheads to individual pitches and note values.

Setting up Drum Maps

To be able to display different noteheads for different pitches in the Score Editor, you must first set up a drum map. A drum map is a list of drum sounds with a number of settings for each sound.

Setting up a Staff for Drum Scoring

You can set up a staff for scoring drum notes.

Drum Note Editing

You can enter and edit drum notes in the same way as regular notes.

Setting up a Single Line Drum Staff

You can set up a drum staff so that it is shown as one single line, and determine if the notes are shown below, on, or above the line.

Tablature

In Nuendo, you can display staff notation in tablature, or you can create tablature from scratch.

Creating Tablature from Scratch

You can create tablature from scratch.

Showing Staff Notation in Tablature

You can show your score in tablature.

Changing Noteheads to Numbers

Instead of showing all notation in tablature, you can also change single noteheads to numbers.

Setting up the Tablature Font

You can set up the font for the tablature numbers.

Changing Note Pitches

You can change the note pitches of your tablature.

Moving Notes to Another String

You can move notes to another string if you want to avoid open strings on a guitar, for example.

Rhythmic Notation

In Nuendo, you can display your score in rhythmic notation. This is useful if you want to focus on rhythmic information only, for example in cues or the conductor’s score. Rhythmic notation can also help you to create lead sheets.

Showing Staff Notation as Rhythmic Notation

You can show regular notation as rhythmic notation. Rhythmic notation is a display function and therefore non-destructive. You can switch between regular notation and rhythmic notation.

Showing Rhythmic Notation as Regular Notation

You can suspend rhythmic notation and show the regular notation again. Rhythmic notation is a display function and therefore non-destructive. You can switch between regular notation and rhythmic notation.

Rhythmic Bar Indicators

Rhythmic bar indicators show which sections of the score display rhythmic notation.

Hiding Notes and Rests in Bars

You can hide notes and rests in one or more bars. This allows you to focus on specific parts of your score without deleting anything. Only the display changes, all notes and rests still play back as usual.

Replacing Notation with Repeat Bar Signs

You can show a repeat bar sign that replaces the regular or the rhythmic notation in one or more bars.

Playback

In Nuendo, you can play back repeats, project symbols, and mapped dynamics.

Playing Back Repeats and Project Symbols

Nuendo can play back directions such as repeats, and project layer symbols such as segnos, codas, da capos, and endings.

Mapped Dynamics

Mapped dynamics in Nuendo make use of the Note Expression functionality.