My first guess would be that you - instead of going the “specify voicing” way - could use staff styles to show/hide layers.

In Other Words:

Create two different linked parts (e. g. Horn 1 and Horn 2).

Use different staff styles to hide/show layers in the two different linked parts.

Thanks! Is there any way in staff styles to differentiate notes in 1 layer? A lot of the piece has both horns playing unison rhythm in one layer.

Michael Nunes,

You wrote:

“Is there any way in staff styles to differentiate notes in 1 layer? A lot of the piece has both horns playing unison rhythm in one layer.”

I am not sure I understand completely, but here are two ideas:

1) Where they play unison in Layer 1, use the Edit menu to copy the Layer 1 notes to Layer 2.

Use the Staff Tool to hide the Layer 2 notes in the score.

This solution might be the more “clean”, flexible solution, since you can keep one instrument in Layer 1, and the other instrument in Layer 2.

2) In the linked part, use a custom staff style to display the Layer 1 notes where needed.

This solution might be the more “quick and dirty” (but also less flexible) solution.

How are you using "cue notes" if the instruments are already playing?

(That's not a rhetorical question.)

Peter,

Thanks! If I have them playing multiple notes notated in one layer (i.e. instead of 2 separate beams and using 2 layers, just a chord in layer 1), do I have to move the lower note into layer 2 or do you think there's still a way of separating those too?

J Adrian,

The instruments are resting. The 2nd question was dealing with a difficulty that I have with using staff styles to simply hide layer 1 or layer 2. :)

Michael Nunes,

You wrote:

“If I have them playing multiple notes notated in one layer (i.e. instead of 2 separate beams and using 2 layers, just a chord in layer 1), do I have to move the lower note into layer 2 or do you think there's still a way of separating those too?”

The feature “Part Voicing” has a solution for that situation since you can choose Display Top Note or Display Bottom Note.

I know about that feature. However, that brings me back to the first problem: trying to put top of layer 1 and all of 4 in one part

Michael Nunes,

You wrote:

“I know about that feature. However, that brings me back to the first problem: trying to put top of layer 1 and all of 4 in one part.”

Unfortunately the feature “Part Voicing” can not display more than one layer.

The only way I can see, is to move the lower note into Layer 2, and use a custom staff style to display/hide the desired layers.

As I thought. No problem. Thank you for being so helpful! :)