Hello! An important reminder regarding my live streams - you can always access previous episodes via my YouTube channel. Last week's Café episode on the uses of MuseScore in education is one I know a lot of teachers will want to check out, so if you missed it, I encourage you to go back and view it in the archives (just click the preceding link).

MuseScore Café

This week in the MuseScore Café with Marc Sabatella, we look at the different types of repeats one can create in MuseScore - how to create them and get them to play correctly. I'll demonstrate repeat barlines, voltas, mid-measure repeats, segnos measure repeats, and more!

The free MuseScore Café is live on Wednesday at 12:30 PM Eastern (16:30 GMT, or 17:30 during the winter months), and you can access past episodes in the archive.

Tip of the Week

A common problem people having creating repeats is getting the endings right. First, knowing the technical term "volta" will help you find relevant information in the Handbook. One of the most important things to understand about this is how to make a volta (or other type of line, for that matter) extend over multiple measures. What doesn't work: adding it to one measure then dragging the endpoint. What does work: using Shift+Right to extend the line to the next logical ending point. What works even better: selecting the full range of measures you want the volta to apply to before adding the line, then adding the line by simply clicking the palette icon (not dragging - rarely the most efficient way to add elements from the palette anyhow).

You'll know you have it right if the anchor lines that appear when you click the volta show it covering the measures you expect.

Music Master Class

This week I will talk more about quartal harmony and other extensions of basic triadic harmony, and as always, give feedback on some of your submissions!

The free Music Master Class is live on Thursday at 12:30 PM Eastern (16:30 GMT, or 17:30 during the winter months), and you can access past episodes in the archive.

In Theory

Quartal harmony involves creating chord structures from fourths rather than from thirds as in ordinary triadic harmony. This allows you to suggest harmonies in a way that preserves their basic sound but provides more flexibility in how they can function and resolve. This allows you to more easily move chords in unexpected directions. Jazz pianists usually become well-versed in these techniques but it is often something of a mystery outside that world. As mentioned, I will discuss this more in the Music Master Class on Thursdays. Here is an example to consider meanwhile - a deliberately random series of chords voiced with quartal harmony but somehow sounding almost logical. Click the graphic to view/hear on musescore.com:

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