Re: Song with repeat and partial

[David Wright]

On Wed 07 Aug 2024 at 14:43:32 (+0100), Raphael Mankin wrote:
>     <p>Is there a neat way of avoiding having a repeat bar in the middle
>       of a measure while preserving the stanza numbers is their proper 
>       places?<br>

I wasn't aware that the stanza numbers could become detached from
their proper place, which is in front of the first syllable of each
verse. However, I would take the advice of Henning Hraban Ramm, and
place Refrain as markup (I would use italics) over the staff, rather
than inserting it into the lyrics. If that's not possible for other
reasons, then abbreviate it to R.

As for eliminating the repeat barline, it all depends. The MWE
doesn't give a lot of clues.

The first alternative is just to make sure that the opening repeat
barline comes at the start of the line. The length of the real
introduction will affect how easily this can be done.

The next least alteration would be to use a segno mark, with D.S.
at the end, as less noticeable.

Another way is commonly used with hymns, breaking the lines to match
the lyric phrases. Whether you leave the staff open at the break, or
place a double barline, is a matter of taste. Your example doesn't
particularly look like a hymn, where the introduction is often
repeated before each verse, helping untrained singers get started.

Yet another way is to complete the last measure by adding the first
note of each verse (except the first). This moves the repeat barline
to the start of the measure. Typically, it makes the transition
between verses clearer when the music runs straight through.
Of course, you then have to add a last time measure. Sometimes this
is required anyway.

So choose whichever one suits the music itself. It won't always be
the same choice, as there's no one right answer.

Cheers,
David.