For guitarists and arrangers using Sibelius for music notation, chord diagrams can be a helpful feature, especially when creating educational materials or simplified scores. However, for advanced users or those writing complex guitar arrangements, these diagrams can become redundant or even intrusive. This article will guide you through the process of disabling automatic chord diagrams in Sibelius, ensuring a cleaner and more streamlined workflow tailored to your needs.
Understanding Chord Diagram Display in Sibelius
Sibelius, by default, is set to display chord diagrams for guitar instruments whenever a chord symbol is entered. This feature is designed to be user-friendly, providing visual aids for less experienced musicians. However, many guitarists, particularly those familiar with chord symbols and fretboard navigation, find these diagrams unnecessary and prefer a cleaner lead sheet focused solely on chord names.
Method 1: Turning Off Chord Diagrams via Engraving Rules
One effective method to disable chord diagrams is through Sibelius’s Engraving Rules. This approach allows you to control various aspects of your score’s appearance, including the display of chord diagrams. Here’s how to do it:
- Access Engraving Rules: Navigate to the “House Style” menu in Sibelius, and select “Engraving Rules.” This will open a comprehensive dialog box with various style settings.
- Navigate to Chord Symbols: In the Engraving Rules dialog, locate and select “Chord Symbols” from the left-hand categories.
- Choose “Text Only”: Within the Chord Symbols options, find the “Chord diagrams” section. Here, you will typically see options related to diagram display. To disable diagrams entirely, select the option that specifies “Chord text only.” This setting instructs Sibelius to display only the chord name, without the accompanying diagram.
- Apply and Save: Click “OK” to apply the changes to the Engraving Rules. For future projects, to avoid repeating this process, it’s recommended to save this configuration as a Manuscript Paper. You can do this by going to “File” > “Export” > “Manuscript Paper.” Saving it as a new Manuscript Paper or replacing your default one will ensure that new lead sheets created with this paper will not display chord diagrams by default.
Method 2: Modifying Instrument Definitions
Another approach to prevent chord diagrams from appearing is by adjusting the instrument definition itself. This method is particularly useful if you consistently prefer to work without chord diagrams for guitar and want a more permanent solution associated with the instrument.
- Edit Instruments: Go to “House Style” again, but this time select “Edit Instruments.” This opens the Instrument dialog, allowing you to modify instrument properties.
- Select Guitar Instrument: Locate your preferred guitar instrument in the list. You might want to modify an existing one or create a new one specifically for use without chord diagrams (e.g., “Guitar (No Diagrams)”).
- Instrument Definition Options: In the instrument definition settings, look for an option related to chord diagrams. The specific wording may vary depending on your Sibelius version, but it will likely be something like “Show guitar chord diagrams by default.”
- Disable Chord Diagrams: Uncheck or deselect the “Show guitar chord diagrams by default” option. This action tells Sibelius not to automatically generate chord diagrams for this particular instrument definition.
- Save Changes: Click “OK” to save the modified instrument definition. If you created a new instrument, ensure you select it when creating new scores to apply these settings.
Applying Your Preferred Settings to Future Projects
After adjusting either the Engraving Rules or Instrument Definitions, it’s crucial to ensure these settings apply to your future projects. Saving your customized settings as a Manuscript Paper, as mentioned in Method 1, is the most efficient way to achieve this. By using your custom Manuscript Paper when starting new scores, you can consistently work in Sibelius without the automatic display of guitar chord diagrams.
Conclusion
Disabling automatic chord diagrams in Sibelius can significantly enhance your workflow if you find them unnecessary. Whether you choose to adjust the Engraving Rules or modify Instrument Definitions, Sibelius offers flexible options to tailor the software to your specific needs. By implementing these methods, you can create cleaner, more focused guitar scores that prioritize the information you deem most important for your musical projects.
