Tip #22 - Turn Off Mutual Translation For Individual Line Editing

This is a tip which is obvious if you already know about it, but can save a lot of grief if you weren't aware or had forgotten about it.

If you are using mutual translation between, say, a treble and a tab line, that means entering a note in the treble line will automatically enter the appropriate fingering in the tab line, and vice versa. Most other symbols entered into one line will also usually enter a symbol in the other line too. The presence of mutual translation between two lines is indicated by a thick dark line at the left edge of the staves (see image).

Sometimes you may want to make a change in one line without affecting the other line -such as adding a pick direction symbol to the tab, but not to the treble. Another common reason to change one without affecting the other is when you want to delete a symbol in one line but not the other. (Sometimes the mutual translation affects the lines in an unexpected way when you do a backspace or delete, so you may want to turn off mutual translation and delete from each line one character at a time.)

To make a change in one line without affecting the other you should toggle mutual translation off, which is easy to do by either hitting the "Automatic Translation/Insertion" button, or by selecting Options|Automatic Translation (Ctrl+I). When mutual translation is turned off the dark line at the left edge of the line group becomes a thin line (see image).

Extra note:
Normally when you are working with a line group with several staves, entering a bar in any one staff will enter bars in all the other staves too -EVEN IF THE LINES AREN'T MUTUALLY TRANSLATING. You can stop automatic bar insertion in all lines in the group by toggling mutual translation off -even if the lines aren't mutually translating.

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