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Staff Rules 
Standard drum staves
A standard drum staff follows the usual notation for drummers.
It is a staff whose clef comprises two vertical lines :

To change a regular staff into a standard drum staff, select "Staff>Change type".

A default rule set, matching the most commonly used notation, is automatically added to the staff.

A standard drum staff is defined by a rule set. When the staff is created, a default rule set is chosen. This rule set depends on the drum set you select.

Generally speaking, all instruments used by this kind of staff are drum instruments. It is then possible to use pitch as a criterion.
 

Important :  From Melody Assistant 5.1 and Harmony Assistant 7.1, a default effect processor can be related to each instrument. In case of drum staves, the whole staff uses the effect processor defined in the default instrument (can be edited by clicking the  icon in the staff margin).
 
 
To avoid any confusion, old drum staves will be called grid drum staves.
Question :  What does a grid drum staff looks like ?
 
Here is an example of three grid staves :
Only one instrument is related to each staff : High Bongo, Cabasa and Triangle.

These three staves can be written in a single standard drum staff :

 
 
Question : How do I transfer grid drum staves to a standard drum staff ?
 
Select the whole grid staves and copy them.
Select the standard drum staff and paste.
Notes will be displayed differently on the standard staff according to the rule they are following (the instrument they are played on).
If rules already exists for the target standard drum staff they will be given priority.
If no rule matches the instrument of the pasted note, a new rule is created.
 
 
Note : 
Drum instruments with the same name but belonging to different drum sets are considered to be different.  
Thus the 'Snare-Drum' instrument from a 'Jazz' set is not the same as the 'Snare-Drum' instrument from an 'Orchestra' set.
 

 
Question :  How do I transfer a standard drum staff to grid drum staves ?
 
Open the staff pop-up menu by clicking on the black triangle on the left, and select "Split staff according to rules". The staff is split into as many grid staves as there are rules in the rule set.

 
Tip :  
A grid staff is generated for each rule, even if the rule does not include any notes. Some empty grid staves may then appear. To avoid this, edit the rule set and "Purge" it before splitting.
 

 
Question :  How do I change the symbol for all the notes following a rule ?
 
As we have already said, it is automatic. Edit the rule, change its criteria and click OK
 
 
 
Question :  How do I change the instrument corresponding to a given note ?
 
This is a matter of changing the note's symbol so that it matches a new rule.
If the rule is based on note pitch, click on the note, keep the mouse button depressed and move the note up or down.
If the rule is based on note head shape, deselect the note length in the note palette, then select the required shape in the note display palette. The mouse pointer is now a syringe indicating that current settings will be injectedinto the note. Click on the notes you want to change.
If the rule is based on color, follow the same procedure, but select a color instead of a shape in the note display palette.

 

 
Tip :  
It is possible to select up to 256 different colors. Some of these colors are very close together, and can be confused with each other. To make a note follow a color-dependent rule, however, the exact color is needed. Thus, rules use a reduced color set, in which colors can be easily differentiated. To activate this reduced color set, select the color selection icon with the shift key depressed, or right-click on it.
 
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