My brain hurts…

I have a 4/4 song I imported as a Music XML file with a two beat pick up measure. BiaB rendered it as a 4 beat bar (measure).

I want to change this 1st measure to a two beat 1st measure instead of 4 beats so I used the Bar Settings to make that 1st measure 2 beats and set measure 2 to 4 beats.

When I play it, the melody starts in the first measure on beat 1 however, it continues on beat 3 of the 2nd measure (set to 4/4), not beat 1 as expected or as the music reads. In other words, the melody is shifted forward by the number of beats I deleted from measure 1.

The chord symbol in measure 2 is also on beat 1 and it sounds on the proper beat so it is just the melody that is getting shifted. (I think)

I tried the “Nudge Chord/Melody” thing (plus & minus values) but no matter what I’ve tried so far, if the first measure is 4 beats, the 1st measure plays as if it was written as two quarter notes followed by a half rest with the melody resuming on the first beat of measure 2…

OR

If I set the first measure as a two beat measure, it plays as if it was 2 quarter notes in a 2 beat measure 1, followed by a half rest in measure 2 for the first two beats with the melody resuming on beat three.

I even tried using the Chord Settings to make the chord in measure 1 sound on beat 3, but nothing I've tried gets the melody on beat for measure 2 to the end of the song.

I think the problem is when I make a 4 beat measure a two beat measure, BiaB gets rid of beats 3 & 4 instead of 1 & 2 which makes the count for the first two measures 1-2-(3)-(4), 1-2-3-4 instead of (1)-(2)-3-4, 1-2-3-4, if you understand what I mean.

What am I doing wrong???

Thanks in advance for any insight or help you can offer!!

Last edited by Appoggiatura; 09/20/22 09:39 AM.