Two-part problem

[benwiggy]

What's the best way to combine these two parts onto one staff, while reducing any ambiguity?

IF it helps, I'm happy to subdivide or otherwise adjust the notes on the upper part, but I would ideally need the lower part preserved.

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[MJCube]

I would want to keep them on separate staves. If you must combine, you could write the first note of the lower part as two tied … that would at least give you stems. Tying the upper part doesn’t help anything.

[Knut]

Using MJCube's suggestion og tying the first notes in the lower staff, I don't think there's any reason not to combine the two voices onto one staff. The respective dynamics should go above/below the combined staff, of course.

[harpsi]

If this is vocal music with two lyric lines, one above and one below, the lyrics might reduce the ambiguity with the preserved note values.

[benwiggy]

It's a choral work with organ: the lower part is both the bass voice and the original organ "basso seguente" part; for the realisation/part reduction, I'd want to merge the two, but preserve the source.

[OCTO]

I would want to keep them on separate staves. If you must combine, you could write the first note of the lower part as two tied … that would at least give you stems. Tying the upper part doesn’t help anything.

That is what I first had in mind, but didn't comment since Ben was asking for not changing the lower voice. It is a hard example indeed, but I would in this case use MJCube's proposed idea.

[harpsi]

What about using small open brackets? Like an "L" for the top part and an upside down for the lower?

[OCTO]

Yes, harpsi, or...what about dashed slurs, or dashed brackets connecting the voices?

[benwiggy]

Thanks for the great suggestions! I'll try them all and see what works best.