2+3/8 to 6/8 to 2+3/8

Piece is in 2+3/8, I want a bar of 6/8 which goes back to the 2+3/8, but when I do so still gives me the 2+3/8 in time (e.g. 5 eight notes total bar duration) if I’m understanding this


If I attach it to the end of the piece (as far as I’ve gotten writing this) it works correctly

Dorico will only rebar as far as the next existing time signature, unless you turn on Insert mode before adding the new time signature.

Alternatively stick the caret where you want the extra quaver/eighth and type Shift-B 1e Enter.

Leo to the rescue as always. The logic makes sense, it could wreck havoc with the music otherwise, OTOH it does create a non sensical bar. It does get a little weird doing this, it adds a rest at the end of the bar as expected, but then if I try to lengthen the note before that to encompass the rest it ends up pushing the rest into the next bar by the rhythmic grid value. So there’s a bunch of little fiddly to get it smoothed out which is OK.


Alternatively stick the caret where you want the extra quaver/eighth and type Shift-B 1e Enter

That’s a bit of crazyness. So what’s the status of that bar before doing this operation? There’s ghost duration in there.

If lengthening the note pushes the rest into the next bar, that suggests that you’ve left Insert mode switched on.
As to the “crazyness”, yes, it’s essentially an irregular measure. I think ideally I’d like a signpost to let me know that it’s irregular.

Hm, I probably did. I decided to go to 9/8 and somehow created lots of trouble I’m fixing. Good learning experience though.

yes, it’s essentially an irregular measure. I think ideally I’d like a signpost to let me know that it’s irregular.

That would be helpful, and if you delete the signpost it inserts rests at the end to establish the proper length

Edit: Ugh, actually it’s really a mess. Here be dragons … but I was able to go back to a good auto backup copy. Bonus, I found another way to get rid of the irregular meter, which is to Shift-M with insert turned on this time, and enter the same time signature. This time it gives you the extra rest.

I like the idea of a signpost where the notes in a measure do not match the time signature. (I pity those who turn off signposts just before that happens though. :slight_smile: )