Is there a default way to enter div. (divisi) and unis. (unison)? I expected to find these in the Playing Techniques area or the popover (Shift + P), but I don’t see them. If not, how do I put those in?
The default way is to use the divisi feature. It adds the labels automatically.
If for some reason you prefer not to use it (sometimes for very simple divisi it’s not necessary), you can create custom playing techniques div. and unis. – or use staff text.
Thank you for pointing out the “divisi” function to me. I have some rethinking to do on the project I’m working on.
For reference, I’m working on orchestrating a one-movement (one-flow) composition for solo flute and chamber orchestra. I’m working from a completed flute and piano reduction.
I’d forgotten when adding instruments to my score that there are links both to add a solo player and a section player. I created a chamber orchestra where every part is a solo player. Apparently that was a bad idea. (Newbie booboo.)
Perhaps someone can answer a couple of questions about standard practice that I’ll try to digest before I get too deep in a swamp I can’t extract myself from.
First, when there will be only a single player of an instrument, but not a “soloist,” is it standard practice to add that instrument as a solo player or as section player? For instance, I want only one trombone player (and other brass), but expect a section of string players in the usual way.
Clearly for the string parts I should (have) add(ed) the players as section players. Those are the only instruments in this score that apply. But what about the others?
Now that they’ve been added, can I change it to section players?
Next: in adding oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, and bassoon to my existing score (as solo players, which should have been as section players), it extended a bracket to include the solo flute part, which is a real soloist, as in stand-up-in-front-of-everybody-and-show-off type of soloist. In the two pages of score that I’ve sketched in orchestration so far, the solo flute part is no more prominent than any other instrument when I play it back.
Finally, keeping in mind that defining my layouts will ultimately be the real solution: I’ve included the full piano reduction piano part in the score because that’s what I’m using as a guide for orchestrataion, but when I have played it back that piano part sounds. (There’s a second piano part that’s a lot sparser.) I went to play mode and muted it and also pushed the volume slider to zero in the DAW, also brought up the mixer and muted it there. It plays anyhow. What can I do about that.
Normally I want to do playback in Write Mode with that part showing. (Wouldn’t everyone?)
Maybe I should have started a new thread with this reply?
Yes.
- Create a new section player, but do not add an instrument. (It will show as Empty-handed Section Player).
- Open the tab of the player you want to convert so that the instrument shows (click the > by the player name)
- Drag the instrument onto your Empty Section Player.
- The original will now be an Empty-handed Player, which you can delete, by selecting it and hitting the bin icon.
If you are using the default sounds, you can create a live stage to position the solo flute at the front.
In Play mode you can MUTE that Piano. (It’s the M button)
You’ll notice that Dorico calls them “single” players, not “solo” players. So yes, if there is only one player on the part, it should be a single player.
Separately, you can designate a single player as a soloist, which has implications for the score layout. It sounds like this is what you want to do for your flutist.
I think single player is correct here, unless you planned to have multiple people playing each of those parts. (If you want to have a first oboe and a second oboe, those should be two single players, not one section player.)
Both responses have supplied me with some extremely helpful information.
That manual link says “In the action bar, click Player Settings and choose Soloist.” I had a hard time figuring out where Player Settings was but finally discovered it was the top item in the pop-up if I use the right mouse button. Sigh.
I’ll be trying everything else suggested, but I’m going to rebuild my score from scratch and then cut and paste some of what I’ve already done. There’s not much and I don’t mind. I need to learn how to do this right from the start rather than doing it wrong and then converting it.
Can someone tell me:
Is it possible to add an instrument (or define an existing one) as muted?
I’ve tried everything suggested to mute it, but the original piano part, which is present for reference only, insists on sounding when it’s played back. Surely there are cases where there is music in a score that is there for reasons other than to be played (though I can’t think of a good example offhand other than what I’m dealing with).
Someone asked what sounds I’m using. Not the default set. I’m using NotePlayer 5.
I’ll be back when I catch up. As always, I thank everyone for their generous help.
The action bar is at the bottom of the list of players, and the Player Settings button is the one with three dots, just as the manual indicates.
(Also, the next line in the manual tells you that you can also right click on a player to get the same menu.)
By default, NotePerformer sends all of its sounds through the first channel of the Dorico mixer – all those other sliders in the Dorico mixer don’t do anything. To get to the NotePerformer mixer, in Play mode, select any instrument and then click the ‘e’ button in the Track Inspector on the left.
Then you can mute the piano in the NP mixer by clicking the M button on its slider.
Color my face red. Yes, I guess it’s in the manual, and I did search for it but for some reason I didn’t find it. But now I know what and where the Action Bar is. That will doubtless come up a lot in the future. (Claude didn’t know where to find it either. I asked.) Sorry about that. I tried.
Meanwhile, I didn’t realize that NotePerformer has its own mixer. What you describe above works perfectly. The “e” button brings up NotePerformer’s mixer, and the M button on the channel does indeed mute it. That also explains some other apparently strange behavior I was hearing when diddling with the standard mixer.
This is major progress. Thank you.
I’ll withhold marking anything as solved until I know I’ve resolved all the issues I brought up earlier.