Hi,
Is it possible to align grace note with a chord below? I tried “Grace note before bar” option but that’s not what I’m after. I’d like to indicate that acciaccatura is to be played together with chord below. See screenshot pls.
Many thanks.
I
Found this:
Grace notes are always positioned before a notehead, even if they are intended to be played on the beat rather than before the beat. They are normally placed after a barline, so they can be positioned directly before the notehead to which they are attached. However, groups of three or more grace notes can be placed before the barline so that the note of the first beat in the bar is not pushed too far from the barline.
It looks like it can’t be done.
Frankly, I’d find it strange-looking to see the grace notes in the top staff aligned with a chord in the staff below. You could either draw a line between the first grace note and the chord to show that they should be played at the same time or include a performance note to that effect, as Ravel did for Le Tombeau de Couperin (‘Les petites notes doivent être frappées sur le temps.’). You could also use a rolled chord symbol instead of the grace notes, but you’d still need a performance note to instruct the performer to roll from the bottom note on the beat.
Curiously, it can be done by moving the notes in Engrave mode if there are no ties. But adding the ties seems to create some extra constraints which prevent it.
But I agree that it probably shouldn’t be done, in any case.
Still wouldn’t do it! 
Yea… Rob’s example, while great in the sense that it shows how flexible Dorico can be, would be very confusing to read. I would not perceive those two chords as being on the same beat. Bad idea bear.
Hi there
I think there are two options not yet mentioned that stay within engraving norms. One is to rewrite the grace notes as ‘real’ notes of short duration starting on the beat. The main note therefore is shortened in its written duration. This may not be open to you if you’re not the composer, or can’t convince the client to have it.
The second option is to add a grace note to the lower chord, containing the same pitches and tied to it, and align it to the first of the grace notes in the upper stave.
I agree with those who think moving the grace notes to align with the main beat in the lower stave is to be avoided at all costs.
J
Thanks all. I agree (now) that alignment should be avoided, but at the same time, there are obvious differences between playing a note/s in another staff On the grace note/s beat AND after grace note/s; On the real beat. I haven’t used glissando lines and tricks, nor did I opt for alignment of notes. I simply added a written textual instructions in small font. It makes sense and no one would have to guess what it means.
Cheers
I