I can’t seem to find an option to beam semiquavers together in 3/8.
Can someone help me out?
I get this:
and want this:
Try this
Ah, there we go. It would be good if that could be my default 3/8, though.
Indeed. If you happen to have a whole load them (because you’ve imported XML files and have changing meters within a flow, for example) then bear in mind that you can enter one [3]/8 time signature and then alt-click it over the other existing 3/8 time signatures, rather than invoking the popover each time.
Pianoleo, can you explain the underlying principle in adding the brackets around the initial meter number? I’ve tried to understand it from the manual, but can’t seem to grasp basic principle guiding this. Same for meters with [3+2] or similar added to the initial meter indication. I know it indicates note grouping, but don’t quite gather just how. In simplest terms, what are the rules or guidelines for the various parameters?
Each number in a bracketed entry is a beat. 3/8 is 3 beats, [3]/8 is one. Helpful in this case for setting beaming.
What Dan said 
So, of the time sigs in the right panel, I presume the meters of 12/8, 9/8 and 6/8 are actually defined as compound beats, but 3/8 not…? 
Is there any way to define a [3]/8 sig in the “Create Time Sig” part of the panel?
No, but once you’ve used it once in the flow it’ll appear in the side panel under “used in this flow”.
6/8 = 2 dotted crotchet/quarter beats
9/8 = 3 q. beats
12/8 = 4 q. beats
3/8 = 3 quaver/eighth beats
That’s certainly what I was taught, and it’s how Dorico thinks of it. 3/8 is a simple time signature.
(not that I think about this on a daily basis, at all - it really isn’t relevant most of the time!)
Hmm… Most of the Baroque music I write uses 3/8 as a one-in-the bar compound time. If you want 3 beats, then you use 3/4 (or 9/8).
I’m just going to have to remember not to use the side panel for this particular TS.
Leo’s right, a three in the numerator indicates a simple time signature.
I realise I posted twice, so you may have missed my previous post about it appearing in the “used in this flow” panel.
There’s a relevant discussion about this on the ABRSM forum here: Is 3/8 compound time or simple time? - Theory and Composition - Forums
I’m sure if Dorico had been around 300 years ago it would have considered 3/8 to be a compound time signature. I wonder (seriously!) whether it might be worthwhile making a feature request for this to be an option, possibly to be addressed when figured bass is addressed?
It’s not quite so simple as saying “3 in the numerator is a simple time signature”.
In 3/4 you have the choice (in Notation Options / Beam Grouping) whether you want 8th notes beamed per beat or per bar.
But you don’t have the corresponding option in 3/8.
Still, once you know about it, it’s no big deal to type [3]/8 instead of 3/8, IMO.
I guess it’s analogous to Finale, where you either choose 3 quavers or “1 dotted crotchet” for the same time sig, in order to reflect the beaming.
As for “used in this flow” – I’m unlikely to have 3/8 more than once in any given flow: I’m more likely to have some flows that are 3/8.
Well in that case, bear in mind that you can copy and paste time signatures from one flow to another, if that strikes you as quicker than using the popover.
As I understand it, 3/8, unlike 3/4, is context dependent. It really depends on the mensural level of the music (and the tempo).