I can’t see how to alter Dorico’s default beat grouping for 2/2.
I tried various combinations in the Time Signature popup including [1q+2q+1q]/2 and [0.5+1+0.5]/2 without joy.
The composer wants:
Currently my Dorico project has this:
After inputting the 1/4 rest, press the “O” key (that’s the letter O, not zero), then 7 (for 1/2-note), then B for the actual note. O forces the duration to the value you enter next.
Or to change what is already there:
Select the tied B, then press 6 O 7 .
6 changes its value to a 1/4-note, O forces the duration to what you press next, 7 changes it to a 1/2-note.
Ah thanks Steven. That works. I hadn’t used forced duration before.
But … I have several dozen such existing half notes to force, and, per User Guide.
When forcing the duration of existing notes notated as tie chains, you must reduce their duration first, then increase it to the duration you want.
I was hoping for a more global change.
Just read your latest advice. That will save some time.
Go to Notation Options → Note Grouping → Syncopation, and set both “Notation of short-long-short patterns” and “Rests substituting one of the short notes in short-long-short patterns” to the first option. (This only works for quarter-half-quarter, though; if there are eighths, you’ll have to Force Duration, as above.)
Thanks @JesterMusician.
Come to think of it I had tried playing with those Notation preferences - not entirely understanding what they meant. But I see what they are supposed to do, and indeed what you suggest is the Factory Default. And I can also see now that it is the eighth notes in beat four that explains what’s going on in my example and in which cases I will need to force durations.
Thanks all so much for your help.