What do you guys use to enter expressive text like “leggero” or “cantabile”? Also “Playing technique” with a different font? Or does Dorico provide a different way?
I created an “Expressive Text” Paragraph Style, which is basically just the italic version of my default text font. After hitting the Save as Default star, it becomes available in Preferences/Key Commands too, so I just assigned Shift+E to it.
Anytime I want to add Expressive text I just use that shortcut and type it in. If you need it to actually trigger a different playback technique, then yeah, use a playing technique.
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If the text is related to a sound change, I use a playing technique and include in the expression map.
Otherwise I usually just add a suffix to a dynamic mark (mf espr.). Fonts are just default italic.
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@FredGunn Thank you very much for sharing your very handy technique! Love it and prepared it. Am I observing correctly that it is not possible to place that kind of text below the staff? Or am I missing a setting? (Aside from moving it manually in “Engrave mode”.)
@Janus Also, thanks to you for your feedback! I am not working with expression maps yet, but so far I did add my expressive texts to “Playing Technique” category. I also used your “add to dynamic” technique quite a bit already, but unfortunately it MUST include a dynamic, right? As soon as I remove the dynamic, any other text is removed, too.
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You can hide the dynamic by toggling the hide intensity marking property. The suffix (or prefix) will remain.
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The first property for text is Position: Above / Below. Shortcut F (for Flip).
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I’ve created a “do nothing” playback technique to assign to these Playing Techniques. Later, if I develop an expression map, I can then change the Playback Technique for those currently display-only items.
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how did you do this?
I’ve only found a way of having the “default” playback (legato, ordinario) as the playback technique.
it’s not terribly useful when you have something like muted strings, or strings pizzicato. because then that playback technique rests the mute or the pizz to basic arco.
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aha! this “do nothing” must be new to 4.0? I never noticed it in 3.5
This “do nothing” is Derrek’s creation and he’s just given you the receipe to recreate it!
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well! that’s what I get for trying to read too fast after FAR too little sleep! LOL
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My current workaround is to add text via shift X - type text e.g. express and then select text and hit F to flip it so it text appears below stave. These workarounds are one of the many reasons I switched from Sibelius to Dorico - it was this very issue of workarounds where I assume the devs at avid knew the punters concerns via the forums but never changed these in the updates (updates which come at a subscription cost and only provided updates that which avid felt like were important). To be fair to Dorico, they do things much better than Sibelius already however, considering we are now Feb 2024 and I am using Dorico 5.1.10.2081 I would have thought this thread would have been attended to from version 4 to version 5. Would it be fair to say that the devs could add this update in version 5.1.2 or higher by adding a blank modifier box in the Dynamics palette - we currently have for example subito p, we could have p (blank box modifier - type your text e.g. express.) Or could have a new pallete called ‘Expression’ with a range of commonly used words and also a blank box where you could add a custom word in so the text appears below the stave. In giving feedback, I am still so excited that Dorico has got guitar artificial harmonics and the corresponding correct tabulature notation 100% correct. Congratulations Dorico. For this reason alone I am forgiving of the expression issue. (for now…). For too long now we have been reliant on the generosity of the community for workarounds rather than demanding the devs include our concerns and suggestions in future updates (updates to numbered versions btw that come at a cost).
The challenge for this specific area of functionality is in the interaction with other notations, and how they need to be positioned relative to each other. I’m sure we will come up with a good, Dorico-like solution in future, but for the time being using either a dedicated paragraph style via Shift+X text or using dynamics with the intensity marks hidden are both acceptable ways to go, depending on the specific musical context.
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Create a custom paragraph style with italics or whatever formatting you want, set it to position below the staff, and assign it to the shortcut Shift-E for “expressive text.” Then save it as default to make it apply to all projects.
I don’t see how that could possibly be considered a workaround. Fifteen seconds to set up once, use it forever.
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Thanks for taking the time to reply Dan. I am going with the dynamics with intensity marks hidden as the most user friendly for me.
Thanks for taking the time to reply Daniel. I am going with the dynamics with intensity marks hidden as the most user friendly for me. I also just found the little + button in the playing techniques panel - pretty neat addition. 
Not to be contrary at all, but the custom paragraph style is fewer steps. 
But what matters is that your method works for you!
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