chord symbols vs signposts

I know something like this topic was mentioned by “andgle” on 6/28/17…but I’m awfully confused.

I have a score with 2 instrumental parts in different keys, say instruments A and B, and want chord symbols to show for both parts in the Full Score, and in A and B Parts. However, the chord symbols put into the A part (which is listed first) don’t show up in B: only signpost flags show in B in Write and Engrave Modes (in the proper keys) – and the underlying chord symbols in the B parts don’t print in the B parts.

I’ve tried everything I can find to deal with this (including Setup Players to allow chord symbols to show in each line)…but without success. Surely there’s a way to have every part show printable chord symbols, but I’m at a loss. It’s possible I’ve put Dorico in some strange state; if so, how to get out of it? Any help would be appreciated.

–N

The signposts would indicate that you’ve manually hidden the chord symbols previously. They can be unbidden from the bottom panel in Write mode.

If Leo’s (I think correct) advice doesn’t help, please zip up the project and attach it here, and we’ll doubtless be able to sort it out.

Daniel, here’s the zipped project in reduced form. The purpose is to make a lead sheet with Bb and C parts. The flute just stands in here for a generic C part. (By the way, why no single staff piano instrument?)
DoricoTest.zip (625 KB)

There’s no single-staff piano instrument because that’s not normally how pianos are written. But you will be able to change the number of staves belonging to an instrument in future, to create a single-staff piano instrument if you need one.

To fix your chord symbols problem: in Setup mode, right-click on the Flute’s card and from the Chord Symbols menu, choose Show For All Instruments instead of the current Show For Rhythm Section Instruments: because the flute isn’t a rhythm section instrument (by which in Dorico terms we mean keyboards, bass, guitar, drums, etc.), even though you have chord symbols set to Show in Full Score and Parts, they won’t show up because the other setting isn’t as you need it to be. I would suggest that you probably want to choose Show in Parts Only for both the flute and cornet instruments, since you probably don’t need to show the chord symbols on every staff in the full score layout.

Hope this helps!

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Yes, of course that did it. I don’t know why Show For Rhythm Section Instruments was chosen; I must’ve clicked it accidently without noticing. Sorry Leo for not understanding your solution. Thanks to both.

“But you will be able to change the number of staves belonging to an instrument in future, to create a single-staff piano instrument if you need one.” I would find that useful for the way I make jazz lead sheets. For example, the piano player in my dixieland band only needs the right hand notes and chord symbols; one staff suffices for her. (In dixieland jazz, the fewer the notes the easier to extemporize around a tune.)

–N

Wouldn’t have found this very solution to my identical problem without this forum - thanks!

Just a hint: I as well do not know why it was set that way; however what I DO know is that this music was imported from a MusicXML file exported from MuseScore 3. Maybe either of the two programs interprets some setting differently or at least such that this option got activated?

kriro, I’m glad you found your answer. Without seeing the Dorico project and/or the MusicXML file it’s difficult to answer your question definitively. By default, “rhythm instruments” in Dorico have chord symbols turned on but other instruments don’t. That might at least give a clue, depending on what instruments are in your project.

By default, “rhythm instruments” in Dorico have chord symbols turned on but other instruments don’t.

Ah, that might be it! The Music XML had chord symbols for a “melody” instrument - hence, Dorico’s default was kicking in during import. Good to know given so many useful options! :slight_smile:

Thanks again,
Christian