Curved (ad lib) line for harp glissandi, in the works?

Dorico
1

I’m wondering if this is on a back burner somewhere.

It would be nice to be able to freely draw in a curved line for harp glissandi, that attaches to both first and last note of said gliss.

I’d create one in a graphic program, but it’s nearly impossible to get the correct distances, and there would have to be a new drawing for every single eventuality of ad lib gliss.
as well, using a graphic line won’t get correct playback.

2

We do have plans to implement a curved line tool that would allow you to create things that look like sine waves with adjustable frequency and amplitude, but it’s not something that has climbed to the top of the priority list as yet.

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3

On a related topic, I’d like to draw a dotted line, in a contrapuntal piano score, to highlight a voice’s continuity when it is temporarily moved onto the other staff (i.e. where notes get too low/high, and and it useful to migrate the voice briefly to the other staff).

If there is no curved line tool, how can I attach a diagonal line?

I see the option of specifying ‘start’ and ‘end’, but these must be anchored in either a note, a rhythmic position, or a barline. Instead, I’d like to use the line to connect 2 rests, one in each staff. Can this be done?

4

Use a “horizontal line” and attach to noteheads. Then alt/cmd click both notes. It will attach diagonally.

5

Thanks, this is useful. However my ideal is to connect a rest to a rest: the upper voice is silent for several measures, and then resumes in a low register, on the lower staff, starting with a short rest. Ideally I create a dotted diagonal line or connector or arc, from the last rest in the high register to the short rest in the lower register. Thoughts on how to do this?

6

Not sure why you’re settled on an arc, as straight lines are standard for this, but I digress.

You have three options:

  1. Link from the last/first notes and nudge them back in engrave mode (recommended)
  2. create fake notes in alternate voices and size them to 1% so you can’t see them, and attach to those instead (not recommended)
  3. use the “rhythmic position” anchor option rather than noteheads, and then adjust in engrave.
1 Like
7

This worked well for me, much appreciated!
I tried #1 and #3, I didn’t do #2 since I don’t want stray invisible notes in the score.

Actually, Engrave mode allowed a lot of flexibility in adjusting the start/end position, even when the “anchors” are arbitrary and not where I want them. So I could stretch and move the line, and didn’t need to nudge any notes.

Still is a bit of a hack, would be nice to have a new feature to allow anchoring to rests.

One weird thing: when I try #1, sometimes the initial line does not really anchor in the specified two notes, but to something to the right of them. Not sure why, but anyway I can make it work.