Big thanks! to Dorico for the brilliantly detailed chord symbol controls available through your Edit Chord Symbol Appearance and Project Default Chord Symbol Appearances dialogues. I just discovered them, and I’m very impressed!
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Impressive, yes. But where does one change the overall size of the chord diagrams?
In Engrave > Engraving Options > Chord Diagrams. This would be useful to have a dedicated set of steps for, with the relevant title appearing in the list of topics on the left, so I’ve made a note to do that.
Yes, thank you for planning to add that. And how do we switch from chord diagrams to chord symbols above a system and vice versa? I looked at many places in the manual and couldn’t find it. If the chord diagrams are at the top of the page, we need just the symbols above the system.
Occasionally, though, in a line of chord symbols above a system, I like to put a chord diagram for an unfamiliar, seldom used chord. Is that possible?
Another technique I use to save space: the first time a chord is used, I put the chord diagram above the system; subsequently for that chord, I put just a chord symbol. I’d appreciate having that flexibility, but haven’t tried it with Dorico.
Thanks, Lillie.
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At the moment, it’s all-or-nothing with chord diagrams: you either show chord diagrams alongside all chord symbols for that player, or none.
For chord symbols, you have a few more options including only showing chord symbols in chord symbol and slash regions that you input to denote where you want them.
The alternative is to use two players and include both in the same layout; show chord symbols & diagrams for one, and just symbols for the other; input the music on the corresponding player’s staff, format the music so that they “switch over” at system breaks, and hide empty staves.
The team has heard from other users that more granularity over showing chord diagrams would be useful.
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We talked about having to create two instruments for an ukulele player—lead and ukulele—when single notes on notation and tablature staves are sometimes played, and chords above just a notation staff with slashes are sometimes played. Could we, instead, create just one instrument for the player, having a "chord symbol region” when needed? Or does a chord symbol region not have slashes to show the rhythm, and the two instruments are needed to show tablature part of the time? (I’ve been reading the Chord symbol regions section in the documentation.)
I have put chord diagrams at the top of a player’s part, so only chord symbols are needed above each staff—but chord diagrams appear above the staff. How do I change those diagrams to symbols ?
Sorry Nancy, I’m struggling to picture what it is you’ve got and what you’d like to have.
When I wrote about having 2 players, that was to allow one player to show both chord symbols and diagrams, and the other to show just chord symbols - for if you wanted chord diagrams in some bars, but not others. You may also have 2 separate players if you wanted to show notation and tablature in some bars, and just notation in other bars. You can’t change which notation/tab staves are shown for one player - it’s set throughout the layout for each player.
Hiding chord diagrams - same link as the one above, you either show chord diagrams alongside chord symbols, or not. You can also show (or not) chord symbols.
Chord symbol regions - they don’t appear in the music or show any rhythms, only indicate where you want chord symbols.
Slash regions - they show slashes, and can show chord symbols alongside them if the player is set to show chord symbols in chord symbol/slash regions.
Thanks, Lillie. I’ll experiment more.