I’m notating in cut common time. I am trying to notate a quarter note on beat 4 of measure 1 tied to a dotted quarter note on beat 1 of measure 2. However, when I go to to enter the dotted quarter note, Dorico keeps automatically changing it to a half note. Is there a specific setting in Notation Options that I should be selecting to prevent this from happening? I’m confused because Dorico isn’t just re-notating the rhythm – it’s adding a whole eighth note in value to it.
Welcome to the forum!
Can you post a copy of your Dorico project file here that maybe just has the two measures in question and a measure before and after (i.e., no need for an entire copy of your work)? Also, what method of note entry are you using?
This interpretation is correct, however, Dorico is automatically changing the dotted quarter note into a half note whenever I enter the dot…
Hi @annakjacobs,
This is the expected behaviour: because Dorico considers tied note as a single note whose value is the sum of all current tied notes. Like in a DAW:
ex.1
Before inserting the dot you have a half note (visualised as two tied quarter notes). Inserting the dot, you are giving a dot to this half note (and not only to the last quarter, as in other software). So the resulting tie chain length is 3 quarter notes long (which is the quarter note tied to the half note that you describe)
So instead of clicking on the dot, you can just prolong the half note tie chain, and, with the rhythmic grid set to eight note, using the prolonging shortcut: Shift+Option(Alt)+right arrow once.
ex.2
In your example you could write all without dots, and then add them (with the moving shortcut) all at once. Dorico will handle the eight note automatically:
ex.3
(Or another method would be to write the separate notes, first [a quarter, and a dotted quarter] and tie then afterwards)
For more details, see the Manual:
Hope this helps… the culprits are downbeats of bars 15 and 17. When I add a dot to the quarter notes, in both instances, they convert into a half notes. (ps I am brand new to Dorico, so likely doing something stupid!)
Hi @annakjacobs, did you see my reply, above your last post? With an explanation of why this is happening. And how to handle it.
This is so helpful - thank you!
You are welcome, @annakjacobs.
(I added also (dot applied to tied notes) to the title of the topic, to give more context to the thread. I hope you don’t mind.)