I’m not having a problem inputting dotted notes, but sometimes I prefer to have a tie instead of a dotted note (ex. eighth note tied to quarter note instead of dotted quarter), especially starting on an upbeat. Dorico seems to default to dotted notes. How can I make them ties instead. It seems like maybe the Forced Duration tool would help, but I’m unsure how/when to use it. Can I change an existing dotted note into a tie once it’s already been inputted?
Change the note to an 8th 5.
Force duration o.
Extend the note shift-altright arrow twice and the tied note will be created.
(This assumes you have the rhythmic grid set to 8ths)
Also check in Notation Options for Note Grouping. Various parameter can be set to automatically create the grouping you want. Use Force Duration only if those settings don’t provide what you want.
In fact, you should check the settings in Notation Options FIRST, then do Force Duration where required.
Always start with the global setting, then work down to the specific instance. Otherwise, you’ll just end up doing lots of manual work and playing whack-a-mole™.
That’s true for everything – page layout, note grouping, beaming, courtesy accidentals, etc, etc.