Drum set staff label: just "drum set", not each drum

Hello,

Is there a way, on a full score layout, to have the staff label from a drum set read just “drum set,” and not list each individual drum and cymbal on the kit?

Thank you!

Hi @JBH, depending on the kit’s presentation type, you’ve got a couple of options:

  • If it’s using the “5-line staff” presentation, it generally shows “Drum set” in the staff label anyway (Staff labels for percussion kits), but if it doesn’t, you can edit the instrument name for the kit

  • If it’s using either the “Grid” or “Single line instruments” presentation types, you can use the player name in the staff label rather than instrument names

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Thanks for the quick response. Both of those options make sense, but I can’t get either to work in my case.

Here are some more details:
I have a percussion ensemble piece, where each player sometimes plays individual percussion instruments (crotales, bass drum, crash cymbals, etc.) and sometimes moves to a set of multiple wood blocks, which are set in Dorico as a drum set. I want to use the “grid” presentation for the wood blocks, but have it labelled “wood blocks,” rather than “wood block [return] wood block [return] wood block [return] wood block.”

Your first option isn’t possible here, because I want to use the “grid” presentation.

The second option doesn’t really work, unfortunately, because then the staff for that player will ALWAYS be labelled “player 1,” but I need it to show “bass drum” or “crash cymbals” for instance when they are playing individual instruments.

I hope that makes sense — it’s a bit of a confusing situation. Is there any way to make this work?
Thanks so much!

For the wood blocks, see here:

That works perfectly — thanks a lot!

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