Entering 8th Triplets quickly (swing)

Dorico
1

Is there a QUICK way to enter 8th note triplets when writing jazz figures (swing, bebop, etc.)? I can input notes/rhythms very quickly and don’t need to take my eyes off of the score UNTIL I come upon triplets (which is often in swing music). Currently my keystrokes are as follows:

  • “5” (8th note)
  • " ; "
  • “3”
  • Enter
  • After I enter my notes in the triplet, I hit "shift ; "

Then I have to find my place on the score again. This really slows me down. Is there another way? If it matters, I’m using a MIDI keyboard to enter pitches and the numeric keyboard to enter note length.

djd

2

Are you writing for experienced jazz performers, @ddunning? If so, it’s better not to write any triplets. Notated straight eighths and a simple “swing” or “swung eighths” indication is the norm.

3

The method you described is the normal way. I am able to do this almost without looking by now, with one hand on the midi keyboard and choosing note values on the numpad.

I recorded a script of me hitting the tuplet button on the left (set for 3:2). Scripts can have keyboard shortcuts assigned to them by the OS. Let us know if you want to go that route.

4

I’m writing for experienced jazz players. And I’m not writing triplets in place of the swung 8th notes (that would be obnoxious), but the triplet figure is certainly part of the language, and, therefore, needs to be written.

1 Like
5

You are correct, and I realize that, of course.

@ddunning , in my haste I mis-read your OP as discussing writing all eighths as “tripletized” quarter-eighths. Forgive…my haste.

6

Of course, I know how swing works. I was considering scripting but wanted to see if there was another method within the program.

7

I recorded a macro from Dorico’s Script menu, and got this:

local app=DoApp.DoApp()
app:doCommand([[NoteInput.StartTupletRun?Definition=3:2&Set=true]])
8

With a macro program – for example Keyboard Maestro on Mac – you can perform a sequence of keystrokes and assign it to a custom shortcut.

I’m using ⌥⌘keypad4 to 6 for 16th, 8th and 4th triplets and ⌥⌘keypad0 to end triplet

9

And if you need the fastest access to just 8th note triplets, change the code to

local app=DoApp.DoApp()
app:doCommand([[NoteInput.StartTupletRun?Definition=3:2e&Set=true]])

(see the Definition 3:2e, for eights), put it in a lua file in the scripts folder with the name „j.lua“, and then you should be able to invoke your 8th triplets run with just JJ (jump menu and script name)

10

and if you need a companion macro for ending the triplet run, create another textfile with the content

local app=DoApp.DoApp()
app:doCommand([[NoteInput.EndTupletRun]])

call it jj.lua, then you can cancel the tuplets with JJJ (or, of course, with the shortcut Dorico provides - this was just to make a system, which can be expanded :slight_smile:

11

This did it… thank you!

12

Very helpful! Thank you.