What I have are the EastWest Expressionmap files. I was able to import the file to the Expression Map dialog and setting up expressions for the various instruments I’m using. Expressions like pizz or staccato work fine. The problem I’m having is getting Dorico to recognize the express that are not supported. So EW expression such as ‘exp fast’ or ‘slur slow’ are not available. In a perfect world I would like to be able to do is use ‘Shift P’ to include the expressions included in the expressionmap for that instrument. What options do I have to to bring the EW Playing Techniques to the table?
You can define your own playing techniques to enter in the score in Engrave > Playing Techniques, and then define playback playing techniques in the same dialog that you can then reference in your expression maps.
I use the toolboxes marcato symbol for staccato in my big band arrangements (which is very common in Jazz…). Since I want to make listening samples for my students, I want to change Dorico’s playback behaviour for this symbol from dynamic to duration. Is this possible? I haven’t found a way yet…
I know I can make a new playing technique with a glyphe and then add playing style staccato- and I did that - but: it changes the playing style in the way that all notes after the marcato note are played shorter (not as short as the marcato (staccato) note but shorter than they should). If I use the staccato of the toolbox this doesn’t happen…
Just create a new playing technique with the same symbol but don’t link the playing technique to the playback-techniques ‘marcato’, link it to ‘staccato’. Give the newly created playing technique another name - for example ‘marcato-staccato’ so that you can recognize it from the standard marcato.
Go to ‘expression’ map, add your new playing technique to the expression map which you are using for the playback and voilà…it looks like marcato in the score, but it plays back staccato.
I thought about it again.
Actually what I’d do:
create a new playing technique with just a text ‘marcato-staccato’ with ‘has no duration’ but don’t link the playing technique to the playback-technique ‘marcato’, link it to ‘staccato’. But you should go in the playback techniques, dublicate the ‘staccato’ technique, give it another name and change it to ‘direction’ not attribute !
Go to ‘expression’ map, add your new playing technique ‘marcato-staccato’ to the expression map which you are using for the playback.
Go in your score. Filter all marcato signs and mute them in the properties-panel.
In front of the passage which you want to be played staccato, enter your new playing technique ‘marcato-staccato’ and hide the text (again do this in the properties panel).
Now you see the marcato signs, but they are not played back and Dorico should play back your ‘marcato-staccato’ playing technique.
Don’t forget to enter a ‘natural’ after the passage, otherwise all following notes will be played ‘marcato-staccato’, cause you changed your staccato playback technique to ‘direction’.
Bit complicated though Maybe there is an easier way…
Do you know how to create new playing techniques? Because if you do it correctly, they should show up. There are some great videos on the www. Maybe you should check. It took me quite some hours to get into it…and there is a big difference between ‘playing technique’ and ‘playback technique’ and things in the expression map will only show up if you created them in the playing-techniques map…
I’m quite new in dorico. I come from Sibelius and Finale. I already did some worksheets and did a lot of layout things - they are really great!
I managed to use the marcato-staccato to playback the way I want it by just creating the technique and linking it to staccato. But now all notes afterwards are played back the same way. You talk about entering a “Natural” - i suppose this will change that. Before I search the internet can you tell me how to do this?
thank you, that makes it work!
but maybe it would be a good idea for an update to give the possibility to change the marcato from dynamic to duration - like in Sibelius, since in Jazz the marcato is often used for staccato…
One more thing: If I select a row of notes in my score and click on my new made playing technique it will only placed over the first note of the row. If I then copy it I can paste it to more than one note. Am I doing something wrong?
There are already two options in Play > Playback Options to control the default playback of marcato articulations, since they tend to be interpreted quite differently in jazz idioms versus other idioms. Take a look at both the Timing page and the Dynamic page.
Thank you all. This has been very educational. My current solution is to map the EW provide expression to the Dorico expression. It’s the path of least resistance. I do have a need to create a custom switch, which will be my next big adventure.
Thank you again
Maybe there is an easier way…