Feature request or possible BUG? offset Y axis of altered bass note in chord symbols

[mikeheels]

Hi,

This would make the appearance of successive identical chord symbols with differing altered bass notes - much neater, more professional, and easier to read:

The altered bass note only should not be at the same vertical height as the original full chord, it should be a bit lower

I do it manually in engrave mode (by changing the Y offset)

but it’s a very long and tasking process, especially for separate layouts where it needs to be done individually.

Here are examples of what I mean:

Do you think you could add some sort of “advanced option” near this, in the Engraving Options menu, that would allow that automatically?

Many thanks and hope I have contributed a good idea.

All the best

-m

[TonH]

Try this in Engraving Options

Available for single chords in properties also

[mikeheels]

Thanks a lot.

I had already set that setting in engraving options.

However I don’t get your same result using my usual template:

I’m wondering if that is because I am using the Scoring Express jazz chord symbols that I have purchased separately…

[mikeheels]

actually I do not get the same result even using Petaluma:

how did you make yours appear like that, with the bass note below the original chord in root position?

[TonH]

I did nothing more than the Engraving Option I showed.

Here’s the document, maybe you can view the differences

alteredbass.dorico (1.4 MB)

[mikeheels]

Very strange, this is what I see when opening your file:

[TonH]

Strange indeed. I see the same on both Dorico 5 and 6 pro

On Mac that is

[mikeheels]

Perhaps someone else could chime in ?

[Richard_Lanyon]

It probably depends on this setting:

[mikeheels]

Hi,

Thanks, but no it’s not:

Screen Recording 2025 10 17 at 09 14 39

[Richard_Lanyon]

Ah, many apologies, you’re right, I hadn’t read your post properly - that option won’t work if the main part of the chord symbol (before the slash) is hidden.

[mikeheels]

Thanks, and no worries.

So now this is strange for two reasons, as I though this was not possible at all, hence my feature request, but apparently it is at least for the other poster. What result do you get if you open their file?

[Richard_Lanyon]

I get the same as yours. It’s possible that the other poster is using a different Dorico version where the positioning works differently - there were some bugs in v6.0.x which might have accidentally produced the alternative positioning.

[TonH]

That might be it, I created the example on 6.0.10.6032

It opened the same on D5, but starting with a blank sheet there, I can’t recreate it.

[mikeheels]

Thanks for clarifying this.

Since this is then related to some sort of bug / inconsistency rather than to a missing feature, can we hope to get a fix in the future?

It would be a very handy and definitely result in a more professional / easier to read outcome.

Best

-m

[mikeheels]

PS: I’m always in the latest Dorico update

[mikeheels]

any news in regards to this issue / quirk I highlighted a few weeks back?

[Richard_Lanyon]

The current behaviour isn’t a bug, I’m afraid—it’s working as designed (the previous behaviour had bugs associated with it). Obviously we’re never averse to adding new features, but we don’t announce those ahead of time.

[mikeheels]

Thanks a lot Richard.

If that is the case I feel inclined to suggest adding that option, or even to make it a default one as that is how that specific type of notation tends to be used, and it makes everything very clear and easier to read.

Many thanks again

Best