Free rhythm cadenza with whole note fermata accompaniment

Dorico
#1

Hey there,

Is there a way to notate a bar as it is notated at the very top of this picture that you can (hopefully) access via the link that I inserted below?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qhCKuOTR0tkHRSJaU4eWrTm2Aw1J95zC

At the moment I created a 10/4 bar and then hid the time signature. This works well for the oboe part but the whole notes with the fermata in the violas and celli parts don’t fill the bar. I somehow need to hide the rests that at the moment appear after the whole notes and find a way to make the whole notes sound during the entirety of the bar.

It would mean a lot to me if we could work this out!

Thank you in advance!

Félix

#2

Hi Félix!
It’s very easy to achieve such notation in Dorico. Use tuplets. You apply a 10:4 tuplet ratio with a quarter note reference (meaning it’s quarter note duration that is selected when you invoke the tuplet popover) to the oboe staff, then you hide every piece of the tuplet via the properties panel (bracket and number) and everything falls perfectly in place. No need to hide any rests. Do you need further explanations?

#3

I would probably have kept the hidden 10/4 time signature and used hidden 4:10 tuplets for the whole notes, but do whichever seems easiest.

#4

I suppose which you use would depend on what you want for playback tempo.

#5

Good point, Rob and Derrek — I’m too much involved in XML exporting so I try not to change the meter to avoid problems, but indeed, playback will probably be better using different 4:10 quarter note tuplets on all the instruments but the oboe!

#6

There’s also the option of just doing one bar of open meter. Input the notes in the cadenza as you want them, and then input the whole notes and remove rests from those particular bars.

#7

Dear all,

Thank you so so much for your heart warming and quick response! I’ve been using Dorico for two days now and you help me understand how it works!

I kept the 10/4 par and used the 4:10 quarter note tuplets for the accompaniment. It’s fantastically easy once you know how to do it!

I will use the “karaoke” version I’m creating for the Vaughan Williams Concerto next week in our class concert. :slight_smile:

Have a lovely day!