Hi all,
I’ve been onboard since version 1, but not working much with Dorico until recently, so please forgive me if I’ve missed a help file or thread, but I can’t find any reference to this.
In Galley view, Dorico displays each staff’s Instrument name, clef and key signature as a ‘ghost’ at the far left of screen, which stays there as you scroll. Very useful.
Is there a way to have the current dynamic appear there in the same fashion? If not, could I make a feature request?
It’s not currently possible.
For what it’s worth, (as a layman) I think it’s unlikely to happen, because dynamics can be voice-specific. If you’ve got two voices on a staff, they can be different dynamics. If you’ve got three voices across a grand staff instrument, you can have three different dynamics and any of the notes in any of those voices can cross from one staff to another. Unlike staff labels, clefs and key signatures, it’s not anywhere near as simple as asking “what’s the dynamic on this stave at this time?”.
Yes, indeed. Not simple. Yet with the latest Condensing feature, it seems Dorico has become very good at knowing what instruction applies to what instrument, voice etc. so may have what it needs to know what to do.
I’m presently arranging for a Primary School ensemble, so this music is especially simple. Even so, so often I have to scroll back to see what dynamic a part is on. So it seems like a logical extension, if not simple.
I am struggling to see the practical application for this on a part-by-part basis. It is generally good practice to restate dynamics after a rest, even when it hasn’t changed. Dynamics in a lot of music tend to change all at more or less the same moment in time. People are not computers and will not stubbornly keep playing pp when they hear the rest of the ensemble rising to f—unless you make this explicit by writing pp sempre as a reminder. This is especially true for children. 
It still would be quite cool to have this feature, though, and I’m not trying to invalidate your request. Just would like to see an actual use case. Now that I think of it, this would be arguably more useful for playing techniques that might need to be cancelled. Things like mutes or pizzicato that “technically” still apply after a rest, which may raise questions from players when not explicitly addressed on the paper.
Yes, valid points. I’m just finding myself scrolling backward and forward in Galley view fairly frequently. Not even very far. I’m just aiming for a consistent look to the score.