I’m going through a score and adding chord symbols to it. I’m wondering what I should write in the chord symbol to indicate it is half diminished?
I’m used to seeing m7b5 in jazz charts I’ve played. The slashed diminished circle is also pretty common.
When I just type Adim into the chord box, Dorico writes Am(b5) on the score. I’d like to be able to distinguish half diminished from fully diminished for a non-jazz piece.
I’m more just trying to figure out what code Dorico wants me to write to get this.
How do you open this dialog window? Also, this is more about controlling the appearance. I want to know how I’m supposed to notate that it is a half diminished chord. Typing “Adim” isn’t working and I don’t know what words Dorico is expecting.
Adim would just be a diminished triad. Try Am7b5.
4 Likes
To writte dim → Adim
To writte half dim → Am7b5
And then, the appearence of the chord will be depending on what configuration you have on the Engraving Options
How do you open the engraving options window? I don’t see it in the engraving tab. The docs say to select Engraving/Engraving Options…, but I see no such menu option.
Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-E
Nothing happens when I do that. Does this work in Dorico Elements?
I don’t think so… 
You could also type Ahd in the chord symbol popover
3 Likes
I don’t know if I understand your problem but without a 7th there’s no half diminished chord:
Adim (or A°) it’s just a diminished triad (which is not what is usually shortly called a “diminished chord”).
Adim7 (or A°7) is diminished
Amin7(b5) or a A with a slashed circle is half diminished
The diminished triad is contained in both chords so it can’t be differentiated without the 7th.
But I am not sure this is what you were asking 
1 Like
Before any confusion arises: how you enter certain chords in the popover is independent of how they are displayed, as this is defined in the notation settings. For many chord symbols, there are several ways to enter them, but they are displayed according to the corresponding settings.
3 Likes