This is something I need to use a lot so I’d appreciate tips for success.
I’m transcribing a one-staff piano section with lettered chord changes over rhythmic notation into Dorico Pro 4. I’d like to use the “Dorico creates chords under designated top-note” option so that I can get good voice-leading in the piano accompaniment for playback.
What’s the best way to do this?
The section in which I want chord symbols over audible, pre-defined rhythm-slashes starts at rehearsal B.
Honestidad - .dorico (1.3 MB)
I assume you’re trying to use “Generate Notes from Chord Symbols in Selection” with the “Use instrument as top notes hints” option? This isn’t intended for harmonising melodies, as such - instead the idea is that you can give Dorico an indication of what chord voicing to use and it will try to follow that. In this case the melody you’re starting with includes a lot of non-chord tones, so Dorico can’t use it directly as a hint to the voicing. What you could do instead is add, say, a single A5 to the trumpet at the start of b.11 - if you wanted to have that note from the Bbmaj7 at the top - then select bb.11-18 and use the trumpet for hints.
The rhythms are overwritten (only options are “every note” or “one per bar”)
I think the problem here is that the melody in the piano line is tied-in and tied-out of bb.11-18. Select the first and last note in the line in the piano, untie them (with the scissors tool), generate notes from the chords with “Use existing rhythms where possible” set to “Piano”, then re-add the ties in the piano.