# How to get number in front of staff?

**URL:** <https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642>\
**Category:** Dorico\
**Tags:** dorico-5\
**Created:** [January 12, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642 "2024-01-12T14:38:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![antoinevankampen](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/antoinevankampen/32/836_2.png) [@antoinevankampen](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/antoinevankampen)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/1 "2024-01-12T14:38:29Z")

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Hi All,  
Big step for me, minor challenge for you: how to get a number in front of a staff like in the example. Thanks, Antoine

![Dorico-Numbering](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/3X/5/8/5887daa223f81ab6776139f29cf776774bdbae9e.png)

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**Author:** ![Lillie\_Harris](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/lillie_harris/32/363348_2.png) [@Lillie\_Harris](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Lillie_Harris)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 2:43pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/2 "2024-01-12T14:43:52Z")

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Here are a couple of previous discussions on the topic, with a variety of methods you can explore 🙂

> [@How to create numbered systems](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-create-numbered-systems/725664):
>
> Hi There, can anyone tell me how I can number my systems? I’m trying to make an exercise sheet and I’d like to create a number on each separate exercise on the lefthand side of a system. Thanks in advance! Kinds regards, Robbert

> [@Numbers at the beginning of a stave](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/numbers-at-the-beginning-of-a-stave/861643/18):
>
> Welcome to the forum, aptly-named @newby ! (Although I imagine that will become a misnomer before long) To use a different player for each flow, in a work where you want piece numbers shown to the left of a grand staff’s brace: On the left in Setup mode, [add as many section players](https://steinberg.help/dorico_pro/v5/en/dorico/topics/setup_mode/setup_mode_players_adding_t.html) as you have pieces in the project (e.g. 10 pieces = 10 players), and give each player a grand staff instrument (e.g. piano) At the bottom in Setup mode, [add as many flows](https://steinberg.help/dorico_pro/v5/en/dorico/topics/setup_mode/setup_mode_flows_creating_t.html) as you have pieces (e.g. 10 pieces = 10…

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**Author:** ![antoinevankampen](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/antoinevankampen/32/836_2.png) [@antoinevankampen](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/antoinevankampen)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/3 "2024-01-12T15:12:47Z")

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Hi Lillie, Thanks. I found these posts but was kind of hoping that an easier solution was possible. Will wait for D6 😉

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**Author:** ![FredGUnn](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/fredgunn/32/92088_2.png) [@FredGUnn](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/FredGUnn)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/4 "2024-01-12T16:45:14Z")

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This is really easy to do though, as long as you don’t need the number before the system and rehearsal letters in the same project. I’m actually working on a file where I use this right now. In Engraving Options / Rehearsal Letters:

Sequence Type: Numbers  
Custom Suffix: .  
Position of rehearsal mark at start of system: Left-aligned with systemic barline  
Horizontal offset for ^^^: I use -3.5 spaces, but this will depend on your font  
Minimum distance outside staff: I use -3, but again will depend on your font and the look you want.

After all that is set I get this with no manual editing at all:

 ![dosdonts](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/3X/2/0/201704a5e5739505b74c16e8f7e431ac8f3a046b.png)

(Currently revising my notation handout for student transcriptions before the semester starts.)

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**Author:** ![MicheleGalvagno](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/michelegalvagno/32/51337_2.png) [@MicheleGalvagno](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/MicheleGalvagno)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/5 "2024-07-18T10:13:44Z")

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Hey Fred,  
I’ve been trying this with a piano staff.  
Once I get to the “Left-aligned with systemic barline” part, any amount of “Horizontal offset” has no effect on the position of the number. It stays stuck to the systemic barline.  
The Vertical part works well, instead.  
Any idea why that would be happening?

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**Author:** ![Stu\_M](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/stu_m/32/221481_2.png) [@Stu\_M](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Stu_M)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 1:04pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/6 "2024-07-18T13:04:44Z")

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For rehearsal marks at the top of a system, I believe the horizontal offset unfortunately only works with single staff instruments.

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**Author:** ![FredGUnn](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/fredgunn/32/92088_2.png) [@FredGUnn](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/FredGUnn)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 1:07pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/7 "2024-07-18T13:07:53Z")

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Ah, you’re right, I guess the horizontal adjustment only works on single staff systems. I’ve wanted the horizontal adjustment to apply to multiple staff systems for years as I always end up adjusting rehearsal marks in grand staff parts. Daniel gave an explanation here, but I’d still love to see this functionality changed as I find it is at least as common, if not more common, to find the rehearsal marks inset from the edge of the system (see my post following the one below):

> [@Horizontal offset for rehearsal mark aligned with systemic barline not working with multiple staves](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/horizontal-offset-for-rehearsal-mark-aligned-with-systemic-barline-not-working-with-multiple-staves/742673/15):
>
> It’s probably not sufficiently clear from the way the option is described, but the idea behind this option is that if you end up showing rehearsal marks on a staff in the middle of a system, the offset should be applied to avoid a collision with the systemic barline; it’s actually not supposed to take effect when the rehearsal mark is above the top staff or below the bottom staff of the system, so in fact the bug here is that it applies when there is only a single staff.

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**Author:** ![MicheleGalvagno](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/michelegalvagno/32/51337_2.png) [@MicheleGalvagno](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/MicheleGalvagno)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/8 "2024-07-18T13:23:31Z")

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Well… let’s not forget that, in Sibelius, a much older program, the only reliable way to this has been the one described by Lillie in other posts: instrument changes and then change the name.

A page template with top padding set to 0 (or to small values) and a text frame would work for all flows that start at the top of the page, but for this collection this is not the case.

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**Author:** ![FredGUnn](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/fredgunn/32/92088_2.png) [@FredGUnn](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/FredGUnn)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/9 "2024-07-18T14:02:06Z")

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It’s also not too hard to set the vertical distance, then Select More, and bump them all over at once:

![rehearsal](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/4X/c/8/6/c863ecffcfd72f2ba298caf06366fa1c9a711585.gif)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MicheleGalvagno](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/michelegalvagno/32/51337_2.png) [@MicheleGalvagno](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/MicheleGalvagno)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 6:50pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/how-to-get-number-in-front-of-staff/891642/10 "2024-07-18T18:50:25Z")

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Does Select More work across flows? I don’t think so. But if I need to do things in one flow, I believe your method is great.