How to repeat a 4 bar repeat

I have a guitar part and I want the player to play a 4 bar phrase 5 times. I can use the slash 4 bars and enter that 5 times. Is there some way to have that 4 bar repeat numbered 1-5 so it actually plays 5 times without having the slash figure written out 5 times? I hope that’s clear.

If you haven’t already, create “Start Repeat” and “End Repeat” bar lines, and then select the “End Repeat” bar line and then in properties panel under “Play n times” you have the option to define the number of times that section should be played.

Bob, if I interpret correctly, the OP is using the 4-measure repeat symbols to repeat rather than a repeat sign.
I do not think these multi-measure repeat symbols can be numbered automatically the way single measures can.

https://steinberg.help/dorico_pro/v3/en/dorico/topics/notation_reference/notation_reference_bar_repeats_counts_c.html?hl=repeat%2Cslashes

Derrek’s correct: Dorico can automatically label consecutive one-bar bar repeats, but not two- or four-bar repeats.

Sorry, I misunderstood that question then.

Welcome to the club, Bob; I tend to do it more often than I would wish. Fortunately Leo or Dan or someone else usually catches it before too long. Being willing to help always carries the risk of misunderstanding or missing something, but the willingness to help is what makes this forum such a useful and congenial resource.

Thanks one and all! I do have a follow-up question. If I were to use the repeat sign on just a part, would that affect the full score? Could I do it just for the guitarist and do something else for the bass and something else again for the piano? And still have the score look and play correctly?

It’s not possible to have a bar repeat in one layout but not display in another.

Another issue has arisen. I can do this with a 4 bar phrase but when I try to repeat an 8 bar phrase, nothing happens at all. I have an 8 bar bass line that I would like repeated exactly 4 times. I deleted the 24 measures - now I’m left with a 24 measure rest. I select that, go to the Repeat popover, type in %8 and nothing happens. If I type in %4, I get the 4 bar phrase repeated 6 times but that is not what I want. Any idea why it will not work with an 8 bar phrase?

The maximum number of bars that can be shown in a bar repeat is four. I would suggest using repeat barlines for phrases longer than four bars.

I tried, but then I am constrained by the fact that I cannot do multiple repeats on just a single part. It feels a little bit like a catch-22.
I have another question as well. Is there some way for me to hide the original material rather than erasing it, creating a long rest, and then making the slash repeats? Can I just hide those phrases in case I ever want to use them again? Thanks for all your help … bit of a learning curve here.

If you use a slash region, you can “cover” the existing music, so you don’t need to delete it. That’s certainly an option, but typically slashes don’t mean “repeat the last x bars”, they normally mean something more along the lines of telling the player to fill or vamp. I guess you certainly know that, of course!