How to simplify spelling of notes (accidentals)?

Hi! I have tried and tried to figure this out. The manual, google, YT but no luck.
How can I automatically check the spelling of a score/ parts?
There is “simplify spelling” in Sibelius and spelling tables in Finale to favour flats or sharps…

Here’s an example.
I recently wrote an arrangement for trumpet and tenorsax in concert key Gb/F# minor/major/bluesy.
That resulted in a complete mess in the parts with a big mix of fixed accidentals and temporary accidentals, sharps and flats. Often a Ab and Gb in F# minor.
Tried to clean it up. Transposed the score to another key, and back. Did not work.

Coming from Sibelius to Finale and now Dorico for the last 2 years. This is really bothering me, as I believe there MUST be a good, obvious way to solve this.
Dorico is great but when writing for horns and bigbands, I get serious bad spelling of the accidentals in the parts, and I know how irritating it is to read.

How do you fellow Doricans handle this?

Best regards, Pelle Fridell

Hi.
I am afraid that there is no automatic solution for this. What can be done is filter the problematic pitches (which supposes you’ve identified them) and use the enharmic spelling keys. It’s quite fast, I find the filter by pitch tool very efficient, but clearly not as cool as an automatic solution.

Hi Marc!!
Thanks for your reply and suggestion :slight_smile: This is gold for me and saving a lot of time :slight_smile:
This is really a problem… When it need to be fast (like always :slight_smile: ), I write horn arrangements in a DAW then export musicXML to Dorico or Finale.
This evening I just gave up finishing the parts in Dorico… D major and a mess of sharps and flats like Gb. Went back to Finale and fighting other things :slight_smile: .
I will try your solution next time, maybe there is something that can be done before exporting the xml… But the “respell” command is a best frien and really useful…
Best regards, Pelle

Pelle (Just curious) But why would you choose to write your horn arrangements in a DAW, rather than write them straight into Dorico, if your need is to output parts? What specific advantage does the DAW route give you?

Hi Janus!!
I write in Logic/ Studio One to be able to write in sync with an audio track, sometimes something not recorded with click and needs tempo mapping. This helps me being dead right with forms, bars and rehearsal symbols. And being sure it is right when playing the arrangement prima vista on a concert/show/gig.
This way of sync is also practical when writing horn arrangements for studio work, somebody sending me a cuemix that I write for. Or just write an arr for a tune I’m writing/ producing, already in the DAW. I always write with a pianosound and all voices on one track like chords.
Studio One has a great feature detecting chord symbols. Sometimes spot on but somewhere near most of the time. Great tool and saving a lot of time not having to transcribe.
But no DAW (I know) is good at outputting proper, readable parts to be played by musicians. Especially for transposed instruments. There is always something wrong and often a nightmare with page turns :slight_smile:

I have posted in thread about asking for rewire support in Dorico, that’s an easy way of syncing but is probably on its way out…
I read an answer using video for playback audio. Just need to figure that out, and being able to make that video and mapping bars quickly. Maybe the play tab of Dorico is the answer to this… I only looked at it briefly, but got the impression its more about keyswitching for playback?

Best regards, Pelle.