I cannot transpose my music down a major third.

Dorico
#1
  1. Dorico 2: The music in question is in D-flat. The transpose function does not allow me to transpose it down to A either with the interval calculator in Write or with the Transpose-by-Quality/Divisions method in Write.

I tried transposing it down a fourth to A-flat with no problem. But Dorico would not then allow me to transpose it up the half-step to A.

I suspect Dorico is not keen on a three-sharp signature for some reason - an old bug, I know.

  1. Dorico 2: The piece in question is TTB with piano. I want abbreviated staff names for TTB, but no abbreviated staff names for piano. Of course, I need full staff names for the first system; this part is working fine. I cannot figure out for the life of me how to have no piano-abbreviated staff labels while having abbreviated staff labels for TTB.

  2. In other news, I am marveling at the keyboard-note-entry method. I am getting the hang of QWERTY chord-entry. Amazing stuff.

Thanks, all. Dorico never ceases to amaze.

#2

WORKAROUND: I changed the key signature (no key changes in this music) and then manually selected everything and shifted it all up a step using Alt-Up. I then did Alt-Down and magically, everything was in the right key. Now, I realize again using that method gives diatonic results.

#3

  1. Do you have a key change later in the flow? One that, transposed down a major third, would result in a stupid number of sharps or flats? If so, transpose the section of music before the modulation first, then select the music after the key change and perform whatever the correct transposition is there.

  2. Go into Setup mode. In the left panel click the little arrow to the right of the Piano (player), then right click on the Piano (instrument), Change Instrument Names. Then delete whatever’s in the “short name” box. Don’t be flummoxed by the fact that there’s no visible cursor.

#4

No key changes.

  1. Go into Setup mode. In the left panel click the little arrow to the right of the Piano (player), then right click on the Piano (instrument), Change Instrument Names. Then delete whatever’s in the “short name” box. Don’t be flummoxed by the fact that there’s no visible cursor.

What was happening with me was I had originally changed the Piano’s abbreviated name to nothing at all as even an abbreviated name in this score for all systems past the first is redundant. But the software was substituting for some reason the full name / label.

I got around that by specifying a space for the abbreviated name for Piano. Everything looks great, now.

I found workarounds for both issues. Either they are bugs or I am doing something wonky. Thanks very much!

#5

A major third down from Db is in fact Bbb, and a Bbb key signature would not be allowed. While I haven’t tried it, I would expect a transposition down a diminished fourth (Db to A) should work.

#6

It calculates by the spelling, then. That, I did not know, Kim. Thanks so much!

#7

Intervals are ALWAYS calculated by the spelling.

#8

Perhaps it would be useful if Dorico would give some feedback when a transposition fails or is unavailable: “Sorry, you can’t transpose this passage by [a major third] because that would create an impossible key signature”.