I am a longtime Sib user but wanting to check out Dorico because I am pretty unhappy about a few things in Sib, especially when it comes to writing drum scores. I am a drummer, so 90% of my scores are drum scores.
I just downloaded the Demo version of Dorcio and am trying to import some of my Sib files that I converted into MusicXML, however, once I try to open them in Dorico all notes appear on the middle line of the drum stave.
Am I doing something wrong?
I also tried to write some new drumscores but it is the same thing here. Every note I try to input appears of the middle line of the stave.
Is there some kind of magic trick that I’m missing?
No, I’m afraid not: there’s basically no good support for drum set notation in Dorico just yet. This is one of the high priority areas we will be working on soon.
Can you give any information on when that will be added? Like early next year, late next year or 2018?
Here are some of my suggestions for drumset notation - maybe it would be a nice thing to have a dedicated thread for this, so that other people might join in. Notating drums is very different at times from “classical” notation, so my guess would be that quite a few drummers out there are searching for ways to make it simple, intuitive and fast.
These are all things coming from using Sibelius.
A real nice feature would be to being able to assign specific noteheads to specific lines. E.g.: Every time you input say a note on the upper G or A it is displayed as a cross (for HiHat / Cymbal) whereas a note on the C or lower D is displayed as a regular notehead (for Snare / Bassdrum).
Noteheads are hugely important to writing drum scores. Drummers often use the same line with a different notehead for a different thing, so being able to quickly change between them will be huge time saver.
Another even more nice thing would be if there was a way to select all notes of one instrument that are on the same line (E.G. select all Gs in a score). That way I could take a drumbeat and replace all HiHats with Ride Cymbals with just a few clicks for example.
If I could use my Roland electronic drumkit to input Music would be amazing. It would require to assign a noteline and a notehead to each instrument of the drumkit. (using specific noteheads are really important to notate drums).
For example: I would assign a regular notehead on the C line for my snare, a crossed notehead on the C line for a sidestick and a diamond shaped notehead for a rim shot. It would be even nicer if I could tell dorico velocity values for inputting accents or small noteheads (e.g.: Velocity is over 100 → accent, Velocity is below 40 → small notehead or regular notehead in brackets.)
If this is impossible to input I’d also be happy about a similar feature but using a midi keyboard instead of electronic drums). So assigning notelines & noteheads to specific keys of midi keyboard and to different velocity values.
For any on these of course it would be great if the mapping was completely up to the user.
Easy way of putting in stickings ( R L R R L R L L) would save me a ton of time. Like being able to choose → above or below staff or having them all horizontally aligned easily. In Sib, this drives me absolute nuts.
Another thing would be for Dorico to know if something is supposed to be first or second voice. So if I choose to notate the bassdrum as a second voice that Dorico will always input it as a second voice with a stem direction that I also choose. Oftentimes drums are notated with the hands being one voice with stems up while the feet are a second voice with stems down. Not always, but often. So making things like this easy to handle would be very convenient.
These are the first things that come to my mind, but I’m sure I can think of more
I can upload a few pics of sibelius scores to illustrate my points more clearly if you like.
Small-size rhythmic cue notes above the staff but without ledger lines (in addition to notes or slashes below) would be important.
The ability to enter actual notes for playback and then replace (where desired) with slashes and multi-measure repeats (and occasional cues for Cymbal, for example) is important.
I am user of sibelius, I work with every day, it’s really a very nice soft !!!
I have just bought Dorico.
I am very disappointed that the writing of score for drum kit does not work.
The release of dorico came before the software is completely accomplished?
I’m sure that dorico is a great software but at this time, compared to Sibelius,
it’s very limited …
Documentation is very poor, nothing about playing … how to execute rehersal,
At this time i can’t use dorico, I have to stay on sibelius,
I hope i will not pay for all the next update until Dorico is accomplished ?
I’m so sorry for you Daniel S. I had a lot of hope for this software … wait and see …
Sticktrick, I would add that the import xml must work perfectly, because many users come from other software as sibelius or finale, and this softwares are very efficient !!!
I am quite surprised reading your post. Is it possible that you bought Dorico without even trying it ? This kind of posts was quite normal when no trial was available (between october and late november) but NOW ?
You could have read posts in this forum, too. All in all, I do not think the tone is really appropriate. None of the information you are complaining about has been hidden, so blame yourself for not having looked for it !
Nevertheless, do not worry, I am very confident you will not regret your investment. You will only have to wait for the proper update that will provide you with drum notation — the same team implemented it in Sibelius, so the only risk here is that it will be even better !
MarcLarcher, you’re right …I would have of to read the forum
i bought Dorico too quickly it’s because I had believed that the crossgrade offer for sibelius user was time-limited
The writing mode in Dorico seems to be very efficient !!
So i continue to learn to use dorico and I look forward to the new releases !!!
i don’t reget my investment !!
