Instrument names idea for Dorico 2.0

Dorico
1

Daniel,

I am very impressed with Dorico. I am very pleased with the direction Dorico is going and the care in development to make Dorico a well crafted piece of software. I think you and your team have done tremendous work thus far, and I am excited to see where the software goes in the future.

Below is an idea I have for the next version thatI feel will benefit the future of the software.


I like the idea of players holding instruments, and that you have so many flexible options when it comes to this area. However, the naming conventions and the sort causes a slight issue with some work that could be done in Dorico.

My suggestion:

Use the name displayed in the players card as the name for the staff. Or if need be, create a new “area” in the players card to add overridden staff labels.

In my idea, one could use the default name that Dorico gives, but also have the option to change it. And when doing so, if I made a mistake, go back to Dorico’s default.

I am also thinking possible options to include the instruments underneath the name. Such as laying out the instruments the player is holding. When utilizing this “changed” naming convention, if you had 2 flutes, split between 2 players, that Dorico will recognize that the players have “changed” separate names, and that the flutes would then be recognized so as not to number them (e.g. Flute 1 and Flute 2 doesn’t make sense between Wood Wind 1 holding a flute and Wood Wind 2 also holding a flute). With this, one could have Percussion 1 and Percussion 2, and not have to worry about odd names or numberings. This would help things like “novelty” ensembles where players play on trash cans, or brooms, etc.

Also, (in my opinion) more importantly, you could have character names for musicals without getting strange names (like Chelsea 1 and Sally 2 when both sing Soprano).

I imagine much like the chord editor that there is also a graphical editor for the the staff labels. That when you edit it, you could move numbers (if you add violin 1 and violin 2 on the same staff) vertically.

When utilizing this idea, Dorico would need to put the name of the first instrument above the staff. Then I would imagine following the regular instrument change naming conventions. However, this could be hidden if the composer is writing for “trash can” and to make it work the engraver adds a clave part and a Guiro part naming them Trash Can 1 and Trash Can 2 (just so in playback they hear the different parts).

Mock up of the idea…

Instrument name ideas.png
Instrument name ideas.png2288×1358 141 KB

Robby

2

Certainly we plan to provide more flexibility for staff labelling in future, so we’ll try to take some of these ideas into account when we come to work on this.

3

I like this idea.

4

Ditto. I like the mockup.

5

I am Dorico supporter and believer, and recently upgraded to Dorico Pro 3. I like seeing so much fantastic work being accomplished.

I am reviving this old thread, because I have several projects I would like to finish. I know there are so many competing needs and resources are scarce, but please try to revisit this area soon.

The issue that I have are several percussion pieces where the staves are labeled “Player 1”, “Player 2”, etc. Player 1 in the first flow might play Bells and tambourine, but in Flow 2 Player 1 might play Triangle and Xylophone, and flow 3 might be Tom tom and Shaker. I need to be able to Show Player 1 in the score and at the top of the part layout, while adding in the instrument labels as the instrument plays, including at the start of the flow. While the mock up I made years ago might not be exactly what I would want as of now, I wish there was a slightly easier way to handle this without the need for many work arounds.

The issue becomes renaming “Bells” to “Player 1”, then I would need to show the abbreviated name at all times. But at the start of each flow I would like to use the full name (doesn’t make sense to see “Player 1” above notes).

This not meant to be a rant, or come across insulting. Just expresses my wishes for future versions.

Robby

6

+1

My “Percussion 2” part must be named like that in the layout as well as in the score, no matter what instrument the player is holding in his hand currently.