Is there a table linking notated expressions to playing technique assignments

Dorico
#1

I’ve begun to use my newly mapped library in my first effort at getting Dorico playing back from the score what I’ve already recorded in Studio One. First impressions are really positive. Using velocity, dynamics and expression maps I’ve done the woodwind and it’s sounding really excellent. I created some expression maps for horns for sfz fast and sfz slow using new playing techniques. These haven’t been as successful as it seems when entering ‘playing techniques’ (shift +P), Dorico is searching its database of playing techniques’ it recognises and lists them as suggestions. Although it finds the terms I created, it doesn’t want to play them back, even when playback is soloed just for the horn. It’s funny because the ‘natural’ sound I selected is ‘horn p’ (on C-1), with the sound ‘horn f’’ (on C#-1) being selected with the expression map, using a playing technique I created called ‘natural f’ (with the popver text ‘nat f’). Both these work as they should, with the ‘horn p’ sound being selected when nothing is marked. Any idea why it’s not working with the ‘horn sfz fast’? As I say, I’ve created expression maps for the woodwind and have them successfully play natural, crescendo, diminuendo, staccato, so I can’t figure out what’s wrong with the horns.

I see in the ‘force of attack’ section in dynamics, a range of dynamics. eg. ‘sfz’, ‘fz’, ‘rfz’, ‘ffz’ etc.

Do these produce a corresponding playing technique that is already mapped that I could use, and is there a table to show what is linked to what?

I just thought I might look in ‘Edit playing techniques’ to find that answer but it doesn’t seem to be there.

I also find in the same pane, that I can’t delete using the dustbin new playing techniques I created. I presume you highlight the playing technique, then click on dustbin. Nothing happens. The tab remains. I don’t want to revert to ‘factory’ in case I lose some I created.

I can workaround this with just the ‘horn p’ and ‘horn f’ sound using velocity and dynamics, but the other ‘presets’ (samples) take the music somewhere else. It just seems a little random why it’s not working.
Thanks for all the help so far BTW. When I started off, I didn’t think I’d get this far, so much appreciated.
Al

#2

There isn’t currently an exhaustive list, as we’re increasing the number of things that are mapped to Expression Maps in every version. As a general rule though:

  • Any Playing Technique items in the score will trigger the Playback Playing Technique associated with them
  • Note articulations: staccato, staccatissimo, tenuto, accent, marcato
  • Slurs trigger legato
  • sfz markings trigger the sfz playing technique

Things that are not currently possible:

  • pf/fp/rfz/fz
  • triggering separate ‘p’ or ‘f’ patches or fast/slow variants
#3

I’m confused about harmonics. Which harmonic notations produce which PPTs?

#4

Either add the harmonic symbol from the Common section of the playing techniques panel or in Properties Panel > Harmonics set the properties there. The latter approach is preferred as Dorico can represent a variety of notations including natural and artificial harmonics.

#5

It seems I only get NaturalHarmonic1, no matter which kind of notation I use—is this intentional?

#6

That’s correct. The note that is played is at the sounding pitch of the harmonic and it triggers that playing technique.

#7

Paul, thanks for the explanation. I’m going to explore different harmonics with my Double Bass sample set.
What is NaturalHarmonic2 intended for?

#8

That’s a good question, and I didn’t know myself until I’ve searched the codebase for it! It seems that this is something we added back in Dorico 1.0 on our survey of commonly-used playing techniques and score annotations. Initially we had ‘Natural Harmonics 1’ for the circle noteheads and ‘Natural Harmonics 2’ for diamond noteheads. However, this was well before Dorico’s support for harmonics as semantic properties of notes (where we can work out the sounding pitch), and so I don’t think this was ever used. So you can safely ignore it.

#9

OK, good to know! I was assuming that picking the type of harmonic would result in a corresponding PPT, but as we know, everything is NaturalHarmonic1. Is this likely to change in a future update?
I do want to make a distinction between Natural and Artificial Harmonics, since my sample set has both. Dorico’s implementation of the Properties Panel harmonics is great, but there’s no automatic pitch adjustment for the non-tempered intervals.

#10

That’s interesting that there are different samples for it - which library is that? It’s certainly a consideration for the future.

#11

It’s the XSamples Extended Edition:
http://www.xsample.de/xail_extended_edition_solo_strings.htm
Not their latest offering, but I’m not inclined to upgrade. There are inconsistencies from instrument to instrument (e.g. Violin has no nat harmonics), but I like the sounds a lot.