I have a work in 7/8 time, but it’s important that the beat division be |3+2+2|2+2+3|. I change this with a signpost using the tempo popover. However, it breaks up multi-measure rests in all instruments when I do that. Any tips on how to eliminate this?
You could input the time signatures with specified beat subdivisions locally only on the staves that need it in those bars? and if you like, restate it when everyone is in with a global time signature to “get everyone back together” as it were.
I use the subdivision for all instruments for a few reasons: beat stress/pattern, conductor’s clarity, and notation consistency. The pattern (2+2+3 | 3+2+2) repeats for the entire 7/8 section but, for some reason, I have to split it up in the first two bars or I get a weird “7/8 + 7/8” time signature.
I’ve also got this problem going on: 4/4 time, no change in the subdivision, but the time signature keeps re-appearing and I have to hide it. This also breaks up the multi-measure rests.
There are different types of time signatures with different popover entries, of course. If you only want to show a single time signature, you might prefer to input just a single 7/8 and handle the interchange manually (by which I mean: inputting time signatures as necessary, then hiding them). Or, you could use an interchangeable time signature instead - any time signatures included in the initial one that you subsequently input are automatically hidden, no specific pattern required.
My point mainly was that an explicit time signature change will always split multi-bar rests. If you don’t want to split multi-bar rests in parts not playing in those bars, then you can instead give time signatures locally just to the people playing in those bars and only restate a global time signature at a point when everyone is playing (and thus not split any multi-bar rests).
If the time signature is reappearing, it suggests an overridden barline. Select the barline at the position of the signpost, and delete it.
The over-ridden barlines were the issue for the phantom 4/4 time signatures, thanks. Is there a way to show all over-ridden barlines? When deleting a few others to test, it got rid of the entire thing (I guess because it wasn’t over-ridden).
As for the 7/8 issue, the hidden time signatures seem to be the issue. If I select those signposts, I can un-hide them but then they appear in the staff. Hiding them is exactly what is creating the broken multi-bar rests (though I don’t want them there at all). As for the local time signatures, would that would mean creating local time signatures EVERY time an instrument enters?
Thanks for the help, and sorry if I’m not getting it. I’m not experienced enough [yet] with Dorico to troubleshoot on my own, so this is very much a case of “I want Dorico to do this without me forcing it” even if it’s not plausible.
For overridden barlines, the clue is the signpost. That tells you something else is going on there. Normal barlines don’t have signposts.
And yes, the hidden time signatures split the multi-bar rest - anything explicit will do that, like a dynamic or playing technique.
Once a staff has a local time signature, it “stays local” until the next explicit global time signature (e.g. if 4 bars later you input a 7/8 for everyone by pressing Return to close the popover rather than Alt/Opt-Return, which inputs a local time signature, all staves get back to sharing the same, global time signature).
So, it’s up to you how to handle this section: either give staves an independent time signature if they need a meter change within a region where other staves have a multi-bar rest (it doesn’t matter when everyone is playing, as they don’t have multi-bar rests), or handle beaming/note grouping manually in those bars and just don’t have time signature changes at all in that section. As it’s possibly only 4 bars, that might be easiest. But just try it out a bit to learn the principles for yourself so you can ultimately make your own judgement.
You could always leave the time signature as |3+2+2| and use forced duration and beaming to notate the beaming of the ‘alternate’ bars. You can copy/paste those patterns where needed and re-pitch as necessary.