How would you be writing the solo parts? If you’re using divisi, then it’s straightforward, as you can activate independent voice playback, which will give you a separate entry in the NotePerformer window for each of the divisi sections, and you can then adjust the playback sound for the appropriate entry in the NotePerformer window.
it’s a simple one staff cello section part. the section stops playing, and a single solo cello continues, then it returns to the section a few bars later. nothing complicated, no solo at the same time as section.
The problem is I’m seeing Noteperformer as 8 different instances of things in the Play window.
I’ve set to “independent voice playback”, but it sets ALL of NotePrformer to that setting, so I can’t find my cello section.
How do I then add a solo to the same channel as the cello section?
How do I tell it, for example, that voice 3 will be the solo part, while voices 1 and 2 are the section?
When you create a divisi, you can create one solo player and two sections divisi… If Dorico’s playback template still applies (you have made no overrides or you reapply it), NotePerformer should create one solo cello and two different celli sections. You don’t have to do anything more, AFAIK.
how do I have the two cello parts (the section and the solo) on the same staff?
Have you tried just marking the solo notes solo. NP might handle that marking on its own.
Worth a try.
writing “solo” does nothing to a section.
in the Setup window, I can add an instrument to double to a solo instrument staff (for example, adding a piccolo to a flute), but I can’t add a solo cello to a section cello staff.
I have to create an entire new staff, which defeats the purpose of what I’d like to do.
I need a single staff that will play either section celli or a solo cello.
never at the same time so there is no conflict.
For printing it was easy, I simply created a dashed line with the text “1 solo” for the short passage, then a “tutti” text expression for the return to the whole cello section.
I’m asking if there’s a way of having this playback to reflect what is written.
The return to section isn’t shown in this image, because it’s on the next page and Dorico doesn’t allow one to make a slice/image from multiple pages.
AFAIK this does not work, because the top line has to switch from section to solo and back again. It might be achieved if the divisi is set sup with the solo below gli atri, but from an engraving viewpoint that makes no sense. And that too would fail if at some other point there is a normal sectional divisi.
If independent voice playback is activated and the top line switches from section to solo and back again, simply use two voices for that line, one when the section is playing and the other when the solo is playing. Then assign the appropriate playback sounds for those voices in play mode.
I still think a Solo that detaches itself from a section should get an extra staff above gli altri. It would be the most conceptually and notationally correct way of handling this. But this request is quite old, and I’m afraid it’s unlikely that the current behaviour will be changed anytime soon. Independent playback of multiple voices is the answer for the time being.
@Michel_Edward ,
One staff, two voices, downstem voice reassigned to solo in NP
celloSolo.dorico (502.9 KB)
the problem is I don’t know HOW you got that result!!
I need a “step-by-step for idiots” description.
I SEE that there are two instruments, on the same staff, but I don’t know HOW you got that result.
If I have a cello section, what do I need to do to add a solo cello to, let’s say, voice2? or voice 3? (since I already need both up and down stem voice 1 for the section when they do divisi)
I open the Play menu, but it’s all Greek to me.
Assuming the solo cello does not play simultaneously with divided tutti celli needing both up and down stems (which may be assuming too much on my part), one simply needs to add an additional voice (later to be assigned to a solo cello) to whatever one needs for the tutti celli. Have Voice Colors chosen to help tell the voices apart.
Then, in Play, choose “Independent Voice Playback” to assign separate MIDI channels to each cello voice.
Highlight the track containing the solo cello, note the MIDI channel assignment, and open the NP mixer.
Click on the name of the appropriate Cello in NP; that should give one the ability to reassign the sound for that track.
I hope this has been helpful.
how do I add that solo cello?
that’s the first thing I couldn’t figure out.
If I add it in Setup Mode Dorico wants to add a new staff for the solo cello.
DO I do this, then simply not icnlude that staff in my score layout?
Or is there another place to add an instrument?
Nothing I clicked on in the Play menu would do anything, it was far from intuitive.
Where do I assign which voice the solo cello will play from?
I would like the solo to play from Voice 2 (as the tutti cello section uses Voice 1 up and down stem).
Add it as an additional regular cello voice (put the solo notes into a separate voice); mark it solo as text; and then convert/reassign the sound in NP.
Not a separate Player, just a separate voice on the cello staff.
One can have more than one upstem or downstem voice on a staff.
Is the solo playing against the tutti, or do the tutti players drop out while the solo cello plays? One would still need a third voice on the staff to assign the solo sound to just those notes.
ok, let us start over.
I already have three different voices on that staff: voice 1 up and down stem, and voice 2 with nothing so far, it WILL be my solo cello.
However, I have absolutely no idea where I’m supposed to look to assign an additional instrument cello voice. I’m not seeing anything of the sort. Just my single cello channel, with “violoncelle” marked, nothing else. it doesn’t specify up or down stem. nada.
all I’m seeing is that my cello is in 03 - NotePerformer, on channel 13.
And if I look at the different ones, 01, 02, 04, 05, etc… they have different instruments, but they also keep repeating the names of instruments that are already loaded in another instance of NotePerformer… this is VERY confusing to me.
Like I said, answer in VERY easy-to-understand sentences, and assume I’m a complete moron, I will not be insulted. Don’t assume I know how to do things here, I’ve never used a DAW, so that’s like asking me to decipher hieroglyphs being a music major and not a linguist.
Michel,
I am going to have to head for bed soon, but I saw you were replying so I waited to see what you would say. Let me try one more time tonight and hope I can do it better this time.
It sounds as if you have all the voices you need, since you say the notes for the soloist are (or will be) on Voice 2. So far, so good.
What you need to do now (other than add the solo notes to Voice 2–upstem2 or downstem2 is up to you) is to go to Play mode to get the Sounds the way you want them.
First you need to tell Dorico you want different cello sounds on the three voices of the cello staff. That is what the Enable Independent Voice Playback button in my to image above will do for you. When you press it, you should see your cello track break into 4 sections, the top is the composite track: ignore it.
The three indented tracks below are the three voices, all initially assigned to the same tutti cello sound. (You are using NP for this, right?)
Next highlight the track (Voice 2) that contains the solo notes. And note its MIDI channel assignment in the left panel. This is what the middle illustration above shows minus one of the tracks.
Press the stylized e for that track in the left panel to open the NP Mixer. Clicking the name at the top of that track in NP (initially showing Cello) should bring up a dropdown list to let one select a new sound (the solo sound) for the track.
ok, the note have been moved to their voice (voice 2 upstem).
now how do I assign the solo sound to that voice?
Hope the edits to my previous track explain carefully enough.
Thank-you!
I finally got it to work.
It’s not the easiest thing for someone really not used to DAW-style menus.
I come from Finale and am really only used to working on staves in a score.