Hello, in the attached png, the note spacing in bar 9 is wider than the spacing in bar 5. How do I change settings so every bar has the same note spacing as bar 5 (which I thought was the default)? I didn’t change any setting when I started entering bar 9 so not sure why Dorico changed the note spacing (maybe size of intervals?) so am curious what the default rules are and how to make it consistent.
Start off by using the Make Into System button (or System breaks that Wait for the next system break) to get the same number of bars on each line. Then, if you need to, use the Note Spacing tool function in Engrave mode to move individual notes or beats.
Dorico’s Note Spacing defaults can be seen and adjusted on the Note Spacing page of Layout Options. You can also add a Note Spacing change anywhere you like, from the Engrave menu (within Engrave mode). Regardless of the Note Spacing settings, Dorico will only put whole bars on a System, unless you’ve changed the setting that allows it to split bars across multiple systems. With the defaults, if Dorico thinks there’s room for three and a half bars on a System, it will only put three bars on the System and it will stretch them out to fit.
For what it’s worth, these things usually come out in the wash: if you’re still very much in the compositional (or arranging, or “typing up”) process, don’t worry about this u til you’ve finished that side of the job.
As alluded to above, the spacing is different because the system starting with bar 9 has 3 bars in it, whereas the one starting from bar 5 has 4 (so is therefore more tightly spaced).
In addition to Leo’s great advice, for parts/layouts with very consistent phrasing and content like this, you can also set fixed casting off settings so that Dorico always puts the same number of bars in every system.