Parenthesized gradual tempo markings

[John_Ruggero]

I look and look and can’t find an option to parenthesize a gradual tempo marking like “calando” in the properties panel. Only for “absolute tempo changes”. Is there one for gradual tempo changes?

[Janus]

You can “abbreviate” it with brackets…

[John_Ruggero]

Thank you so much, Janus. Bingo!

Now, I hope that none of the new ones are reading this. They might get the idea that Dorico is non-intuitive.

[benwiggy]

You don’t even have to abbreviate it: just change the text in the “Text” box:

[John_Ruggero]

Thank you, benwiggy. Even better. I thought I had tried that and it didn’t work. But it was the popover. And the same with the absolute tempo changes.

So the question is why is there a parenthesize option in the properties panel for absolute and not for gradual tempo changes? That confused me.

And why can’t one parenthesize and bracket tempo indications directly in the popover?

[Christian_R]

@John_Ruggero

So the question is why is there a parenthesize option in the properties panel for absolute and not for gradual tempo changes?

Maybe because the parenthesis makes the tempo change “cautionary”, and a cautionary gradual tempo change makes less sense? (just thinking out loud)

[hrnbouma]

Cautionary maybe not, but editorial might make sense.

[John_Ruggero]

@Christian_R @hrnbouma I think you are both right, they can be cautionary, or, as in my case, they are editorial.

[benwiggy]

@John_Ruggero

So the question is why is there a parenthesize option in the properties panel for absolute and not for gradual tempo changes? That confused me.

I suspect that the parenthesis option was mainly for metronome marks, but if you’re not showing the MM, then Dorico lets you use it for the text.

@John_Ruggero

And why can’t one parenthesize and bracket tempo indications directly in the popover?

Brackets in the popover usually indicate a hidden effect.

Note there’s a space in the 2nd example.

[John_Ruggero]

@benwiggy

I suspect that the parenthesis option was mainly for metronome marks, but if you’re not showing the MM, then Dorico lets you use it for the text.

I had noticed that. You can parenthesize the absolute tempo mark, or the metronome indication, but not both. This puzzled me as well.

@benwiggy

Brackets in the popover usually indicate a hidden effect.

“Brackets” as in “parentheses”. (Here we go again.) Then perhaps parentheses and (square) brackets should not be used for hidden effects since they are so commonly used in the music?

[judddanby]

@John_Ruggero

Then perhaps parentheses and (square) brackets should not be used for hidden effects since they are so commonly used in the music?

Taking a cue from Markdown, HTML, etc., perhaps enclosing brackets for hidden elements could be < >.

[John_Ruggero]

Something like that might be preferable. @judddanby But I am way out of my depth now.

[benwiggy]

@John_Ruggero

You can parenthesize the absolute tempo mark, or the metronome indication, but not both. This puzzled me as well.

You can add the parentheses in the Text Panel.

Ideally, if the whole thing is just an editorial ‘suggestion’, then it ought to be in one set of parentheses, notwithstanding the different sizes.

[John_Ruggero]

Thanks, benwiggy. I get it now; the organization of this area just seemed a bit odd. Probably a little Dorico-rusty, having been away for several months finishing up Finale projects.

I agree that as an editorial addition, they would both be within a single pair of parentheses. (Actually, I never put metronome markings in the body of an edited score that are not the composer’s own. They go in a footnote.)