As part of preparing to teach Dorico to handbell composers I’m considering changes to my handbell template.
One thing I’d like to do is either (1) create a handbell techniques category or (2) remove the long list of harp techniques from pitched percussion.
I already see that I can adjust a technique’s category, so if I create a handbell category I know I can transfer techniques into it.
For the second option I see under the list of techniques in the Edit Playing Techniques box there is a delete icon. I selected a technique and clicked the delete button. Nothing happened.
Unfortunately, I don’t think you can do either of the things you want. AFAIK, the list of categories is baked into the program, and you can’t delete factory playing techniques.
One thing you could try within your handbell template is to “clear out” a category by reassigning all of the factory techniques in it to another category that you don’t plan to use, and then creating your handbell techniques in the now empty category. The name of the category may not be what you want, but at least it will group all your techniques together. It looks like reassigning techniques in this way is stored in the project or template file and does not affect projects created in other ways.
I tried your suggestion of moving some of the harp techniques out of Pitched Percussion and into Unpitched Percussion. Then I went to the playing techniques panel. I think the symbols of some of the techniques I moved did show up in the Unpitched Percussion section (I’m not sure because I didn’t take a screenshot of the category before I started). But they are still in the Pitched Percussion section.
Ah, sorry, I wasn’t thinking about the panel, just organization in the Playing Techniques dialog. Yes, it looks like you wind up with these techniques in both categories in the panel: In the original category from the factory library, and then in the new category from the changes you made.