Praise for the open meter and key

Dorico
1

Hi,

One of the most common criticism moved to Dorico is that new documents are not in 4/4 meter and in C Major. They are in an open meter and key.

In my view, this is one of the strongest points in Dorico, and one of the most innovative. I liked it immensely in Igor Engraver, and am immensely happy to find it again.

From the point of view of a student or beginner, having a blank staff is highly educative, since it forces one to learn how to choose the right meter and key. It is not a given, it has to be carefully considered. Having it ready is easier? It depends on the target. If someone only needs a way to transcribe a simple tune, maybe a program as complex as Dorico Pro is not the right one.

For someone writing music in the ‘academic’ styles since the 20th century (including much film music), having a blank staff is liberating. The idea of ‘flow’ is at the basis of Dorico, and flow is not only the name of one of the structural elements: it’s the deep philosophy of this program. Music flows. You are free to give it a measure, design patterns. But, at the basis, it is a free flow in time.

Paolo

2

Absolutely! This was a major selling point for me. It was always such a pain for me in Finale to have to calculate how long to make a bar in a recitative section, for example. Plus, the way Dorico doesn’t tie notes to a bar has made it such a pleasure for me to work with. I always dreaded opening up a new Finale file. In Dorico I look forward to starting a new project.

3

Paulo, I’m going to have to remember that word: every time someone accuses something of being confusing, I can now respond, “It’s not confusing; it’s educative.” :smiley:

That said, I am also content with the way Dorico starts out, even if I feel a certain empathy for the new user who wonders what to do next.
(Of course, I could offer that confused new user suggestions, but we, including the new user, can probably all guess the sorts of suggestions they would be.) :mrgreen: