Request for 3 new features with suggestions

Dorico
1

Hello I am just starting to use Dorico SE and I’ve encountered a few limitations that could evolve into more useful features:

  1. Lyrics and lines seem too connected. Please add an alternative. On my lead sheet I have verses 1-3 (16 measures) with repeats (then a pass measure 3rd ending) then another 3 verses (16 measures) with repeats for verses 4-5 with a final ending verse 6.
    A. I cannot number the second 3 verses as verses 4-6 unless I have a huge indent of 3 ghost verses.
    B. So I did add numbers to my initial words in verses 4-6 but it does not look well.
    C. Suggestion this could be as simple as adding another toggle switch to break verse 1 location as number x… I think this would be very useful.

  2. Second Suggestion the ability to swap verses. Maybe the story could be better told if verse one was verse 4? With a click verses could swap. This would be a great advantage for those writing songs.

  3. I like the number three, so a third suggestion might be in order. Second ending ties. This seems to be a simple addition to your tie where one note (the ending note) would have the half tie but be connected to the prior note.

2

Welcome to the forum, bigbandan. If you can arrange it such that you don’t have lines 4-6 and lines 1-3 on the same system, then you’ll find lines 4-6 will come up nice and close to the staff to which they belong.

You can effectively swap the verses around using the Edit > Filter > Lyrics menu (I think that whole menu is included in Dorico SE, though apologies if it’s not), since you can then change the lines with Edit > Lyrics. So change one line to an otherwise unused line number, then change the other one to the now vacant line number, then finally set the first line of lyrics you had changed.

Dorico does not yet support any ongoing items that cross into second/nth ending lines. This has been discussed countless times on the forum and is planned for the future.

3

Thank you for your very prompt reply