Selecting chord symbols

Hi all. I’m new here coming from another notation program. Getting used to things in Dorico but had this question.

I copy and paste chords all the time when making lead sheets. I see that the chord symbols are in another “layer”. I know I can Command-Click (Mac) a chord symbol and then “Select More” but it is arbitrary. I know I can select a bar region with the System Track and then just filter out chord symbols. I want the functionality like the lyrics where I can click on one word (or syllable), then Command-Click another word and then “Select More” and get everything in-between. I can’t seem to get that same functionality with chord symbols.

Am I missing something?

Thanks!

No, you’re not missing anything.

“Select More” might seem arbitrary in a Galley View, but not in Page View. It selects the remainder of the measure, then the remainder of the system, then the entire flow.

I do like how that works, but I want to specific a certain range of bars, like a verse or a chorus. Lyrics work that way but chord symbols don’t.

I agree. Dorico is generally very consistent with actions so it would make sense for chord symbols to work the same way. I generally use Shift-click for this with other items so I also would like the ability to Shift-click a range of chords. Click the first chord, hold down Shift and click on another to select that region, just the same way it works with notes.

I agree, chord symbols feel like an outlier here.

How can I get an 8 bar phrase of multiple chord symbols to be pasted to another location? I’m only able to select 1 chord at a time.

Use the System Track to make the selection, then Filter Chord Symbols, copy and paste.

I am trying to select misplaced chord symbols from partway through a song to the end of the flow, but choosing the system track and trying to filter for chord symbols does not choose the chords; yet when I double-click a chord symbol it does bring up the popover for a system chord rather than for SHIFT+X text, so it is a chord.

This was originally an XML import from Finale.

Just in case: please confirm that by “choosing the system track” you mean that you’re clicking the system track above the first bar you want to select, then Shift-clicking the system track above the last bar you want to select, then clicking the little square at the right edge of the System Track.

Confirmed.

I have found a work-around by going to the drum part and selecting the chord signpost and shift-clicking to the last chord signpost of the flow before filtering for chord symbols.

That makes be wonder if the system track solution works if signposts are hidden for the layout in question.

At any rate I had to reselect the signposts in the drum part every time I applied ALT+RightArrow. Wish the selection were “sticky.”

Thanks, Leo for your swift reply.

The System Track won’t select anything that isn’t visible, but if signposts are visible then it typically selects them. If you want to include everything in the selection including hidden stuff (and hidden signposts), try drawing a marquee selection.

Hi Derrek,

I use this workflow all the time, & haven’t had problems with it, regardless of signposts. That said, XML Imports do seem to cause all sorts of brand new problems!

Just to double check you’re following it right, having followed these instructions above, are the chord symbols highlighted (orange) along with the notes in the area you’re wishing to filter?

When I click the system track, the chord symbols did not turn orange. They would turn orange if I used Select All, but of course that would move chord symbols I wanted to leave where they were.

It was odd that I had better luck selecting the chord symbols when they were not present (only signposts) than when they chord symbols themselves were present. :man_shrugging:

I suspect this is a “please upload a project” situation.

Since I have solved the immediate problem, I’ll wait to send it to Daniel until he feels it would help the team solve what they think may be a widespread problem. But thank you for the suggestion.

There’s a trick which I discovered to selecting a range of chord symbols without using the mouse to select a region or CMD-click, which selects one chord symbol at a time:

1–Using the system track (ALT-T) select the measures containing the chords you want to work with (usually copy, but it could be anything else). Click the little box at the right of the system track. This will then highlight (turn orange) everything in the region, including both notes and chords.

2–In a blank area of the screen (this is important–if you try to click on a note or chord, the selection will go away), right-click on filter and then chord symbols. This causes everything BUT the chord symbols to be deselected, leaving you with only the chord symbols. You can then copy that and paste it anywhere.

There must be some reason why you can’t SHIFT-click a range of chord symbols like you do with notes to accomplish the same thing, but I haven’t figured it out. This accomplishes the same thing, and isn’t a whole lot of work once you get the hang of it. I was unable to find anything in all the documentation suggesting this method.

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Shift-selections only select staff-attached objects, and chord symbols are treated as system-attached objects (like tempo markings and system text). You should find that Select More works on chord symbols, and there’s some undocumented behaviour here too: if you select the first chord symbol, then Cmd/Ctrl-click the last chord symbol you want to copy, then type Cmd/Ctrl-Shift-A it should select all the chord symbols in between (as opposed to the usual Select More behaviour, which is objects of that type within that bar, then system, then flow).

I can’t get it to work, following your instructions.When I follow the last step, nothing happens.

You can program multi-step keycommands too. I use Ctrl+F for Filter and then a second command to select chords.

No need to worry about where you are right-clicking this way.

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