(1) What settings should I use to get Dorico to space lyrics? This attached example looks really bad. Some of the lyrics will likely change, so I would prefer to use program-based spacing until the lyrics are totally fixed.
(2) Let’s say I want to override Dorico’s settings, how do I move some notes from the top staff system to the second? (so the top “line” of music is not so crowded)
(3) OT: How can I get the system track which shows the bars/measures to be down closer to the treble staff? It’s far above it.
Well, that particular song is a little difficult. But as I said in the thread you linked, I can’t see any path forward at present that doesn’t involve highly detailed manual adjustments to almost every note and syllable. Hymnals are tightly packed, and the current algorithm doesn’t have the ability to produce what’s needed.
Here’s what I do:
Select all lyrics and bump them left one bit, then right, to apply an offset
Space the notes to a pleasing look
Offset individual syllables as needed to remove collisions and maximize clarity and appearance.
It may be that you’ve already agreed with your stakeholders the precise relationship between music size and font size, but relatively speaking the lyrics are a bit smaller in the page from the original hymnal relative to the music, which relieves the pressure on the spacing quite a bit. In the original page, the staff height is around 17.75pt, and the lyrics are at (ever so slightly under) 9pt. Your lyrics are at 9.8pt, so reducing them to 9pt makes a significant difference without changing anything else.
In order to easily create a system break in the middle of a bar, you’ll need to deactivate Snap system and frame breaks to barlines when creating on the Note Input and Editing page of Preferences.
Thank you, everyone! I am going to leave that hymn for a while since Daniel brought up the issue of the size of the font. Actually, although one should know this before starting a project like this, it looks as if the paper size is going to be increased, and I think the barlines should be “spread out” a bit, and I even think the font size should be increased.
The paper size I’m currently mulling over is 160mm x 240mm with 8mm margins on all sides. That’s 453.54pt x 680.32pt with 22.68pt margins. In inches: 6.299" x 9.449" with .315" margins.
There exists a small hymnal supplement from over 20 years ago (done with Finale) to which I refer. When I compare the size of the staves & notes in the sample above to it, seems to me current Dorico options are more compressed. Although that may be good for fitting things on the pages, I think that for readability of the intended users, that we need to increase the size a bit.
Another thing I’m mulling over: using kerning to get the font compressed more (and/or another font, preferably open source). But I’m mystified by the options for spacing of lyrics text (Library>Lyrics). When I change Stretch, Letter spacing, or Word spacing, the sample text at the top bounces around and apparently changes somewhat, but I can’t figure out what it’s doing. I would expect that “stretch” may be the same as “kerning”, but it’s not clear to me.
My plan is to have those decisions made next week and then come back to this file.
Since you’re using Minion Pro, I’d suggest using the condensed version for the lyrics. That version of the font family saves space while remaining eminently readable. Here’s an example:
As you can see, it could even have been compressed more than this without compromising readability or proportionality.
@Derrek or anyone else with time to answer,
(1) What will do the opposite of moving part of a system down? I.e., I want to move part of the first measure in the second system up to the first system.
(2) Am I correct that the System Track’s horizontal position cannot be changed? (I realize it’s not showing in this image.) I watched the Dorico 2 video about what was then the new System Track feature, and it did not mention being able to adjust its location. I haven’t found anything else that answers this question.
Make sure your Preferences>Note Editing has the “stick to barlines breaks” unticked (sorry, I don’t have the exact phrasing, but you should find what I’m talking about).
Here it is :
