Solo changes with according scales for Big Band

Dorico
#1

Hi!

I input a number of chord changes taken from a song written for Big Band. So the result is having 32 bars with chord symbols above them.
What I would like to do now is to note the scales that can be used to improvise throughout the solo part. The tricky part is, note input is only possible “in time”. So I have 4/4 and therefore cannot simply place as many (quarter) notes in one bar as I desire.

No idea how to achieve that or if Dorico 2.2 even allows that.

The desired result is having a whole scale notated in the bar where it first appears. So e.g. meaning 7 notes in one bar disregarding the 4/4 pattern. I don’t want to use note values that fit in the pattern as that would not follow general conventions plus makes reading the scales very hard since it might look like a written solo suggestion. Also, depending on when the scales change, some are only valid for half a bar, so I

Let me know if you need more clarification somewhere. I’m happy to go into more detail.

#2

These are just suggestions. If you can attach a picture of what you want the score to look like, there are plenty of people here with creative ideas about how to do weird things in Dorico.

You can get over the “in time” problem by inputting the notes as tuplets, and hiding the tuplet brackets and numbers using the Properties panel. You might need to adjust the horizontal spacing of the notes to make them even.

To get over confusion of reading the notes literally, you could consider using stemless notes on a separate ossia staff.

If all else fails you could create a separate flow containing the scales, export them as graphics, and import the graphics into your solo part.

#3

What Rob said!

I think use a hidden tuplet, then hide stems. So you’d start with something like this:

Then hide the tuplet bracket and number from the properties panel.
Go into Engrave mode to hide the stems on the notes.
End result:

P.S. There’s currently a limitation that means that when you switch from Write mode to Engrave mode Dorico’s view may jump to somewhere else in the score. it doesn’t matter, as your notes are still selected. Just flick the “hide stem” switch and trust it…

#4

Ah, thank you Rob and pianoleo!
I got it and it works.

Just find it a bit complicated to do that since I found two sliders for hiding the tuplet (number + bar) and moving the tails of the notes by hand does the trick. Also, it seems I need to do this in every single sheet, not only once in the score. Quite an amount of work…

Maybe there’s another shortcut?
I hadn’t had much time to experiment, yet. I’ll look into it another time.

But I can get the result I was looking for already, so thanks again!

#5

Once you’ve done it in the score, select the whole bar and go Edit > Propagate Properties. That will apply it to every layout where those notes appear.

#6

In Engrave mode there is a “Hide Stem” property - quicker than dragging the end of the stems by hand. You can do the tuplets in Engrave mode as well, of course.

If all the scales are the same rhythm, the quickest way would be to get one formatted correctly, then copy it and re-pitch the notes for the others.

Select the passage, in the score, then do Propagate Properties in the Edit menu.

#7

Thank you both again so much!

It works now and is next to no hassle. Wow! :slight_smile: