I have a score with a piccolo player who doubles on 3rd flute, and section players for 1st and 2nd flute. For the solo player I changed the name of his flute to Fl III. This looks nice in the full score, since the left margin tells you which instrument, piccolo or flute III, is currently playing. Unfortunately, when the player changes from piccolo to flute, both the score and part say “To Fl III.” Is there a way to make the instrument change text read simply “To flute” or “To Fl” and leave out the III? I’d like to keep the III for the left margins in the score, but not in the instrument change notification.
I don’t think there’s any way to automate this, but as of version 1.2, you can select the instrument change label and customize in through the properties panel in Engrave mode.
I believe this is because you manually changed the instrument name, forcing it to read Flute III. Naturally, Dorico has no idea III isn’t actually part of the instrument name, unless you let it number them itself. I do believe you can change the way instruments are numbered in Engraving Mode to roman numerals, so you shouldn’t have to force it.
Well, since the Piccolo staff is above Flutes 1 and 2, you would have to force it, no?
There are disparate practices in this specific case, but you are of course entirely right.
But either way, in Engrave mode, you can the instrument change text to whatever you want on a case-by-case basis.
That was the ticket! I was poking around in the Engraving Options and saw where you can create custom prefix and suffix text for instrument changes, but that wasn’t what I needed. Selecting the instrument change label in Engrave mode and customizing the text in the properties panel was exactly the solution I was looking for. Thanks!
And thanks to John Barron for showing us exactly how to do this in the latest Discover Dorico video. Very timely, John! You must have been reading my mind.
No problem - entirely intentional, of course. 