Staff Label numbers for doubling

[Alan_Moffett]

I’m arranging something for the jazz band I teach where pretty much all the saxes double on another woodwind instrument since that other woodwind instrument is their main instrument for some of them. As such, when they switch to their doubles, my Tenor 2 player becomes the lead player on Flute, while Tenor 3 is essentially Flute 2. I also have someone who is only playing flute, so she’d be Flute 3, and then my Tenor 1 player is also playing flute for part of it (and clarinet later on). I don’t want to change what order each staff appears in since it should be laid out as Flute, Alto Sax 1-3, Tenor Sax 1-3, Bari Sax, for the right score order. (Yeah, my front row is a little overloaded compared to a typical big band.) However, when they switch to their doubles, each of the flutes is labeled with the wrong number since Dorico assumes the one at the top would be 1, then 2, and so on.

I’ve changed the part names so that it shows up correctly in their own individual parts, but how can I get it to change the numbering when they switch to their doubles? Basically, in the section where they’re all on doubles, the score order I want to see with the staff labels are:
Flute 3
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Alto Sax 3
Clarinet 1
Flute 1
Flute 2
Clarinet 2

Yes, I know that looks convoluted and out of order, but that’s the strengths of each player in the sax section. Tenor 2 is the strongest flute, followed by tenor 3, and so on. The instruments themselves are showing properly just fine, it’s literally just the numbering that I’d like to change.

Also, while I’m at it, is there any way to have a little more control over the bracketing? Because of the doubling, the saxes aren’t always bracketed together in a consistent way. It starts off bracketing the one flute player on her own, then the 3 altos, then the 3 tenors (who are all on flute), then bari. Once the tenors actually switch to tenor, all 7 saxes are bracketed together with the flute player being on her own. Then once they pick up their doubles, the one alto sax is by itself, but the three woodwinds above it and the four woodwinds below it are each all bracketed together. While normally the 5 saxes would be bracketed together, I think 7 is a little much, and I’d prefer to just always have flute separate, then the 3 altos, then the 3 tenors, and then bari separate.

[charles_piano]

If I understood your setup correctly, creating the single flute last in Setup mode results in correct numbering (I’m not sure if it’s possible to change automatic instrument numbering after creation — perhaps not).

On the left page you have the main instruments, and on the right page the doublings.

[Alan_Moffett]

Yes, exactly that. If I were to delete that single flute and then re-add it, would that fix it, then? And how do you keep the brackets grouped that way after they switch to their doubles?

[charles_piano]

Not at my computer to try, but I would say: if your score is empty, delete the flute 1 and recreate a flute player, it should become flute 3. If you already have notes in the part, create another flute (will be flute 4), cut/paste 1 to 4, delete player 1 and #4 should become #3.

As for the brackets, sorry, I forgot. In engrave mode, first page, first bar, set your brackets as you wish:

Inputting custom bracket/brace groups

Let me know if you need more information!

[charles_piano]

@charles_piano

As for the brackets, sorry, I forgot. In engrave mode, first page, first bar, set your brackets as you wish:

Back at my computer, and I have found the file. Here is what I did, I think, for the brackets. I started from the default Orchestral bracketting, since I am more familiar with it.

If you already have bracket changes in the file, first delete them before doing this (brown signposts : Bracket and Barline change)

[Alan_Moffett]

That worked great, thanks!

And side note on the renumbering for anyone else who searches for the same thing and finds this: I had to create that new lone flute player below all the other flutes and delete the first one all before moving the new lone flute player to the top in order for it to keep the right number. When it was right below the first flute when I deleted that first flute, it changed to Flute 1 even when it had already just been numbered something else. It was actually more complicated because my Tenor 1 player also plays flute in addition to being Clarinet 1 later on and I wanted that to be Flute 4, so I had to actually create two new flutes below the rest of the sax section to copy everything into. Then after deleting that first lone flute player as well as the flute from the Tenor 1 part, I dragged the lone flute (Flute 3) up to the top and it kept the right numbering, then I moved Flute 4 into the Tenor 1 part and it kept the right numbering.

Yeah, a bit complicated, but that’s what happens when you teach and write for a high school “B” jazz band where most of the saxes play another instrument in concert band, either as a secondary instrument or their main. (And in one girl’s case, she learned a third instrument in the high school beginning band.)

[Janus]

@Alan_Moffett

Yeah, a bit complicated, but that’s what happens when you teach and write for a high school “B” jazz band where most of the saxes play another instrument in concert band, either as a secondary instrument or their main.

Was there a particular reason you didn’t just create layouts for each player containing their own instruments? Hiding empty staves takes care of most layout issues. You could even personalise the layout names, which I’m sure the kids would appreciate.

[Alan_Moffett]

That’s what I already did. It showed up correct in their parts - this question was about getting the score to look how I wanted.