I saw some 2018 threads about this but nothing more recent. I’m working on an etude book with 50 flows, one per etude. That all works great until I want to make a copy for a different instrument.
There’s probably something obvious I’m missing. An example: my original version is for trombone. I make a copy and change the instrument to B-flat trumpet. That’s fine but it leaves the notes in the original octave. That doesn’t make sense to me.
What am I missing here?
An extra note (and maybe the source of the problem) - the original is labelled simply as bass staff, not trombone.
Changed the original from bass staff to trombone. Then changed to trumpet. No change on the octave which will need to be bumped up an octave.
The notes are absolute (MIDI Note Numbers). Dorico handles all the different transpositions to display them appropriately for different instruments, but doesn’t change the underlying note.
Why should it?
If you want to use your trombone notes for a trumpet, you should change their octave. It’s just a couple of keystrokes to do so: ctrl A (to select all), then ctrl alt up arrow (to shift up the octave ).
Yes, that’s what I’ve been doing. Any way to do it for all flows at once?
No. Each flow is a separate beast. Though I’m sure some clever person might have a macro script to help.
[EDIT: Thinking on this, if you only need to print your notes, you could create a new layout for these notes with appropriate clef and transposition overrides…
Hi Brad,
if you have finished the trombone book with 50 flows, you can (in Setup Mode) duplicate that trombone layout, rename it to trumpet, then do a “Clef and Transposition Override…”.
This way you will be able to have all 50 flows been displayed in a duplicate version for trumpet. You will probably experiment a bit with that dialogue, choosing the treble clef and put the “middle c sounds like” to the right value (Bb2).
This is the beginning of your trombone book:
This is the additional book for the trumpet:
This is clever. I made separate files working in the full score each time. Different layouts would perhaps have been a better solution. Thank you.
Yes, I think so, too. Because, if you make changes (like adding articulations or dynamics, or changing notes), they will be instantly visible in both layouts.
What if, instead of one trombone, I’m looking at a trombone duet that I’d like to make into a trumpet duet?
No problem, if you have a layout with two or more instruments.
In the dialogue you have to define the overrride for each instrument:
I’ve been looking at this and somehow my brain isn’t getting it.
If the initial parts are trombone (or just bass clef staff) and I want the B-flat trumpet parts to be an octave up with B-flat transposition, what settings do I use. The terminology doesn’t make sense to me. When would you make an entry in the “concert pitch column”?
In short, I want to write a duet for two trombones and then make transposed layouts for all other wind instruments: B-flat trumpet, F-Horn, E-flat sax, Flute, Tuba.
Do I need to start with specifying trombone as the instrument or can I start with bass staff from the sketch category?
OK, with the help of a good YouTube video, I can see how to transpose a single part. However, I have a duet where both parts are on the page. I want to transpose both. Does that mean making a copy of the score?
The Clef and Transposition Overrides dialog works on score layouts as well, you just need to set the override for each of the two staves individually, as @k_b mentioned already. Just duplicate and rename the duet layout for each of the alternate instruments, then on each of them, set the appropriate overrides. For example, if you want your trombone duet written for Bb trumpet, sounding an octave higher than the original, set both parts to this:
(The Concert Pitch bit is optional.)
You don’t need to duplicate the project file but you do need to duplicate the score layout within it. It’s an important distinction to be aware of.
In your image, you indicate that middle C would sound as Bb4. Did you mean Bb3?
OK, I think I’ve got it. Thank you so much, everyone.
I was making the DUMB mistake of looking at the Concert Pitch view and not the Transposed Pitch view. Duh.
In fact I meant Bb2. 
The point is, that takes care of the octave transposition from trombone to trumpet. I just got it the wrong way round. Concert Pitch setting would be C3 in this case.
I’ve got it working mostly through trial and error. The concert pitch setting is still a mystery to me
Concert pitch is what you hear; transposed pitch is what a transposing instrument’s player (normally) reads. So a treble clef A (440) is written as the second space in concert pitch; but for a Bb clarinet or trumpet it is written as a B on the center line. (This is because they sound a step lower. The designation of Bb clarinet or trumpet is because when they play a written C, they sound a Bb.)
— Jim
