What is the best way to put simple but crucial jazz ensemble directions into the score? (“Play two choruses” or “backgrounds second time” or “rhythm section intro” etc.) In the past I have usually attached words to expression markings but that is not always ideal.
For “roadmap” kinds of text like your examples (Somewhat simplified description, I realize), I either use system-attached text if it’s something the score-reader only needs to see in one place (above the top staff, typically) but all players need to see in their parts; and staff-attached text if it’s intended for (a) select player(s). I’ll use a custom font style that I name something obvious like “Jazz Form Labels” to apply to the text so things look consistent and can be easily (universally) adjusted if I want.
If I need a continuation line with in inward hook to the end to show the span of whatever the text applies to I’ll make a playing technique. I realize that one can (should?) also make a custom horizontal line (with attached text), but somehow the playing technique works well conceptually for me. (I don’t believe there’s a way to attach a continuation line to staff or system text.)
I hope this is at least the beginning of being helpful, @Cedar100 , but also that others who’ve been using Dorico longer than I chime in with their wisdom and experience.
EDIT: I’m going to tag a couple of fellow users who do a lot of jazz-specific work, since I imagine they’ll have helpful advice: @FredGUnn , @Maarten_Kruijswijk . I know there are others I’m forgetting…
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I always use System Text for structural directions like those.
Any thoughts/experiences on this part, @FredGUnn?
for form i use suffix of a rehearsal mark, so it is self-editing in the parts with no collisions and weird positioning. You could create your own paragraph style with borders and everything and bind it to a key command