How can I enter text and have it appear centered vertically between the two staffs of a piano score? For example, if I want “a tempo” or “poco rall” (or any freely added text for that matter) to be centered between the staffs, not above? I know how to get the text to appear below the top staff, but it’s never centered. I would like it in line with the dynamics text, which does appear centered between staffs.
For the placing of dynamics Dorico does (and must) have to take into account, where the music is notated on the staves.
Yes, I understand that. What I’m asking is how can I control placement of other text that I add, lining it up with the dynamics, between the staffs, instead of above the staff?
Have you tried flipping the text? Select the text and press “f”.
Dynamics, Tempo Text, System/Staff Text are three different categories, also in what they mean in Dorico semantically. That is, why they all have their own settings. If you want to line them up, you can do so in the category itself (Dynamics “grouping”), but in other cases it will need to be done manually - as far as I know.
Yes, if I attach text to the top staff and flip it to the center, it’s between the staffs, but seems to follow note position instead of centering between the staffs. Same if I attach the text to a bottom note. I understand this makes sense by default, but I’d like to encourage it to be centered in the same manner the dynamics marks are centered. I use “centered” understanding that Dorico makes space between the staffs for the dynamic marks and attempts to place the marks between the elements in a mostly centered position. In the example below, “b” is attached to the G in the lower staff, and “t” is attached to the Bb in the upper staff, but flipped:
Where are the settings to control System text? The text that is entered by pressing Shift-X.
You’ll find that in Engraving Options>Text.
Have you tried lyrics for your texts?
Nice idea, but have you ever seen lyrics in one line with dynamics? This is, what our threadstarter is after.
The option to have gradual tempo inside a grand staff instrument (as was done in some engravings in the XIXth century) has already been requested a while ago. It probably hasn’t made it to the top of the pile 
Hi @tjbuege, you could (in little a little “blasphemic”…way, using a Dynamic to indicate a Tempo, or whatever 
) use a seldom used dynamic (I used rFFz, but you can use any) and suppressing its playback, hiding the intensity marking, setting the desired text alignment, and assigning to it any desired text as prefix, would do the trick 
(If you need those indication also to appear as desired on the Grand Staff part, make this changes while Globally scope is selected in the Properties Panel or Propagate the properties)
Workflow:
Dorico file example:
hidden dynamic suffix as centred text in grand staff.dorico (512.9 KB)
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This is really creative! So many features buried in this program. Yes, I think I can work with this. Thank you!
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You are welcome, @tjbuege.
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