I have Dorico 5.1.81 and I want to add music for Soprano Saxophone, but I don’t know how.
I tried creating a solo project but there is no option for soprano saxophone. So I choose piano and then I add a new player as a soprano saxophone. I then get the key signature correct for the soprano saxophone and add music, but then when I go to print it’s all wrong, and has the wrong key signature and the wrong notes. It’s as if print automatically transposed to something wrong.
I tried to add a Jazz trio and it automatically selected the wrong instruments/players and ultimately gave me the wrong results when I want to print.
I tried to create a blank score and to add players/instruments after the fact, and it looked good on the “write” screen but it was again all wrong on the “print” screen.
How may I start writing for the correct desired instrument? If I must start with something else, how may I add the instrument/player I desire and add the music under that player, such that it would be correct in both the “write” and also in the “print” screens.
The Jazz Trio creates piano + upright bass + drum set.
If I create a project that has the wrong/undesired instruments I can remove them and add new ones, but it still has the result of printing for the wrong key signatures and incorrect notes.
Would I upload the project itself? or a screenshot of the write and print screens?
There are two options when you are inputting. If you have the notation in front of you, make sure you are using the most appropriate transpose setting either Concert key or the key for the soprano sax.
Edit > Concert or Transposed pitch
I’m now starting with an empty project. It had me then add my first player and I chose the soprano saxophone in B-flat. On the “write” screen it looks correct. If I then go to “Print” it has two layouts: “full score” and “soprano saxophone”. The “full score” looks correct, but when I select “soprano saxophone” (to show only that instrument/player) it shows the wrong key signature and incorrect notes.
When I do this the “write” and “print” windows now appear similar, but the key signature is all wrong and thus the notes are wrong. I’m trying to change it to what I want but it either keeps it as is or deletes it, but doesn’t change it.
Correction: I think I managed to manipulate the key signature. It seems to now show it correct. Not sure why it changed, but I hope I have it from here.
Question: if I then want to finish out the whole piece, and then later see it for another instrument, may I just select all the notes and copy and paste into another player/instrument?
Please remember there are two keys for transposing instruments like Sop. sax. You can have it showing in its own key or concert key when inputting. In Print, it should show in its transposed key.
Yes you can copy/paste between instruments, it should copy and paste in concert key so when it arrives with the paste, you might see it in another key (transposed for that instrument), or in Concert key if that is your setting in Write/Engrave in the Edit menu.
If you are unsure of the key it shows in, you can attach a screenshot or description of what the concert key is and what it shows for the Sop.
In theory Dorico handles this all automatically, that’s assuming you have input the notes in the key according to the key sig (again, that Concert or transposed setting when inputting), otherwise the notes will be out by a key (tone, whole step). It’s a simple matter to transpose up or down if you have inadvertently entered them in in the wrong key (ask here) if you do not know how.
Forgive me for the things I do not know, and thank you for your time and your help.
I have some sheet music which I bought and paid for in soprano or tenor saxophone (both are B-flat) and sometimes I want to play it on soprano or tenor and other times I want to play it on alto saxophone (which is E-flat). What I am trying to do is to enter the music in Dorico and then let it give me the alto saxophone equivalent.
I previously have been entering piano music and then adding an alto saxophone line. This way the alto saxophone could play along with the piano and not be off key. This may be an over-simple use of the software? But the desire is to help me play in alto saxophone what was meant for another instrument, or later to be able to play on tenor or soprano what was meant for alto saxophone.
Note: I don’t know the difference between these. I thought that entering the music in was transposing. But it might be transcribing? The goal, then, is to take music I own and be able to play it in my home (not out in public) for another instrument.
Or you can just add a new layout, which is just a “view” of the notes for a player, and set a transposition override. The Bb layout and the Eb layout will be looking at the exact same notes, so you don’t need to copy anything.
I think it’s even simpler than this, for the specific use case requested here. After entering the notes for a soprano sax instrument in transposed pitch, go back to setup mode and change the instrument to alto sax. No additional layouts, no overrides.
Sure, but then you have to keep changing the instrument depending on which one you want to see/print. A second layout gives you both in the same project.
