Dorico Reference
Last updated
Last updated
Dorico at a glance:
costs a lot of money
ultra professional looking scores
very intuitive
Flows - remove instrument from a flow by deactivating (uncheck) the instrument under Players (on left)
Change how much will fit on a page (make everything smaller or larger):
Setup > Layout Options ... Space Size (equivalent to the Finale % Tool)
Whenever you see the caret, you are inputting new music.
When you do not see the caret, you are editing existing music.
enter note input mode by selecting a measure or note or reset and pressing enter (or shift+n)
to leave note input (caret) press ESC
press shift+opt+[note letter] to force a note to enter above the previous note
unfortunately this doesn't work for the pitch "b" because shift+opt+b creates a dead key ... see = https://forums.steinberg.net/t/option-shift-b-does-not-write-b-in-the-octave-above/81238/5
To input a note below the previously input note, press Ctrl-Alt (Windows) or Ctrl (macOS) as well as the letter for the note, for example, Ctrl-Alt-A (Windows) or Ctrl-A (macOS).
transpose a note by a half step:
Windows = shift+alt+arrow
Mac = shift+option+arrow
transpose a note by an octave:
Windows = ctrl+alt+arrow
Mac = option+command+arrow
enharmonic respelling = press [ALT +] or [ALT - ]
input rests [ space bar ] = press space bar instead of a pitch
OR press comma to toggle on/off rests .... choose a duration, then press a note on the MIDI keyboard or a letter (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) on the QWERTY keyboard to input a rest at the duration you chose
tuplets = press [shift + ;]
here's a great video = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XfsdNZjZwE
insert mode [ i ] = ALL notes downstream on staff move (not just in one measure like Finale)
if you select notes and change their duration, other notes will shift
dynamics = select a group of notes and [Shift + D] ... add p<f to the popover
(if you move a note, the hairpin adjusts)
Shift + [letter] is used to create something
[Shift + V] = add another voice (or layer) ... make sure the stem is pointing the direction you need
press [ v ] to switch between layers you have created
to remove rests created by adding voices = use start and end voice from bottom menu (see this video) OR select a rest you want to delete and go to Edit > Remove Rests
[Shift + M] = add a meter starting at the selected note ( example = 4/4 ... or 4/4,1 if there is a pickup)
[Shift + K] = add a key signature ( example = Eb )
[Shift + L] = add lyrics (video)
see Key Commands for more
delete extra measures:
Write > Trim Flow
turn on frame editing (top left switch) ( video )
green frame = text
blue frame = music (chain frame)
purple frame = graphics
export graphics (to use in Microsoft Word for example)
Microsoft Word = export out of Dorico as PDF and crop in Preview … then:
open Microsoft Word
drag in the .PDF file
Adobe Illustrator (export out of Dorico as SVG)
open the .SVG file in Illustrator
everything will be editable, but it will all be grouped together
with everything selected, go to Object > Ungroup
now there are many groups of grouped objects … so you’ll still need to go to Object > Ungroup for staff lines and groups of notes
now you should be able to edit items individually
to crop:
choose the Artboard Tool
crop area
File > Export > Export As …
put a check in the box “Use Artboards”
