Table of Contents
Notation reference
Articulations
Articulations are markings that are drawn above or below notes and chords. Articulations tell a performer how to attack a note or how long to play a note relative to its notated duration.
Positions of articulations
There are established conventions for the position and placement of articulations relative to notes, the staff, and staff lines, which ensure articulations are always clearly visible. For the smallest articulations, such as staccato marks, correct placement relative to staff lines in particular is vital.
Changing the placement of articulations individually
You can change whether individual articulations are placed on the notehead side or stem side of notes.

Changing the placement of articulations individually

You can change whether individual articulations are placed on the notehead side or stem side of notes.

Procedure

Select the notes/chords whose articulation placement you want to change. You can do this in Write mode and Engrave mode.
In the Articulations group of the Properties panel, activate Placement under the corresponding heading for the articulations whose placement you want to change.

For example, activate Placement under the Articulations of force heading to change the placement of accents.
Select one of the following options from the menu:
- Notehead side
- Stem side

Result

The articulation is placed on the selected side of the notes or chords. If this creates a collision with other markings, such as playing techniques, Dorico Pro automatically makes adjustments to make sure all markings are clear and legible.