Bar numbers

Bar numbers provide a crucial reference point for music that has multiple players, and make the chronological sequence of the music clear. They indicate where players are in the piece, which allows them to co-ordinate themselves easily in rehearsals and concerts.

Bar numbers can also be useful when preparing parts and scores, as you can use bar numbers and rehearsal marks to help you quickly compare a part to the score and check it is correct.

In Dorico Elements, bar numbers appear automatically, following the most common practice of showing a bar number at the start of each system in scores and parts by default.

However, sometimes it is useful to show a bar number for every bar, which is frequently done for film music scores. You can also show bar numbers at a regular interval, such as every five bars, but this can be misleading as it can give the impression that those bars are significant, particularly if bar numbers are shown within an enclosure.