Jazz articulations

Jazz articulations in Dorico Elements cover a range of note ornamentations that are idiomatic to jazz music, and brass instruments in particular.

Although they are often known as jazz “articulations”, these techniques function more like ornaments than articulations because they change the pitch rather than the duration or attack of notes. For this reason, they are considered ornaments in Dorico Elements. They are found in the Ornaments panel, and you can also input them using the ornaments popover.

Jazz articulations can be shown as a curved line similar to a slur, which is called a “bend” in Dorico Elements, and as a straight line, which can be solid, dashed, or wiggly, which is called “smooth” in Dorico Elements.

Each note can have a single jazz articulation on each side of it, one before the note and one after. Jazz articulations after notes can have different lengths.

The following jazz articulations can be shown before notes:

Plop

An approach into the note from above.

Figure 1. Plop (bend)
Figure 2. Plop (smooth)
Scoop/Lift

An approach into the note from below. A bend approach is a scoop, a smooth approach is a lift.

Figure 3. Scoop
Figure 4. Lift (straight)

The following jazz articulations can be shown after notes:

Doit

A rise in pitch after the note.

Figure 5. Doit (bend)
Figure 6. Doit (smooth)
Fall

A lowering of pitch after the note.

Figure 7. Fall (bend)
Figure 8. Fall (smooth)

Additionally, there are other jazz ornaments commonly used by brass instruments that you can add to notes in the same ways as inputting jazz articulations.

If your sound library includes samples for jazz articulations, Dorico Elements loads the required samples using playback techniques.

Video tutorial about jazz articulations (English)