Stem direction

In Dorico Elements, the stem direction of notes and chords follows rules that are based on the conventions of music engraving.

Stem direction is determined automatically, but you can manually change the stem direction of individual notes, chords, or of an entire voice. The rules that are applied depend on the following:

  • How many voices are active on the staff.

  • Whether notes, chords, or beamed groups of notes are affected.

  • Whether notes in the same chord or notes in the same beamed group are split between staves.

Single notes in single voices

On a five-line staff with only a single voice active, the default stem direction of a single note is determined by its staff position.

  • If the note is above the middle line, its stem points downwards.

  • If the note is below the middle line, its stem points upwards.

  • If the note is on the middle line of the staff, its stem direction is determined by the stem directions of any adjacent notes, beam groups, or chords. If they both have the same stem direction, the note matches them. If the adjacent notes, beam groups, or chords have different stem directions, or if there are no adjacent notes, beam groups, or chords, the note follows the default stem direction.

    The default stem direction depends on the instrument type. By default, the stems of notes on the middle lines of staves point downwards on instrumental staves and upwards on vocal staves, to avoid lyrics.

Figure 1. Notes on the middle line are stem up because the fourth note is stem up
Figure 2. Notes on the middle line are stem down because the fourth note is stem down

By default, notes are first input into an up-stem voice, and Dorico Elements treats notes as the only voice on the staff until you input more voices.

Single notes in multiple voices

When there are multiple voices on a staff and all voices contain notes, the stem direction of notes is determined by the stem direction of their voice. Notes in up-stem voices have up stems, and notes in down-stem voices have down stems. This applies even when the stems of notes would normally point in the other direction, based on their position on the staff.

Note

The order in which notes appear between different up-stem voices and different down-stem voices depends on their pitch and your settings on the Voices page in Notation Options. You can also change the voice column index of notes individually.

When there are only notes in one voice for at least a whole bar, Dorico Elements automatically changes the directions of stems so they point in the default direction for their pitch. For example, if a staff contains a single up-stem voice and a single down-stem voice but only the down-stem voice contains notes or rests, then the stems of notes in the down-stem voice may point upwards, depending on the position of the notes on the staff. However, showing rests or implicit rests in empty voices forces the stem direction of notes to follow the stem direction of their voice.

Figure 3. Notes in an up-stem voice shown in blue.
Figure 4. Notes in a down-stem voice shown in orange.
Figure 5. When notes in up-stem and down-stem voices are in the same bar, the stem direction is automatically changed.

Chords in single voices

The stem direction for a chord in a single voice is determined by the balance of notes above/below the middle line of the staff.

  • If the note furthest from the middle line is above the middle line, the stem of the chord points downwards.

  • If the note furthest from the middle line is below the middle line, the stem of the chord points upwards.

  • If the chord is equally balanced on either side of the middle line of the staff, the stem direction is determined by the stem directions of any adjacent notes, beam groups, or chords. If they both have the same stem direction, the chord matches them. If the adjacent notes, beam groups, or chords have different stem directions, equally balanced chords follow the default stem direction.

    The default stem direction depends on the instrument type. By default, the stems of notes on the middle lines of staves point downwards on instrumental staves and upwards on vocal staves, to avoid lyrics.

Beam groups in single voices

The stem direction within beam groups is determined by the balance of notes within the beam group that are above/below the middle line of the staff.

  • If the majority of notes in the beam group are above the middle line, stems in the beam group point downwards.

  • If the majority of notes in the beam group are below the middle line, stems in the beam group point upwards.

  • If the beam group contains an equal number of notes either side of the middle line of the staff, the stem direction is determined by the stem directions of any adjacent notes, beam groups, or chords. If they both have the same stem direction, the beam group matches them. If the adjacent notes, beam groups, or chords have different stem directions, equally balanced beam groups follow the default stem direction.

    The default stem direction depends on the instrument type. By default, the stems of notes on the middle lines of staves point downwards on instrumental staves and upwards on vocal staves, to avoid lyrics.