Notes toolbox

The tools in the Notes toolbox allow you to start note input, modify notes, and change the type and scope of notes you input. The Notes toolbox is located on the left of the window in Write mode.

Show Left Zone

Hides/Shows the left zone.

Select

Activates/Deactivates mouse input. When Select is activated, mouse input is deactivated and you cannot input notes by clicking on the staff.

Tip

You can assign a key command for Disable Mouse Input on the Key Commands page in Preferences.

Start Note Input

Starts/Stops note input by showing/hiding the caret. If a note, rest, or item is selected in the music area, note input starts at the selected rhythmic position. If nothing is selected in the music area, note input starts at the earliest rhythmic position on the top staff in view.

Pitch Before Duration

When this option is activated, you can select the pitch before specifying the duration during note input. This allows you to experiment with pitches without having to stop note input because you only input the note when you specify the duration.

You can also activate/deactivate Pitch Before Duration by pressing K.

Chords

Allows you to add multiple notes at the same rhythmic position in order to build a chord during note input. This function prevents the caret from advancing automatically after inputting a note. Chord mode also affects some edits outside of note input, such as copying/pasting notes and items without overwriting existing material.

You can also start/stop chord input by pressing Q.

Insert

Allows you to insert notes before existing notes in the current voice ahead of the caret, instead of overwriting them, during note input. Insert mode also affects some edits outside of note input, such as deleting notes or changing their duration. For example, reducing the duration of notes with Insert mode activated pulls them closer together without leaving rests between the notes.

When inputting or changing time signatures, Insert mode instructs Dorico Elements to add any extra beats required to fill bars.

You can click and hold or right-click Insert to access the following options:

  • Voice : Insert mode only affects the selected voices.

  • Player : Insert mode affects all voices and instruments belonging to the selected players.

  • Global : Insert mode affects all players in the flow.

  • Global Adjustment of Current Bar : Insert mode affects all players in the flow, changes the duration of the current bar, and updates its time signature to reflect its new duration.

You can also activate/deactivate Insert mode by pressing I. You can cycle through the different Insert mode scopes by pressing Alt/Opt-I.

Lock to Duration

Allows you to maintain the duration of notes while you change their pitches. Only available during note input.

You can also activate/deactivate Lock to Duration by pressing L.

Force Duration

Allows you to input notes/rests with the explicit duration you have selected during note input, and fixes the current notated duration of existing notes outside of note input. For example, you can activate Force Duration to force the input of a dotted quarter note on the second quarter beat of 4/4, where Dorico Elements splits the note with a tie by default.

Important

You can get unexpected results if you force the duration of notes and later change the time signature or move barlines, for example.

You can remove Force Duration from selected notes by resetting their appearance.

You can also activate/deactivate Force Duration by pressing O.

Create Voice

Allows you to create a new voice on the current staff into which you can input notes during note input. Outside of note input, Create Voice allows you to change the voice of existing notes.

You can click and hold or right-click Create Voice to access the following options:

  • Create Voice : Creates a new voice on the current staff. You can also use the key command Shift-V.

  • Create Slash Voice : Creates a new slash voice with each click. For example, the third new slash voice is stemless. You can also use the key command Shift-Alt/Opt-V.

  • Next Voice : Cycles through active voices on the staff. You can also use the key command V.

Dotted Notes

Allows you to input dotted notes/rests based on the currently selected duration during note input. Outside of note input, Dotted Notes allows you to add rhythm dots to, and remove rhythm dots from, existing notes/rests.

You can click and hold or right-click Dotted Notes to access the following options:

  • One Rhythm Dot : Inputs notes/rests with one rhythm dot during note input. Adds one rhythm dot to selected existing notes/rests outside of note input.

  • Two Rhythm Dots : Inputs notes/rests with two rhythm dots during note input. Adds two rhythm dots to selected existing notes/rests outside of note input.

  • Three Rhythm Dots : Inputs notes/rests with three rhythm dots during note input. Adds three rhythm dots to selected existing notes/rests outside of note input.

  • Four Rhythm Dots : Inputs notes/rests with four rhythm dots during note input. Adds four rhythm dots to selected existing notes/rests outside of note input.

You can also activate/deactivate Dotted Notes by pressing .. You can cycle through the different numbers of rhythm dots by pressing Alt/Opt-..

Rests

Allows you to input rests of the currently selected duration instead of notes.

You can also start/stop rest input by pressing ,.

Note

If Force Duration is not activated, Dorico Elements automatically combines adjacent rests as appropriate for their position in relation to notes and according to the current meter.

Tuplets

Inputs a triplet based on the currently selected note duration at the caret position or at the selected rhythmic position.

You can click and hold or right-click Tuplets to access the following options:

  • 2:3 : Inputs a duplet; that is, two notes in the space of three.

  • 3:2 : Inputs a triplet; that is, three notes in the space of two.

  • 4:3 : Inputs a quadruplet; that is, four notes in the space of three.

  • 5:4 : Inputs a quintuplet; that is, five notes in the space of four.

  • 6:4 : Inputs a sextuplet; that is, six notes in the space of four.

  • 7:8 : Inputs a septuplet; that is, seven notes in the space of eight.

  • x:y : Opens the tuplets popover, into which you can enter any tuplet ratio.

Grace Notes

Allows you to input grace notes instead of normal notes at the caret position. Only available during note input.

You can click and hold or right-click Grace Notes to access the following options:

  • Unslashed Grace Notes : Selects unslashed grace notes.

  • Slashed Grace Notes : Selects slashed grace notes.

You can also start/stop grace note input by pressing /. You can switch between slashed/unslashed grace notes by pressing Alt/Opt-/.

Tie

During note input, this ties the next note you input to the previous note of the same pitch, in the same voice, and on the same staff. Outside of note input, you can use this tool to tie together notes of the same pitch in different voices or to tie grace notes to rhythmic notes.

You can also activate Tie by pressing T.

Note

You cannot deactivate Tie. If you want to delete ties, you must use Scissors.

Scissors

Splits notes and explicit rests in two at the caret position during note input. Outside of note input, it deletes all ties in tie chains.

You can also activate Scissors by pressing U.