Changing beam grouping

Dorico automatically beams notes according to the prevailing meter (time signature). The original edition of this piece has some beam groups that don’t follow the meter, so you must change the beam grouping manually.

Procedure

  1. In bars 5, 7, 21, 23, 47, 49, 63, and 65, Ctrl/Cmd-click the Fs on the top staff.
    Eighth note F selected in bar 7
  2. Choose Edit > Beaming > Make Unbeamed, or right-click and choose this option from the context menu, to separate all selected notes from their beam groups.
    Unbeamed eighth note F
  3. In bars 14-17 and 56-59, Ctrl/Cmd-click the third eighth note in each bar on the top staff.
    Eighth notes selected in bars 14-17
  4. Choose Edit > Beaming > Split Beam, or right-click and choose this option from the context menu, to split beams to the left of the selected notes but leave them beamed on their other side.
    Beaming split to the left of selected notes
  5. In bars 33-35, select the first 32nd note Fs in each bar, that is, the fourth note in each bar.
    32nd note Fs selected in bars 33-35
  6. Choose Edit > Beaming > Split Beam, or right-click and choose this option from the context menu, to split beams to the left of the selected notes.
    Beaming split to the left of selected notes

Result

You have changed the default beam grouping in the selected bars.

Tip

If the beam grouping changes you want are consistent across many bars, you can specify them as part of the time signature, such as by entering [2+3+2]/8 into the popover for a 7/8 time signature grouped in 2+3+2. In Dorico Pro, you can also change the default beam grouping in different circumstances on the Beam Grouping page in Notation Options (key command Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-N).