Positions of tempo marks

Tempo marks are placed above the staff and at the same positions as other system objects, because they usually apply to all staves. They are placed above notations such as slurs, ties, and octave lines, and are often aligned with rehearsal marks to ensure clear readability.

By default in Dorico for iPad, tempo marks align with either a time signature or the notehead/rest at the rhythmic position to which they apply. For example, if there is a notehead with an accidental at the rhythmic position of a tempo mark, it is convention to align the tempo mark with the accidental.

If a repeat mark occurs mid-system and is not treated as a barline, tempo marks are aligned with the repeat mark.

When a tempo mark includes both text and a metronome mark, the text appears first, followed by the metronome mark.

You can move tempo marks to different rhythmic positions in Write mode. They are automatically positioned to avoid collisions.

You can move tempo marks graphically in Engrave mode, but this does not change the rhythmic positions to which they are attached.

In Engrave mode, each gradual tempo change has two square handles, one at the start and one at the end. You can move these handles to adjust the graphical position and length of gradual tempo changes. You cannot change the angle of gradual tempo changes.

If gradual tempo changes cross system and frame breaks, you can move the line segments on each side of the break independently.

Tempo marks are categorized as system objects in Dorico for iPad, which you can show above the first bracket of selected instrument families. You can change the instrument families above which system objects appear in each layout independently, for example, if you want tempo marks to appear at multiple vertical positions in each system in the full score only.