Slur curvature direction

Slurs can curve upwards, downwards, or have a multi-segment S-shape. Dorico Pro automatically determines the appropriate curvature direction for slurs based on the notes within their ranges, but you can change the curvature direction of slurs manually.

A slur on a single staff always curves upwards and is placed above the notes, unless all of the notes under the slur are up-stem, in which case it curves downwards and is placed below the notes. If a slur applies to a mixture of up-stem and down-stem notes, it is placed above the staff and curves upwards.

Figure 1. Examples of the slur direction changing according to the stem direction

The following options for slur curvature direction are available when you activate Direction in the Slurs group of the Properties panel:

Up

Forces slurs to curve upwards, and appear above notes.

Down

Forces slurs to curve downwards, and appear below notes.

Up/Down

Forces slurs to comprise two segments: the first curves upwards, the second curves downwards to create a mirrored S-shape. It is typically used when phrases start in the lower staff and end in the upper staff, for example, in piano parts.

Down/Up

Forces slurs to comprise two segments: the first curves downwards, the second curves upwards to create an S-shape. It is typically used when phrases start in the upper staff and end in the lower staff, for example, in piano parts.

Tip
  • You can set your preference for whether slurs follow the stem direction, or always appear above notes, on the Slurs page in Engrave > Engraving Options.

  • You can adjust the precise shapes of individual slurs, and each slur segment, in Engrave mode using the square handles on each slur.

  • In jazz scores, slurs are sometimes treated as an articulation and so positioning all slurs above the staff is preferred.