Table of Contents
Notation reference
Accidentals
Accidentals are shown beside notes to indicate their pitch, both when notated on a staff and written out in text. In music based in Western tonality, they usually show that the pitch of a note has been altered so that it does not conform to the prevailing key signature.
Accidental duration rules
Accidental duration rules determine how long accidentals apply, such as within a bar, at a different octave, or just for a single note. Dorico Pro allows you to use different accidental duration rules.
Changing the accidental duration rule
You can change the accidental duration rule in each flow independently; for example, if the Modernist accidental duration rule is appropriate for certain flows in your project but common practice is appropriate for others. In Dorico Pro, common practice is the default accidental duration rule.

Changing the accidental duration rule

You can change the accidental duration rule in each flow independently; for example, if the Modernist accidental duration rule is appropriate for certain flows in your project but common practice is appropriate for others. In Dorico Pro, common practice is the default accidental duration rule.

Procedure

Press Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-N to open Notation Options.
In the Flows list, select the flows in which you want to change the accidental duration rule.

By default, only the current flow is selected when you open the dialog. You can select other flows by clicking Select All in the action bar, clicking and dragging across multiple flows, Shift-clicking adjacent flows, and Ctrl/Cmd-clicking individual flows.
In the category list, click Accidentals.
In the Basic section, choose one of the following options for Accidental duration rule:
- Common Practice
- Second Viennese School
- Modernist
Optional: Customize the options for your chosen accidental duration rule.

Tip
Options in the Basic section can apply to all accidental duration rules.
Click Apply, then Close.