Articulations
Articulations are markings that are drawn above or below notes and chords. Articulations tell a performer how to attack a note or how long to play a note relative to its notated duration.
In Dorico Pro, articulations are defined as something that alters the way a note is played, in a way that is consistent across all instruments. Because instructions like bowing directions, harmonics, or tonguing apply to different instrument groups, in Dorico Pro such directions are defined as playing techniques.
![](../../../../_shared_picts/dorico/notation_reference/notation_reference_articulations/articulations_example.png)
Articulations are categorized into the following types:
- Articulations of force
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Indicate a stronger attack at the start of notes, and include articulations such as accent and marcato. Marcato is also sometimes known as a “strong accent”. Dorico Pro shows these articulations at the start of a note or tie chain by default.
- Articulations of duration
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Indicate a shorter duration than notated, and include articulations such as staccatissimo, staccato, tenuto, and staccato-tenuto. Staccato-tenuto is also sometimes known as a “louré”. If a note includes ties, Dorico Pro shows articulations of duration above the last note in the chain by default.
- Articulations of stress
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Indicate notes that should be emphasized or not emphasized where that contradicts the prevailing meter, using stressed and unstressed marks. Dorico Pro shows these articulations at the start of a note or tie chain by default.
Dorico Pro positions articulations automatically on the notehead or stem side of notes and chords, according to the musical context. A note or chord can display one of each type of articulation.