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.
![](../../../../_shared_picts/dorico/notation_reference/notation_reference_slurs/slurs_curvature_direction_example.png)
The following options for slur curvature direction are available when you activate Direction in the Slurs group of the Properties panel:
- Up
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Forces slurs to curve upwards, and appear above notes.
- Down
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Forces slurs to curve downwards, and appear below notes.
- Up/Down
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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
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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.
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You can set your preference for whether slurs follow the stem direction, or always appear above notes, on the Slurs page in Engraving Options.
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You can adjust the precise shapes of individual slurs, and each slur segment, in Engrave mode using the square handles on each slur.
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In jazz scores, slurs are sometimes treated as an articulation, so positioning all slurs above the staff is preferred.