User manual

Table Of Contents

Playing techniques

The term “playing techniques” covers a wide range of instructions intended to tell performers to

modify the sound of the notes they are playing, for example, by changing their embouchure or

changing the position of their bow, or by modifying their instrument, such as adding a mute or

depressing a pedal.

In Dorico Elements, playing techniques can be expressed as symbols or as text. All available

playing techniques can be found in the Playing Techniques panel in Write mode, organized by

instrument family. For example, you can nd pedal lines in the Keyboard section of the Playing

Techniques panel.

NOTE

Because pedal lines have additional, unique requirements that do not apply to other playing

techniques, such as retakes, start signs, and continuation lines, they are documented separately.

Pedal lines also have their own group of the Properties panel that is separate from the Playing

Techniques group.

Adding playing techniques can change how the instrument plays back. For example, adding

pizzicato to a violin staff activates a key switch that changes the sound produced by the VST

instrument.

Many playing techniques that only appear once in the music nonetheless imply that the playing

technique continues. For example, pizzicato usually appears once but applies until the next

playing technique, such as arco. In

Dorico Elements, you can show continuation lines after and

between playing techniques to convey clearly to performers the notes to which you want them to

apply. You can also group multiple playing techniques together.

Playing technique texts use a plain font, neither bold nor italic, so they are not confused with

dynamics and expressive text.

NOTE

This does not apply to pedal lines, as they use a separate font style to other playing techniques.

Some of the playing techniques in Dorico Elements