User manual

Table Of Contents
Notes on the middle line are stem up because the
fourth note is stem up
Notes on the middle line are stem down because the
fourth note is stem down
By default, notes are rst input into an up-stem voice, and Dorico SE treats notes as the only
voice on the staff until you input more voices.
Single notes in multiple voices
When there are multiple voices on a staff and all voices contain notes, the stem direction of notes
is determined by the stem direction of their voice. Notes in up-stem voices have up stems, and
notes in down-stem voices have down stems. This applies even when the stems of notes would
normally point in the other direction, based on their position on the staff.
NOTE
The order in which notes appear between different up-stem voices and different down-stem
voices depends on their pitch. You can also change the voice column index of notes individually.
When there are only notes in one voice for at least a whole bar, Dorico SE automatically changes
the directions of stems so they point in the default direction for their pitch. For example, if a staff
contains a single up-stem voice and a single down-stem voice but only the down-stem voice
contains notes or rests, then the stems of notes in the down-stem voice may point upwards,
depending on the position of the notes on the staff. However, showing rests or implicit rests in
empty voices forces the stem direction of notes to follow the stem direction of their voice.
Notes in an up-stem voice shown
in blue.
Notes in a down-stem voice shown
in purple. The stems point
upwards despite being in a down-
stem voice because there are no
other voices.
When notes in up-stem and down-
stem voices are in the same bar,
the stem direction is automatically
changed.
Chords in single voices
The stem direction for a chord in a single voice is determined by the balance of notes above/
below the middle line of the staff.
If the note furthest from the middle line is above the middle line, the stem of the chord
points downwards.
If the note furthest from the middle line is below the middle line, the stem of the chord
points upwards.
If the chord is equally balanced on either side of the middle line of the staff, the stem
direction is determined by the stem directions of any adjacent notes, beam groups, or
chords. If they both have the same stem direction, the chord matches them. If the adjacent
notes, beam groups, or chords have different stem directions, equally balanced chords
follow the default stem direction.
The default stem direction depends on the instrument type. By default, the stems of notes
on the middle lines of staves point downwards on instrumental staves and upwards on vocal
staves, to avoid lyrics.
Stems
Stem direction
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Dorico SE 3.1.10