User manual

Table Of Contents

Major/Minor key signatures

The key signature for a major key appears the same as the key signature for its relative minor,

and vice versa. For example, B♭ major has two ats in its key signature. This is the same number

of ats as for G minor, which is the relative minor key to B♭ major. The difference is that music in

G minor usually has sharpened Fs, as the seventh degree of the scale is raised in minor keys.

Therefore, if you input an F♯/G♭ after a G minor key signature, Dorico Elements prefers to spell it

as F♯ in most cases, in order to follow the convention of harmonic minor keys.

A B at major scale following a B at major key

signature

A G minor scale following a G minor key signature

Open key signature

Although open, or atonal, key signatures appear the same as C major or A minor key signatures

because none shows any accidentals, open key signatures behave differently.

In an open key signature, the spelling of accidentals is based on the current direction of the

music. If the music is rising, sharps are preferred, whereas if the music is falling, ats are

preferred. There is no hierarchy of pitches in an open key signature, so the same pitch might be

spelled differently each time it appears depending on its context, even within a few bars.

In a C major or A minor key signature, accidentals are spelled based on the context of the major

or minor tonality implied. For example, in C major, sharps in general are preferred, whether the

music is going up or going down. Similarly, in A minor, G♯ in particular is preferred, whether the

music is going up or going down, as G♯ is the leading note in A minor.

No key signature

Some instruments are accustomed to seeing no key signatures in their parts, no matter the

overall key of the piece. These instruments include timpani, percussion, horn, trumpet, and

sometimes the harp. If you have added the No key sig version of these instruments, then no key

signature is shown in their parts, even if they are a transposing instrument, such as horn or

trumpet.

Any pitch can be input into these instruments, and they show accidentals if needed.