User manual

Table Of Contents
Note input
In Dorico Elements, you can only input notes during note input, which is when the caret is
activated. This allows you to input notations at the caret position at the same time as inputting
notes, and also reduces the risk of you adding notes to staves accidentally.
You can input notes in different ways and using any of the following devices, including switching
between them at any time:
MIDI keyboard
Computer keyboard
Mouse or touchpad
TIP
A MIDI keyboard is the fastest way to input notes.
RELATED LINKS
Notes on page 718
Inputting notes on page 161
Accidental selection during MIDI input on page 187
Caret
In Dorico Elements, the caret is a vertical line that extends above and below ve-line staves but
appears shorter on percussion staves and tablature. It shows the rhythmic position at which
notes, chords, or notation items are input.
A caret is a mark that is commonly used when proofreading published text to denote the position
at which something should be inserted or added, for example, a missing letter or a word. In
software, the caret shows where something is inserted. The caret is also known as an “insertion
point” or “cursor”. In this documentation, we use “caret” to refer to the line that appears during
note input, and “cursor” to refer to the line that appears during text input.
If you are inputting notes, the caret advances to the next rhythmic position automatically. If you
are inputting chords or notes on tablature, the caret does not move automatically, and you must
move it to the next rhythmic position manually. The caret has a note symbol beside it, which
indicates the stem direction and type of the currently selected voice. It is accompanied by a +
symbol if the voice is new.
The caret
The appearance of the caret changes depending on the input mode and the currently selected
voice number.
Multiple staves
The caret extends vertically across all the staves onto which notes and notations will be
input. This allows you to input, for example, the same dynamics or playing techniques
on multiple staves simultaneously or play in chords on a MIDI keyboard and distribute
Write mode
Note input
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Dorico Elements 3.5.12