User manual

Swing playback
Swing is a style of performance where equally-notated notes are played in a regular pattern of
alternating longer and shorter notes, which commonly entails eighth notes being played as a
quarter note triplet followed by an eighth note triplet.
A swing phrase with simplied straight notation How the same phrase sounds with a 2:1 swing ratio
Swing playback allows you to hear the uneven rhythms you want whilst retaining their simplied
notation, including if the second eighth note beat is divided into two 16th notes. In Dorico
Elements, you can enable swing playback for certain sections and for individual instruments only.
You can swing either eighth notes or 16th notes.
Based on academic research into the rendering of swing by musicians, swing patterns in Dorico
Elements are tempo-dependent by default. This means that the swing feels more pronounced at
lower tempos, and straighter at higher tempos.
RELATED LINKS
Enabling swing playback on page 467
Swing ratios and rhythmic feels
Swing ratios express the strength of the swing using beat units. For example, a swing ratio of 2:1
means the
rst note in each pair is twice as long as the second, creating a triplet swing.
A swing ratio of 1:1 means the music is played straight, while a swing ratio of 5:1 means each
pair of notes is played as if they were sextuplets, with the rst note in the pair lasting ve
divisions and the second note lasting one.
Swing ratio 1:1 Swing ratio 5:1
The following rhythmic feels and swing ratios are provided by default in Dorico Elements:
2:1 swing 16ths (xed)
Extends the rst note in a pair of 16th notes to be twice as long as the second, creating
a strict triplet 2:1 ratio.
This is also known as a “triplet swing”. This ratio is maintained
regardless of the tempo by default.
Play mode
Swing playback
466
Dorico Elements 3.5.12