User manual

Clef Arrangement of sharps Arrangement of ats
Treble
Bass
Alto
Tenor
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Positions of key signatures on page 696
Types of key signatures
There are multiple types of key signatures in Dorico Elements, which can all be input, moved, and
deleted in the same ways.
Major and 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
Key signatures
Types of key signatures
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Dorico Elements 3.5.12