User manual

Table Of Contents
Slurs
Slurs are tapered, curved lines that join notes to indicate legato articulation and phrasing.
Depending on the context and the instrument to which they apply, slurs can have additional
meanings to simply marking phrases. For example, for wind players, a slur indicates that all the
notes in the phrase are played in the same breath and without re-tonguing or re-articulating any
notes. For string players, a slur indicates that all the notes in the phrase are played legato and
under one bow. For singers, slurs indicate that more than one note is sung to the same syllable.
Slurs both above and below the staff, including a cross-staff slur
Dorico Elements automatically determines the appropriate endpoint position and curvature
direction for slurs based on the notes within their ranges, but you can change this manually.
You can also input any number of nested slurs.
NOTE
Slurs must not be confused with ties, which look supercially similar, but instead join notes of
the same pitch to indicate that they are played as a single note. In that sense, ties are part of
rhythmic notation, while slurs are considered articulation.
RELATED LINKS
Inputting slurs on page 211
Inputting nested slurs on page 896
Ties vs. slurs on page 940
Cross-staff and cross-voice slurs on page 895
Slur endpoint positions on page 889
Slur curvature direction on page 893
Changing the position of slurs relative to tie chains on page 888
General placement conventions for slurs
There are different conventions for the placement, endpoint position, shape, and curvature
direction of slurs in various contexts.
RELATED LINKS
Slur placement relative to grace notes on page 889
Slur position relative to staff lines on page 889
Slur endpoint positions on page 889
Slurs over system and frame breaks on page 890
Slur curvature direction on page 893
887
Dorico Elements 3.5.12