Creating custom beat groupings for meters

If your music requires a different beat grouping for a particular meter than the default setting for that time signature, you can specify your preferred beat grouping within the time signature. You can choose whether or not the time signature shows this custom beat grouping.

Note

The duration of beam groups in Dorico depends on the beat grouping in the current time signature and your per-flow beam grouping settings in Write > Notation Options. For example, entering [1+1+1+1]/4 into the time signatures popover inputs a time signature with four quarter note (crotchet) groups. Because this creates a time signature with a half-bar, beam grouping options for time signatures with a half-bar apply.

Procedure

  1. In Write mode, select an item at the rhythmic position where you want to input a time signature with a custom beam grouping.
  2. Open the time signatures popover in any of the following ways:

    • Press Shift-M.

    • Choose Write > Create Time Signature.

  3. Enter the division you want in square brackets into the popover.

    For example, to divide a 7/8 time signature into 2+3+2, enter [2+3+2]/8 into the popover. To divide a 5/4 time signature into 2+3 rather than 3+2, enter [2+3]/4 into the popover.

  4. Press Return to close the popover.

Result

The time signature appears either as a single number, such as 7/8, or showing the beat groups, such as 2+3+2/8, depending on your setting on the Time Signatures page in Engrave > Engraving Options.

Tip

You can change the appearance of numerators in individual time signatures so that they show a single number or beat groups independently of your project-wide settings.