A Dorico Workflow
Set the ensemble and flows before entering notes; parts and condensing are derived, and the wrong order costs the most rework.
Related
Opening Dorico and typing notes first is how rework begins. Until the ensemble, the flows and the page are set, every added instrument forces another layout pass.
Build the ensemble first
In Setup, fix the players, instruments and section sizes, then decide how many flows the project needs. One flow per movement, or one per cue, keeps tempo, key and rehearsal marks separate. A wrong ensemble makes Condensing merge voices that should stay apart, and the parts inherit the mistake. Choose paper and staff size in the template; the earlier the page is fixed, the less manual collision work later.
Six stages
| Stage | Where | Check before moving on |
|---|---|---|
| Ensemble | Setup | Instruments, player counts and transpositions |
| Notes | Write | Durations, slurs and lyrics form a phrase |
| Expression | Write | Dynamics, articulations and phrasing sit on notes |
| Layout | Engrave | System breaks, page turns and collisions read clearly |
| Condensing and parts | Setup / Engrave | Merged staves are correct and parts follow |
| Export | File | PDF fonts, MusicXML and audio are complete |
You will move back and forth, but every return to an earlier stage means rechecking what came after. An ensemble change, in particular, recalculates condensing and parts together.
Parts are derived
Dorico derives parts from the score, so a score edit reaches the part. Manual moves of dynamics, page turns and cues stay as local overrides; change the ensemble and those overrides may no longer apply. Give each part its own layout instead of deciding page turns for the player from the score. Check rehearsal marks and cues in the part as well; a tidy score says little about a readable part.
Three checks after a score edit
First, condensing: after adding, removing or transposing an instrument, do the merged staves still hold? Second, cues: delete the source voice and a cue may turn blank. Third, layout overrides: spacing pulled in the score does not travel to the part, which may now be cramped. After any large edit, export a PDF and turn every page rather than trusting the screen.
Where the order breaks
Lay out before changing the ensemble and every manual break is lost. Export parts before the score is final and old overrides fight the new notes. Import through MusicXML and notes plus most markings survive, but hand-adjusted layout does not. Dorico is strong on structure; get the structure wrong and that strength becomes the rework.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Along the same line
Sources
- Steinberg Dorico 操作手册，Setup、Write、Engrave 与 Condensing 章节（官方文档）。
- Elaine Gould, Behind Bars, Faber，总谱与分谱的版面规则。
- MusicXML 4.0 规范，谱面交换的字段定义。