Hiding stems

You can shorten stems to achieve the effect of stemless noteheads.

Note

Stemless noteheads are not currently available in Dorico. They are planned for future versions.

Procedure

  1. In Engrave mode, select one of the following, depending on how you want to hide stems:

    • If using the keyboard or mouse, select the stems you want to hide.

    • If using the Properties panel, select the noteheads whose stems you want to hide.

  2. Hide the stems in one of the following ways:

    • Press Alt-Down Arrow until the stems cannot be seen.

      Tip

      To shorten the stem by larger increments, press Ctrl/Cmd as well, for example, Ctrl/Cmd-Alt-Down Arrow.

    • Click and drag the stem tips to the notehead.

    • In the Properties panel, activate Stem adj. in the Notes and Rests group, and set the value to -3.

Result

Stems are shortened so that they do not extend beyond the notehead.

Note

If you later change the pitch of notes whose stems you have hidden using this method, their stems can become partially visible, because stem length is automatically adjusted depending on the position of notes on the staff.