Microtonal accidentals

Dorico Pro Help

Product
Dorico Pro
Version
4.3
Language
English
Document type
Webhelp
ft:openMode
fluidtopics

Microtonal accidentals indicate pitches beyond the standard accepted chromatic scale in Western tonality, such as a quarter sharp or quarter flat.

You can use microtonal accidentals when you have selected a tonality system that includes microtonal accidentals, such as Equal temperament (24-EDO, Stein-Zimmermann).

The default tonality system is Equal temperament (12-EDO), which you can see in the Tonality System section of the Key Signatures, Tonality Systems and Accidentals panel. When this option is selected, the accidentals available in the Accidentals section of the panel are only half-step (semitone) accidentals, such as sharp, flat, double flat, and so on. Equal temperament (12-EDO) does not include microtonal accidentals.

You can change the tonality system for specific passages of music, which changes the microtonal accidentals available. You can also define your own tonality systems with custom octave divisions, key signatures, and accidentals.

Note

Even if you do not want to use a conventional key signature, you must input an open or atonal key signature in order to change the tonality system and use microtonal accidentals.