Hiding/Showing bar rests in empty bars

Dorico Pro Help

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

You can hide/show bar rests in empty bars in each layout independently. For example, you can hide bar rests in full score layouts but show bar rests in part layouts.

Bar rests are usually shown in empty bars in music to indicate to performers that they have nothing to play. However, there are contexts in which it is preferable to hide bar rests in empty bars, and instead leave the bar completely empty.

For example, hiding bar rests in empty bars is sometimes the preferred visual aesthetic in large scores, so that it is quicker to identify bars containing music. You can also hide bar rests in layouts where you want to include other instructions, such as verbal indications for performers to do something other than play notated pitches.

Procedure

  1. Press Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-L to open Layout Options.
  2. In the Layouts list, select the layouts in which you want to hide/show bar rests in empty bars.

    By default, the layout currently open in the music area is selected when you open the dialog. You can select other layouts by using the selection options in the action bar, clicking and dragging across multiple layouts, Shift-clicking adjacent layouts, and Ctrl/Cmd-clicking individual layouts.

  3. In the category list, click Players.
  4. In the Bar Rests and Multi-bar Rests section, activate/deactivate Show bar rests in empty bars.
  5. Click Apply, then Close.

Result

All bar rests in empty bars in the selected layouts are shown when the checkbox is activated, and hidden when the checkbox is deactivated.