Notation Program

Dorico

Dorico is developed by the company Steinberg who hired most of the original core development team from the competitor Sibelius after the development team was laid off in a 2012 restructuring by Sibelius’s owner, Avid.  Dorico was released four years later, in 2016.

Dorico helps you to compose music and write in music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality. It also gives you sequencer-style tools for editing the playback of your music, without compromising the beauty of the score. With hundreds of unique, smart time-saving features you won’t find anywhere else, Dorico is easy enough for anyone to learn, but powerful enough to satisfy even the most demanding professionals. 

Dorico is a complete family of products suitable for musicians of every experience level, budget, and device. 

Dorico works differently compared to the other music notation software. The workflows are divided into five distinct modes – Setup, Write, Engrave, Play, and Print Mode. These individual modes serve different functions. For example

Setup Mode: Setting up the project’s instrumentations. 

Write Mode: Inputting notes, key signatures, time signatures, etc.

Engrave Mode: Making adjustments for the score layout, such as the horizontal/vertical spacing. 

Play Mode: You can assign the playback’s instruments by inputting your favorite sample libraries, such as BBC Symphony Orchestra. 

Print Mode: Where you export PDF, JPEG, etc, or are even ready to print out your materials. 

For note input and time value, it is still the same as Sibelius. You can just type in the letter name on the keyboard, such as A,B,C,D,E,F,G and it will apply to the notation. 

Time Value in Dorico is slightly different from Sibelius. The crotchet note value is starting from Keypad “6”, and as it goes higher, the notes value increases.

Dorico has a special key command which is called “Popover”. You can just press “Shift + [certain key]” to operate a command. For example, “Shift + [K]” is to open up Key Signatures popover for you to type in. [K] stands for Key Signatures.

There are three versions that Dorico offers, such as Dorico Pro, Dorico SE and Dorico Elements. The main differences are pricing, key features, and flexibility. It depends on your needs to take a certain version. But I will recommend getting Dorico Pro if you are serious about getting music notation software. 

Dorico is now available for iPad, and for macOS, and Windows. Dorico SE is a free download, ideal for young composers and those working with solos and duets; Dorico Elements is ideal for students and home users; and Dorico Pro adds extra professional tools, more sounds, and much greater customization. 

Dorico for iPad is a free download from the App Store with similar functionality to Dorico SE, and you can write for larger ensembles and access Engrave mode via an optional in-app purchase subscription. 

Features

• Automatic Engraving
• Automatic Layout of Parts
• Condensed Scores
• DTP Page Layout
• Drum Notation
• Easy Note Input
• Flexible Chord Symbols
• Integrated MIDI Editors
• Intelligent Assistant
• Multiple Pieces per Project
• Streamlined Workflow
• Supports VST 3
• Key Editor in Write Mode
• Efficient Window Management
• High-Performance Architecture