half-dashed slurs

Discuss the rules of notation, standard notation practices, efficient notation practices and graphic design.
Felipe Copaja
Posts: 20
Joined: 06 Mar 2017, 19:18

half-dashed slurs

Post by Felipe Copaja »

Hi, for a critical edition I need to draw a slur that goes "normal" over a few notes, but editorial and dashed for the last two. Is there a way for this in Finale 25 (Mac)? I'd rather not use a regular slur and then a dashed slur over all the notes.

Felipe
benwiggy
Posts: 835
Joined: 11 Apr 2016, 19:42

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by benwiggy »

I suspect not. I doubt any notation program** allows you to sub-divide the style of the slur. You'll have to edit a PDF in a vector artwork editor. You may have to cut chunks out of the slur.

Also, there were some tutorials that you may be able to find for how to make dashed slurs in vector drawing apps, before Finale added them.

** (Waits for someone to supply a few lines of code for Lilypond.)
Anders Hedelin
Posts: 272
Joined: 16 Aug 2017, 16:36
Location: Sweden

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by Anders Hedelin »

I tried using a smart-shape dashed slur and then superimposing a shape-expression solid slur with the right end masked. Apart from being extremely fussy, it only works outside the staff - inside, it will mask staff lines and notes as well - so I gave up. Sorry not to be of any help.

Probably a graphic program might be worth trying, as benwiggy suggested, if Finale allows importing vector graphics as vector graphics. (I recall having had some problems with that in the past, but possibly that is solved by now. ?)
Finale 26, 27 on Windows 10
benwiggy
Posts: 835
Joined: 11 Apr 2016, 19:42

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by benwiggy »

I was suggesting editing the slur on the finished page, as a PDF, rather than making a slur and importing it into Finale.

There are still problems (or were last time I looked) importing vector graphics into Finale and getting them to display correctly with regards to transparency, and then to print correctly.
Anders Hedelin
Posts: 272
Joined: 16 Aug 2017, 16:36
Location: Sweden

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by Anders Hedelin »

OK. Good tip. I'll try that myself next time I have a need for it.
Finale 26, 27 on Windows 10
User avatar
OCTO
Posts: 1742
Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 06:52
Location: Sweden

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by OCTO »

I would not use one slur that is halfway dashed. I don't remember I have seen it yet.
Use two slurs instead.
Freelance Composer. Self-Publisher.
Finale 27.3 • Sibelius 2023.5• MuseScore 4+ • Logic Pro X+ • Ableton Live 11+ • Digital Performer 10+ /// MacOS Monterey (secondary in use systems: Fedora 35, Windows 10)
User avatar
John Ruggero
Posts: 2453
Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 14:25
Location: Raleigh, NC USA

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by John Ruggero »

Half-dashed slurs are not uncommon in critical editions (and I have a few in my Beethoven Sonata edition). Dorico does them apparently:

https://steinberg.help/dorico/v1/en/dor ... les_r.html
M1 Mac mini (OS 12.4), Dorico, Finale 25.5, GPO 4, Affinity Publisher 2, SmartScore 64 Pro, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Keyboard maestro

http://www.cantilenapress.com
User avatar
OCTO
Posts: 1742
Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 06:52
Location: Sweden

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by OCTO »

John Ruggero wrote: 09 Jul 2021, 02:32 Half-dashed slurs are not uncommon in critical editions (and I have a few in my Beethoven Sonata edition). Dorico does them apparently:

https://steinberg.help/dorico/v1/en/dor ... les_r.html
Happy to learn something from you again, Thanks John!
Freelance Composer. Self-Publisher.
Finale 27.3 • Sibelius 2023.5• MuseScore 4+ • Logic Pro X+ • Ableton Live 11+ • Digital Performer 10+ /// MacOS Monterey (secondary in use systems: Fedora 35, Windows 10)
Felipe Copaja
Posts: 20
Joined: 06 Mar 2017, 19:18

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by Felipe Copaja »

John, could you please show us an example?

Felipe
User avatar
John Ruggero
Posts: 2453
Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 14:25
Location: Raleigh, NC USA

Re: half-dashed slurs

Post by John Ruggero »

You are very welcome, OCTO.

Here is an example from the first movement of Beethoven's Sonata op. 7:
example.jpeg
example.jpeg (136.35 KiB) Viewed 4928 times
The footnote states that it is uncertain if the slur should extend all the way to m. 205.

I think you did a better job with yours as shown in your example over at FinaleForum, Felipe.
M1 Mac mini (OS 12.4), Dorico, Finale 25.5, GPO 4, Affinity Publisher 2, SmartScore 64 Pro, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Keyboard maestro

http://www.cantilenapress.com
Post Reply