Help engraving grace note slurs

[KlausWH]

Screenshot.png (94.42 KiB) Viewed 567 times

Hello all,

I was wondering if anybody could offer any suggestions for this bar here. I find every way of slurring quite clunky, and I haven't really developed an 'eye' for engraving slurs yet.

Any help would be appreciated.

P.S. The middle chord isn't meant to be slurred. This is a typesetting of a manuscript.

[OCTO]

Is this someone else's music you need to copy exactly, or you are free to slightly edit the notation?

[KlausWH]

Is this someone else's music you need to copy exactly, or you are free to slightly edit the notation?

I have to keep it pretty much exactly the same. It's a typesetting of someone else's manuscript for a commission.

[Magnus Johansson]

Hello, Klaus! Would you provide a little more notation context like clefs, time and key signature, and the instrument playing?

[OCTO]

I think the problem is rather in the HORIZONTAL spacing, than slurs.
It is too tight, you have even done kerning for the accidentals of the last chord, which is not needed.  To my eyes it looks too squeezed.
More horizontal space will give you more options.

My draft.

Screenshot_20260730_012118_Flexcil.jpg (226.23 KiB) Viewed 538 times

[KlausWH]

Hello, Klaus! Would you provide a little more notation context like clefs, time and key signature, and the instrument playing?

Yes of course! The instrument is piano. Thank you.

Screenshot2.png (84.75 KiB) Viewed 481 times

[KlausWH]

Small Update!

The fff sub. is actually meant to be on the first grace notes. Using the solution suggested by OCTO, this is what I have so far. I feel like I've still done an amateur job, but it's better than what came before at least.

Screenshot3.png (101.59 KiB) Viewed 475 times

And thanks for all the help so far everyone (especially OCTO)!

[John Ruggero]

It's a shame that you have to engrave it exactly as it stands because I think something like following could be more elegant:

Grace note chord and slur.png (51.53 KiB) Viewed 462 times

The missing slur on the middle chord will strike most performers as an error of omission. You might check with the composer if possible. If the composer really wants the grace note disconnected from the following chord, a staccato dot on the grace note would clear up any confusion.

[OCTO]

Why do ties in Dorico look much bolder than slurs?  Is it a default?  Also having the tip about 3 times larger.

[OCTO]

It's a shame that you have to engrave it exactly as it stands because I think something like following could be more elegant:

Grace note chord and slur.png


The missing slur on the middle chord will strike most performers as an error of omission. You might check with the composer if possible. If the composer really wants the grace note disconnected from the following chord, a staccato dot on the grace note would clear up any confusion.

Also in this John's example you can see that the grace note is not so close to the main note.  That is the issue: if you put it too close there is no chance to have a slur there.