ability to edit pitch without entering Note Entry mode

• Aug 23, 2012 - 23:49

Hello,

I am finding it very frustrating to edit the pitches of an existing melody in musescore. Here's the problem: suppose I want to write out several homophonic lines, so that different instruments will be playing different notes but with the same rhythm.

1. I first write out one line; no problem so far.
2. I want a similar line for a different instrument. Rather than enter every note from scratch, I instead copy and paste from the first instrument. All that remains is to change the pitches without changing the rhythm.
3. Then I proceed to enter all the pitches for this new instrument. But each time I enter a note, musescore goes into Note Entry mode, and ignores the duration of the next note. Therefore I have to hit N to exit Note Entry mode after every single note, which is frustrating and time consuming.

Am I using the program wrong? Is there any way to avoid hitting A, N, B, N, A, N, C, N instead of just A, B, A, C?

Thank you.

Comments

• Aug 24, 2012 - 02:17

For 2.0, there is a new Repitch mode that will do exactly what you are after.

The easiest solution for this *currently* is to use the Explode plugin (see Plugins in menu at right side of this page). Write your line in full chords for one instrument, copy it to the others, select them all, then hit Plugins->Explode.

Another workaround for now is to use the arrow keys to change pitch rather than entering new pitches, but that's unlikely to end up being faster than hitting N (or Esc) after each note.

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• Aug 26, 2012 - 01:22

I think I agree with the original poster about being able to edit existing notes without 'Note Entry' becoming enabled.

Does the 'replace pitches without changing rhythm' work at the moment? I'm not sure I understand it. Maybe it's not necessary? What are the benefits compared to what I think is being requested/suggested by MrMoto and myself?

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• Aug 26, 2012 - 02:00

As far as I can see, repitch mode works just fine in 2.0, pretty much exactly as you are describing. Except that instead of never *entering* note entrymode, it appears to work by never *leaving* it. Enter note enttry, click the repitch icon, and start typing to replace notes. It seems quite clever and useful in that it's really just aspecial duration icon. All existing shortcuts and usual note entry behaviors apply; it just uses the existing duration at the cursor instead of always apply a new one.

As far as I am concerned, this is much better that implementing some brand new neither-note-entry-nor-not mode where they had to implement, and you had to learn, a whole new set of navigation commands and other shortcuts.

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• Aug 30, 2012 - 01:51

There seems to be little difference between the normal and repitch modes.

I don't think there is anything else to learn. With what is proposed, the simple difference is it doesn't go into Note Entry, or move onto the next note after pressing a key. It's actually repitch that seems superfluous :).

I would click on an existing F note, enter C on the keyboard, press right manually (not automatic) to go to another existing note and enter E - no durations are changed, unless you press the shortcuts for those (as you would any other time).

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• Aug 30, 2012 - 04:24

I guess I hadn't realize how many existing note entry mode shortcuts also work while not in note entry mode. So, yeah, not as different as I thought. Still, seems to be no particular advantage to doing it your way. Saves exactly one keystroke if you happen to not already be in note entry mode; takes exactly one more keystroke if you *do* happen to already be in note entry mode. I can't see there that there is any incentive to replace a perfectly good working implementation with another yet to be written or tests, just to at best break even on ease of use compared to what we've already got.

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• Aug 30, 2012 - 14:29

If by currently, you mean 2.0, then yes. It is *exactly identical* to what you are asking for. What's not to like?

The point is, it works now, and works exactly as you have described - the only difference is whether you start off in note entry or "normal" mode. Simply adding a preference for something that already works doesn't change anything. So it sounds to me that...

EDIT: I think I misunderstood what you are really asking for. You're not asking for a preference between Repitch mode and a brand new yet to implemented mode that works the same way, but rather, a preference to control whether typing a letter while in "normal" mode puts you in Note Entry mode or not. I can see how that could make sense.

I know there is a general aversion to adding preferences unnecessarily, and I think the current behavior where typing a note puts you in note entry mode is pretty useful. But, how about if typing a note while a note is selected were to automatically put you in repitch mode?

For the record, here's what I initially thought and wrote:

... what you're *really* asking for isn't just to add a preference, (but) for the developers to take time out of developing new features and fixing bugs to re-implement something that already works perfectly, in a new manner that will be exactly identical to the existing manner except for the initial keystroke to get started, and then add a preference as to which of the exactly identical methods you prefer to use. How does this make sense?

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• Aug 30, 2012 - 18:01

It's the same as entering a note via keyboard in 'Note Entry' and it exiting after - it wouldn't seem right. I think the current behaviour of pressing the keyboard and going into 'Note Entry' is presumptuous. If I want 'Note Entry', I'll go into it manually by clicking it, or pressing the shortcut.

With regards to changing notes, 'Repitch' still seems to behave the same as 'Note Entry'. Also, it automatically moves onto the next note - I don't like this, because I might want to change it again.

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• Aug 31, 2012 - 16:58

Nor sure what you mean about repitch working hw same as note entry - of course all he same shortcus works. But the basic behavior is entirelly different - each note as you type it inherits the value at the cursor position, rather than the duration seleced at the toolbar. In orher words, it does exactly what you say you want - pr at least, as my best interpretation of what you say you wantand what the OP seems to be describing.

I'm just not gettingthe distinction you are making between how repitch actually works and what you say you want. Except that indeed, it does move the curosr, because it makes the logical and safe assumption that in far more of 50% of cases, that's exactly what you'd want. The whole idea is to allow you to wrtie a passage, copy it to another part of the socre, and chane all the pitches while keeping the same rhythm. It's a pretty common operation in compositon, arranging, and transcriptionn, and in all of these cases, unless you somehow just ,istyped the new note the first time, you absolutely want the cursor to advance.

So it sounds like you are discussing an entirey diffeent use case, and perhaps that is why we are not understanding each other? What is the use case you are einvisioning in going into note entyr mode or having the cursor advance is somehow a problem? Maybe you are thinking of this as an way of fixing ondividual one-note pitch errors scattered throughout a score, as opposed to a whole way of quickly repitching a whole passage?

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• Sep 4, 2012 - 04:10

Yes, for this purpose, I can see the value. It's definitely a very different use case from the one described here, though, and what you are proposing would definitely be less useful than Repitch mode for the purpose being discussed in this thread.

I'm kind of on the fence about whether think having note entry enabled automatically on pressing a letter key is a good or not on average. I can see sometimes it saves a key stroke, but other times cost me one. I suspect in the long run, it is counterproductive, as if if I'm going to note entry mode anyhow, I'm probably staying there long enough I'm not going to mind an extra keystroke to get there. Whereas if I'm spot correcting notes, needing to exit note entry mode after each one is a lot of extra keystrokes.

Which is to say, if it is felt that adding an option would not be worthwhile, I would support simply changing the behavior of pressing a letter to work as you describe - no automatic switch to note entry.

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