Play notes without note input
I'm trying to play notes either from a midi device or the virtual keyboard without entering note input mode. Is this already a feauture? To be clear, I'm not talking about the midi toggle button but using the midi keyboard with the musescore synth without inputting any notes.
Comments
Pretty sure you can't do that with MuseScore. But you should be able to with free software like Ssorzando.
In reply to Pretty sure you can't do… by bobjp
Answer is below from Marc Sabatella. But to avoid any scroll down:
Open a score - any score - and then open the piano keyboard Click a key, it plays, whether in note input mode or not. Same for MIDI. Are you saying it doesn't for you? It should use the sound of whatever staff is currently selected, or the topmost staff if nothing is selected.
Enjoy!
You know that of course, but just to be complete: "by-pass" is to give focus to a dummy score that you won't save before using the midi keyboard
Just trying to do the same thing - am I right in thinking that it is impossible to play the virtual keyboard without being in note entry mode? Surely not?? That is really rather annoying!
In reply to Just trying to do the same… by [DELETED] 37205164
As long as you're not in note input mode you can press any key on the MIDI- or virtual keyboard you like, it won't do a think to the score, nor sound (on the PC)
In reply to As long as you're not in… by Jojo-Schmitz
so there's no way of monitoring the instrument sound, playing a few notes along with the score without writing? That in my opinion is a serious flaw! I cannot think of any other application in music that behaves in this way. I'm truly shocked! It surely is the simplest thing to pass the data through to the instrument without writing to the score?
In reply to so there's no way of… by [DELETED] 37205164
I haven't missed this 'vital feature' in the past 11+ years...
In reply to I haven't missed this 'vital… by Jojo-Schmitz
Great for you Jojo if you know exactly what you want to write every time you sit in front of the screen - but I don't I'm afraid!
The ability to "noodle around" to improvise a part before writing is essential to my way of working. As is playing through a few ideas on the keyboard whilst not playing the score, trying out a pattern or shape, or a harmony / chord etc. Having a mute keyboard in front of me seems absurd! And if I'm working on a cello part, I'd like to hear a cello when I improvise - my midi keyboard is not a synth and has no sounds. So the only workaround is to load another program to hear things in real time? Or record and undo every time? I do hope this is addressed in Version 4. At the moment I'm using MS for the unlimited staves and instruments from scores started in Dorico Elements. I cannot see me creating a score from scratch with such ease in MS if this is the default. But yes, each to his or her own and I guess most MS users haven't needed this feature or they'd be screaming about it! Must be me that's weird!
In reply to Great for you Jojo if you… by [DELETED] 37205164
Just enter the notes and hear them. Undo or delete those you don't like.
In reply to Just enter the notes and… by Jojo-Schmitz
That is a very un-productive - or at least limiting - way to work. What a complete waste of time. Supposing you had 16 bars you were trying to sketch out a horn part to, and you put it in loop and played along until you felt you'd got the right shapes. What? Record everything and undo everything every 16 bars? Pointless.
Imagine I sat down to write playing my guitar, but could only hear it when I pressed record on the tape deck...
Absurd. Sorry to be so flabbergasted by this lack of basic musical functionality, I really am very surprised.
In reply to That is a very un-productive… by [DELETED] 37205164
Well, MuseScore is s score writing app, not really a composer's tool
In reply to I haven't missed this 'vital… by Jojo-Schmitz
Congratulations to you, but I really would appreciate it. Sure it's not in the scope of what MuseScore intends but it's literally a toggle to be able to play without placing
In reply to so there's no way of… by [DELETED] 37205164
See my response below. It's notmissing at all, MuseScore has worked this way as long as I can remember. Select a measure to tell MuseScore which sound you want to hear, play notes - they sound whether you are in note input mode or not.
In reply to See my response below. It's… by Marc Sabatella
Oops, right it does, not sure why I thought (and said) that it won't.
Maybe I'm missing something, but this should work just fine. Open a score - any score - and then open the piano keyboard Click a key, it plays, whether in note input mode or not. Same for MIDI. Are you saying it doesn't for you? It should use the sound of whatever staff is currently selected, or the topmost staff if nothing is selected.
In reply to Maybe I'm missing something,… by Marc Sabatella
So there's definitely a bug or something odd here - I had not connected a midi keyboard, and the virtual piano would not play (I was on my laptop out and about as I often am so not always access to a keyboard.)
After reading your post I thought I'd plug in a midi keyboard - and voila, sound appeared, both from the midi keys and the virtual one.
Here's the thing though, when I disconnected the midi keyboard the virtual still played - BUT - if I then closed the program and re-started it without the midi keyboard attached, the virtual keyboard doesn't work.
So, glad that it works with the external keys, but would like to be able to use it with virtual keys when traveling light - any suggestions?
In reply to So there's definitely a bug… by [DELETED] 37205164
As mentioned, it should work. Do you maybe have MuseScore setup to playback via MIDI out only? If so, you need to change that back. Also, which staff in your score did you select, and what playback sound is selected for that staff? Can you attach the score here?
In reply to As mentioned, it should work… by Marc Sabatella
Problem seems to have gone - or is intermittent - not made any changes to set-up, simply connected a midi keyboard then disconnected again.
When it doesn't work it applies to all staff and any score.
There are some who say that it is not needed. Well, that is the only reason I still use version 3. I am an online music teacher and I love to show the sheet music and play along when needed using the virtual keyboard to show what I am playing from my midi controller. In version 4, I just haven't been able to. It doesn't make sense to me that something that worked very well in the previous version can't be done now, there must have been a purpose in removing that because it is something so basic, I would like to not think that it is due to a technical inability.