Unintuitive note input using the repeat ("r") command

• Dec 23, 2022 - 17:57
Reported version
4.x-dev
Type
Functional
Frequency
Once
Severity
S3 - Major
Reproducibility
Always
Status
active
Regression
No
Workaround
No
Project

When inputting notes, the way I would like to work (particularly as a potential convert from Sibelius), is to use the "r" key to repeat the current note(s), and subsequently adjust the pitch with the arrow keys, and the duration using the number keys. I find this very efficient since it doesn't require the mouse, and only requires a minimal number of keyboard commands (i.e. I don't even need to use letters A-G to pick notes or specify accidentals).

Currently, all of these commands work to an extent in MuseScore but in practice not very well in combination. Below are some specific examples that have come up in trying to use the preferred workflow above (hence this is one feature suggestion rather than several). Though there are lots of interrelated issues here, so happy to answer questions!

EXAMPLE 1:
If I click on a note, use "r" to repeat it, and then change the note duration using a number key, the duration changes but it also deselects the note. Therefore, I need to reselect the note (using the mouse!!) to change the pitch, and cannot string lots of these repeat commands together for efficient input.

Proposed solution: keep notes selected whenever note duration is changed (including after using the repeat command).

EXAMPLE 2:
If I click on a chord, and use "r" to repeat it, the chord repeats but does not sound. I believe this is because the only way to select two notes on a single stem is to select them within a box (i.e. the way entire bars are selected).

Proposed solution: when a chord is repeated using the "r" command, all the notes of the chord should remain selected, should sound and should be movable with the up/down arrows together. This would be helped a lot if all the notes of a chord could be selected without being in a box (e.g. by double clicking?). Currently double clicking on a chord does absolutely nothing so I can't see what would be lost by allowing this to happen.

EXAMPLE 3:
See that attached photo, where I have a bar with a long note in voice 1, and a short note in voice 2. If I select a note in voice 2, I cannot use the repeat command at all (literally nothing happens). This appears to be because box selectors need to include all voices in the bar over their full duration. I believe the intended solution in this scenario is to enter note input mode for using the repeat command. However, it requires an additional press of "r" for a copy of the note to appear, and the duration needs to be selected before the repeat (rather than after as I would prefer). Also, in note input mode, accidentally entering the wrong duration requires constant toggling into and out of note input mode to correct.

Proposed solution:
Enable use of the repeat command outside of note input mode. When in note input mode, everything can remain substantially the same (good for existing users!), where duration is selected prior to the repeat command. However, when not in note input mode, I think the repeat command should still be usable (even if technically being used for note input), and duration should be selected after the repeat command.

Hopefully all that makes sense, and I can explain more if not. I think it can also be solved without affecting existing users' workflows, but let me know if you disagree.

P.S. This is a massive hindrance for me when using MuseScore, to the point where I often give up out of frustration.

Attachment Size
Screenshot 2022-12-23 at 16.57.42.png 56.24 KB

Comments

Frequency Few Once

Have you tried the following:
1) Select a note
2) Hit 'N' to enter note input mode
3) Select a duration
4) Hit 'R' to repeat note

In reply to by Trainzack

Thanks for your reply. Yes I've tried that, and the interesting thing is that if you do exactly the steps you describe, pressing 'r' doesn't actually repeat the note but replaces the one that is originally selected, with the second press of 'r' actually creating a new note (as I indicated in the original post).

Therefore, from the moment you select a note, you have to press 'n' to enter note input mode mode, press 'r' to re-enter the note that was already selected, enter the duration of the next note to be inserted, and then press 'r' again. Furthermore, if you accidentally select the wrong duration before pressing 'r', you have to exit note entry mode to correct and go through that faff again in order to continue. Overall, this is not very efficient.

Compare that to my suggestion: select note, press 'r' to repeat, adjust duration/pitch after (and adjust again if needs correcting). Since the note remains selected after adjusting duration it's easy to press 'r' again and continue for as long as required.