Input note on any beat without entering rests first
I know, I know. The standard response is that music is written left to right. So if I want to input a quarter note on beat four of an empty measure, I have to enter rests first until I get to beat four. Then I can input my note.
True, music is READ left to right. But always written that way? Just not so. Back in the paper days, I would often write notes later in a measure before finishing up with rests. I don't know about Finale, but Sebelius has allowed this for many years.
I input with a mouse. Don't bother telling me keyboard entry is quicker. Not interested. Let's say I'm working in measure 24 on the violin part. I want to go back to measure 10 an start work on the trumpet part. I want a quarter note on beat four of measure nine. I hover my mouse over beat four and enter the note. Done. Rests are automatically added.
Here is how it works in Sibelius. There is a setting to be able to add notes on quarter beats or eight beats. Note input activates a ghost note much like MuseScore. The difference is that I can input a note where the ghost note is. Not just where the cursor is.
This would also work in voices in MU4. And would be a miracle in the Drum palette. Which is so bad I don't write for drum set in MU4. As an aside, for drum set input, Sibelius uses no shortcuts ( if you don't want them), one voice for drums, and a second voice for cymbals.
For a mouser, Input a note on any beat is so much faster than the not entirely true music is written left to right method.
Comments
This has already been discussed (notably by yourself) in other similar posts on this forum in recent years or months. If you want to move things forward, you should now file an official feature request on Github: https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues
If no one does, don't expect it to be miraculously implemented in a future release. Especially as I can't say for sure (but I'm guessing?) that it would require a fairly substantial overhaul of the input mode.
In the meantime, as I've already shown in a similar thread (See: https://musescore.org/en/node/324615#comment-1096107), if these situations occur frequently in a score, it's trivial to create rests beforehand (by repeating them with the “R” key, or even by creating one or more templates so you never have to do it again) in such and such a voice, thus easily entering the notes with the mouse where you want them, and then using the "Regroup rhythms" feature (menu Tools) to do the final work for you.
In reply to This has already been… by cadiz1
I just thought I'd throw this out there again to see if there is any interest. I suspect that one guy filing a request isn't going to go very far. Time wise, your suggestions take about the same amount as just entering the rest first, then the note. And even if they are a bit quicker, nothing is as easy as just hovering over a spot and clicking a note there. I suppose if I had never used Sibelius, I wouldn't even know there was an easier way to enter notes. It doesn't replace any other method. You don't toggle anything. It's just part of how Sibelius works.
I know I'll have to look into a feature request.
In reply to I just thought I'd throw… by bobjp
Sibelius and Dorico. But not Finale, Guitar Pro and Musescore. Each program is different...
In reply to Sibelius and Dorico. by cadiz1
And my interest is in MU4 right now.
In reply to I just thought I'd throw… by bobjp
"I suspect that one guy filing a request isn't going to go very far."
Well, it's more likely to get somewhere than no-one filing a request.
In reply to "I suspect that one guy… by SteveBlower
"...to see if there is any interest..." Yes! A similar feature would be "note block painter" feature (if only the Piano roll editor could be resurrected)