consider changing the default shortcuts for note durations

• Feb 28, 2013 - 21:09
Type
Graphical (UI)
Severity
S5 - Suggestion
Status
closed
Project

Current note duration shortcuts (1-9) are both hard to memorize and unintuitive. What about using something which corresponds to the mental image:

1 - 1/1 note
2 - 1/2 note
4 - 1/4 note
8 - 1/8 note
6 - 1/16 note
3 - 1/32 note


Comments

Well I configured this right from the start but I thought other musicians might have the same problem. And then default settings should be changed. You should ask more people (musicians) about their opinions before closing the ticket.

Title consider changing the shortcuts for note durations consider changing the default shortcuts for note durations
Status (old) fixed active

OK, but with an updated title to make clear what this is about, this wasn't clear (to me at least).
And yes, I agree that the current default settings are not very intuitive...

Kudos for fast response and for reopening the ticket.

If I remember correctly capella notation software is also using the shortcuts I described.

FWIW, the current MuseScore defaults are taken directly from Finale, so they do seem "intuitive" to a lot of people already.

Intuition aside, I think the MuseScore/Finale shortcuts are actually *better* than the more mnemonic ones suggested here, in that they are very efficient. To go one notch faster, you move one key to the left; to go one notch slower, you move one key to the right. No hunting and pecking to find the appropriate ley - it's organized logically by *location*. But this only starts to feel natural after one gets used to it - indeed, it won't seem "intuitive" the first (or second, or third) time you try. It's a tradeoff being supporting *efficient* note entry versus *easily discoverable* note entry. But in my experience, most beginners don't mess with shortcuts anyhow - they use the icons only. Shortcuts are used more by people interested in efficiency. So I do think having the shortcuts favor efficiency oer discoverability makes sense.

Fair enough. I will continue to use modified shortcuts. Other people familiar with Finale don't need to change their habits.