workflow when modifying a score
I have a general workflow question.
My ear training is generally poor, so I rarely enter the right notes the first time. As a result, I like to map out a score rhythm first, with rests, or notes that are wrong but close (I'm fast with rhythms and I DO get those right the first time - I'm a drummer). I then spend the vast majority of my time modifying a score that I have already mapped out. Working this way seems to require hitting the escape key constantly, because every time I change a note, I'm immediately thrown into the mode to enter more notes. But I don't want to enter notes, I already have notes, I just want to spend the next hour or two CHANGING notes. Worse yet, if I am not very careful to hit escape immediately, I am indeed very likely to enter a note - a random one, who knows where (because my mouse is moving to another note I want to change - and while the mouse is moving, Musescore is assuming I want to place notes at the mouse location). And when I do accidentally enter a spurious note (say, by brushing the keypad mouse button with my other hand, which is fairly often when I'm working fast), I have to hit Ctrl-Z, and then immediately Esc, or it will happen again.
Is there some sort of "modify notes" mode that I should be using, or an option to tell Musescore to NOT switch modes every time I change a note? That would be the ideal solution.
If not, then is there at least a way of disabling entering notes with the mouse? I only ever enter notes through the keyboard. I can't imagine anyone entering notes using the mouse, it seems to me that it would require incredible finger dexterity. I only use the mouse to select things. If I could disable entering notes with the mouse, it wouldn't be a perfect solution because I'd still have to hit escape over and over, but at least I wouldn't run the constant risk of entering spurious notes.
Comments
Have you tried using only left/right arrow to move and up/down arrow to alter?
In reply to Have you tried using only… by Shoichi
I do that a lot. Yes that is usually fine. The problem comes as soon as I enter a pitch using the keyboard - the mouse becomes "enabled" for entering notes. And on a laptop it is easy to then brush the keypad mouse and modify things randomly. Thus the need to hit escape every time I change a pitch using the keyboard.
Have you tried re-pitch mode?
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/note-input-modes#repitch
In reply to Have you tried re-pitch mode… by Jm6stringer
Thanks for the suggestion, I will try it.
In reply to Have you tried re-pitch mode… by Jm6stringer
Unfortunately, it has the same behavior.
In reply to Unfortunately, it has the… by vscottgordon
It's not the same behavior, it's one much more optimized to what you are describing: changing pitch. In this mode, you simply type the pitches you want, the cursor automatically advances, durations are preserved, and you can use the cursor key to skip notes you don't want to change. So you don't want to hit Esc, just change the pitches.
In reply to It's not the same behavior,… by Marc Sabatella
But it still has the problem of if I move the mouse, intentionally or otherwise.
In reply to But it still has the problem… by vscottgordon
What instruments do you write for? As a drummer, I think you have better motor skills than you let on. You can also adjust the sensitivity of the touch pad. Better yet, disable the mouse pad and use a USB mouse.
BTW, I'm someone who exclusively uses the mouse.
You seem to disassociate melody from rhythm, to some extent. Don't forget that there is melody in the way drums ply together. This includes a drum kit as well as orchestral and band percussion.
Hope you find what you are looking for.
In reply to What instruments do you… by bobjp
Thanks for your response. To answer your question, most of my writing is lead sheets for jazz combos, mostly originals, sometimes I'll write individual parts. Most recently I did my first big band arrangement. My problem isn't a big deal, I'm getting everything done. It's just a bit of an annoyance that I have been wondering if I can avoid.
Here's another example.... say I decide to change a note in the "A" section of my tune. I'm going to need to change that note in three places (all three A sections of an AABA tune) in my score. I go to the first A section, click on the note I want to change, and type the letter for the new note. Now, since my display is in page view, I need to swipe to the right (using the mouse) to move to the next page of the score. If I fail to hit "ESC", boom, I've just added a note with about 20 ledger lines somewhere in my tune, because the act of typing a note using the keyboard puts me in note entry mode and activates the mouse exclusively for that purpose.
In reply to Thanks for your response. … by vscottgordon
Use the Page Up or Page Down buttons on your keyboard to move around the score instead of the mouse.
In reply to Thanks for your response. … by vscottgordon
Or use the scroll wheel. Dragging the score with the mouse is almost never a good idea, for this and other reasons.
In reply to Or use the scroll wheel. … by Marc Sabatella
But I still need to use the mouse to point to the next note that I want to change. Also, what about when using the Navigator?