Chord Symbols selection filter doesn't work
Chord symbols remain really frustrating in Musescore.
Continually I'd like to be able to copy and paste a set of chord symbols into an area where there is already notes written without disturbing the notes. I've been told that I can/should use the selection filter but it is not really functional.
In this video I have the chord symbol selection box checked off, but without selecting the notes, I can't actually select the chord symbols. I can't select the measure without selecting the notes, but I don't want to select the notes, I just want the chord symbols.
If I have All selected on the selection palet and select the area where I have the chord symbols that I want selected, and then unclick voice 1, I lose the whole selection.
For me this issue with chord symbols in Musescore continues to be very frustrating. For my purposes I never want the chord symbols to be connected to the notes, I would always prefer that they be totally separate selections so that I can manipulate the notes under the chords without affecting the chord symbols above.
But even without this, it's near impossible to copy and paste chord symbols in any logical way.
Comments
Here's the video:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SSdWV5p2F6sdnunKpDTZwVbzGxsr6Ayf
In reply to Here's the video: https:/… by sully75
It would be wonderful if it was easy to select and area of chord symbols with control click and copy them into a new area without having to deselect a bunch of things and 7 clicks.
Additionally it would be great to fix a set of chord symbols in place so that if you select a group of notes it doesn't take the chord symbols with them and move them (for instance, if I want to move a passage of eight notes over 1 quarter note, if I select the notes and cut and paste, I move the chord symbol over one quarter note too. I can't control click the chord symbol to deselect it, I have to go to the selection filter. I've done this about 8000 times and can't figure out why it's like that.
Easier way would be to right click on the chord symbol->select->"all similar similar" elements or "all similar elements in the same staff" or to select the measures, they contain the chord progression, then to right click on the chord->select-> all similar in range selection.
In reply to Easier way would be right… by kuwitt
yeah I've used that in the past but again I'm totally unclear why this needs to be so complicated. I 100% of the time don't want to move the chord symbols with the notes, so not sure why I have to go through 5 steps to not select something I didn't want to select in the first place.
Control or shift clicking would be amazing and consistent with most other programs.
That said, when I do as you suggest, it still goes totally haywire. I think it's flipping out because I have some hidden staffs? It's pasting in things from another hidden staff. Video below. I've really tried every method here with no results.
It's very very buggy. I appreciate that there are some ways of doing things that would work but they are all pretty clumsy and don't always work.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10y_FLJLf75xomsr3pFA5bx2bZM3nw_Ro/view?…
In reply to yeah I've used that in the… by sully75
It's more common that people would want to copy the chords with the notes, but if you have some special workflow that makes you need to not do it, it's simple enough to use the selection filter to deslect the chord symbols. Not sure what could be simpler? Similarly, copying chords without copying notes is simple as well, as per the description above. Here I agree click first chord symbol. shift+click last would be a nice time saver, cuts out two or three clicks I guess.
Anyhow, if you're encountering some sort of bug, please attach your actual score and give us precise steps to reproduce the problem; that's more useful than a video. I can't tell from that what you're actually doing, simple text descriptions are easier to follow.
In reply to It's more common that people… by Marc Sabatella
Hi Marc,
We've discussed this previously at length. What I remember is you describing your workflow and fairly insisting that was the way things made sense and me trying to explain, repeatedly, a situation where that didn't really make any sense.
For the sake of attempting it one more time, when working writing lines over a static chord progression that repeats infinitely for as many choruses of a tune that is being played, I can't see how it's possible to suggest that having the chords move as you manipulate the melody makes any sense whatsoever. In the same way someone would first write the chords on a piece of paper before notating a transcription as a means to guide the structure, having the chords not move around as you revise a melody seems to make perfect sense to me. In doing tons of transcription of jazz tunes with static chord progressions, this has been an issue over and over again.
I must say being told that this is somehow an inferior workflow or that I'm somehow misunderstanding things is really pretty frustrating.
Regardless, on the score below, copying the chord progression using the selection filter does indeed seem impossibly buggy. If I want to copy the chords from measure 4 - 25 into the following bars, I get stuck either two ways. If I select those measures with "all" in the selection filter and then deselect all and select the chord symbols, the selection disappears. If I have only the chord symbol selection button selected, I'm not able to make a selection. Even if I just deselect voice 1 the selection disappears.
I've also tried the "select all similar elements" "similar elements in range" "similar elements in staff" and either had nothing happen or have chords from out of the selection appear (for instance it will pick up the f69 chord in the guitar even when that measure is not within the selection).
Sorry. It's a buggy mess. If we have to talk in circles about how I don't understand what I'm doing etc I'll just leave it alone. I like the program but this is a major weakness.
Ok and for the record, how could it be simpler? How about control click on the first chord you want to copy, control click on the last chord you want to copy, and then select a note and cnrl-v paste the chords above the note? Seems marvelously simple. Want to copy the notes along with the chords? control click on the notes and add them to the selection.
Or alternatively, if you think it's more logical to have the chords and melody together, have that be the initial selection, and then control click on the chords to deselect them. Or the melody.
Additionally, have a setting that fixes the chords in place as a default so that they are not picked up in a selection to begin with. All seems pretty simple.
Here's the score:
https://musescore.com/user/654366/scores/5915176
In reply to Hi Marc, We've discussed… by sully75
I remember the discussion. I get that for whatever reason, you are common in situations where you need to do this. I’m not saying it’s inferior, just uncommon. But it’s quite simple to do, just a few clicks to use either the Selection Filter or the Select context menu. So I don’t see the problem. There are multiple simple ways to perform both common and uncommon operations. But yes, as I said above, someday it’s would also be nice to allow selection of similar elements by click / shift-click. Would save a second or two indeed.
Again, if you are encountering some sort of bug, please start a new thread with a sample score and clear steps to reproduce. I and others have used these facilities thousands of times and not seen problems, so if there is a if somewhere it must be triggered only by some very specific aspect of what you are doing. So we need you to help us understand how to reproduce this bug.
In reply to I remember the discussion. … by Marc Sabatella
I am one week in with Musescore, and this is a prime example of trying to find Musescore help. Long discussions about what might be, what could be and why you sh uld have figured it out yourself. How about just simple explanations in text, not some weblink or video?
In reply to I am one week in with… by sterime
The whole point of a web link or video is so as not to have to repeat advice to a noob. Don't worry, I won't offer you any further advice or help ever.
In reply to I am one week in with… by sterime
Here's a simple explanation that will help all new users. Read the Handbook (https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4). Read it from beginning to end. Don't try to read it to memorize; just skim through it as fast as possible. This will give you the big picture and you'll remember where to find a given topic, so you can get the official instructions to perform that task. Then if you can't figure those instructions out, or if they don't work, you can post a thread here in the forums to ask something like "I found the instructions in the Handbook to do X, but I still can't figure out how to do this."