Getting started with entering notes
I have just started with MuseScore and am trying to enter simple tunes to get the hang of it. What I am finding frustrating is the inability to easily edit a bar. If a rest is in the wrong place, then MuseScore won't let me drag the rest to its correct position, nor can I drag a note to the other side of the rest. Surely it's got to be easier than this?
Also, MuseScore continually checks that the time values of the notes and rests add up to the correct value for the bar. This makes editing really difficult because it won't allow me to add an additional note before removing the wrong one. Why can't MuseScore simply flag that the bar doesn't add up to the correct time value, in recognition of the fact that I am working on it and haven't finished my edit, then do it's check once I have finished adding/removing notes and rests?
Comments
You want "insert mode" when entering notes. Here is the link to the handbook:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/alternative-note-input-methods#inse…
I does not allow you to drag notes and rests, but it makes it possible to add and remove notes in any order, making the measure grow and shrink as you go along.
In reply to You want "insert mode" when… by AndreasKågedal
Thank you, Andreas. I went to the handbook as advised and realised that the schema I had in mind for the way MuseScore 'should' work doesn't match the way it actually works. Now that my understanding has been straightened, I am finding it much easier to work with.
Thanks again for your very prompt reply.
In reply to Thank you, Andreas. I went… by E-string
Try not to think of entering notes as working in a word type doc. Some things are similar, but not all. Perhaps think of it as working in sentences that are (for example) four words long. And it's best to work left to right. If you work on paper, you can't just drag stuff around. You have to correct them. In notation software, you can correct notes by entering new notes over old ones. Or you can get it right the first time. Yeah, good luck with that one. I've been using notation software for over 15 years and it still seems like a miracle to me.
In reply to Try not to think of entering… by bobjp
Thank you, bobjp - yes, I went straight into MuseScore assuming it was like a word or image processing software. Now that I have read the instructions (!) and understood the modus operandi, it all makes sense. Last night I entered a 140-plus bar music score without any problems, and really began to appreciate all that MuseScore offers. Congratulations to the developers : )
In reply to Thank you, bobjp - yes, I… by E-string
Have Fun!