buttons, chords, shortkeys, automatic scroll, insert bars

• Dec 7, 2008 - 19:29

MuseScore

The more I work with Musescore, the more I like it. At the beginning I was confused, I did not see clear when I was entering new notes en when I was changing notes. And I did not understand why the program did not play the music. I am happy that I did not give up. Now I understand how the program works, and I changed the shortkey's, I can now work with xUbuntu-Musescore as fast as before with Windows-PrintMusic. There are some problems in the program, but I think that in the nearby future Musescore can be one of the best MusicNotation programs. My compliments to the writer(s) of this program.

My future requests are:

1. Better Help to install a sound-font. The best is as this Help popsup with the first start of the program so that the users understand why the program can't play the music en how to change this.

2. Two big buttons, The first for adding notes, the second for changing notes. When the user clicked on button 'Adding Notes', The program acts as if the user selected te last rest in the score (the first in a new score) and pressed 'N', so that the user can begin entering notes. When the user clicked on 'Change notes' the program acts as when te user pressed 'Escape'. It makes it more clear for a new user how to begin with te program.

3. As default shortkey's changing notelength with numbers, not using Alt (on my keyboard Alt is far away from the numberboard, entering Alt-1 is difficult. It works this way in PrintMusic and I changed de shortkeys in Musescore to get te same. Now I can fast entering the notes.

3. Adding notes in a chord with Shift-A(B,C,...) works fine. It looks logic to me as adding notes with numbers also use shift. So, default shortkey's for adding notes in a chord with Shift-1(2,3,...).

4. Adding notes in a chord with numberkeys not relative to the last entered note but relative to te lowest note. So, C + Shift-3 + Shift-5 = C-E-G.

5. Adding notes in a chord (with Shift-number) follow the Key of the score: in C-maj C + Shift-3 + Shift-5 = C-E-G and in Bes-maj C-Es-G.

6. If i do ctrl+3 for a triple and then press the next note, the new note is placed after the triple (one note en two rests). Its more logic if the program automatic selects the first rest after te first note of the triple.

7. Automatic movement of the score in 'entering notes'-mode. If I enter notes, I have to stop after a few lines to move the score because I can't see the bar I enter notes. In PrintMusic the score automatic moves to hold the active bar in the screen.

8. Automatic movement of the score in 'playback'-mode. I like to play the violin with the music I entered in Musescore. But after a few lines I can't see the notes I hear. I did like the horizontal mode of PrintMusic where the music is not placed on pages but horizontal from first to last bar and moves automatic from right to left when playing or inserting notes.

9. A button for a tie. The shortkey works fine, I use that now, but at first it was not clear for me that the program can make a tie to let two notes sound as one. When entering notes it can be more handy if after entering te second note the shortkey or a click on the button makes te tie between te two notes.

10. A buttun between the buttons for notes for a tripple. Ctrl+3 works, but at first it looks as the programm was not able to insert a triple.

11. If I enter notes, I sometimes forgot a bar. If I insert a bar, then the program also inserts a bar in other parts of the score (other instruments or the other hand of the piano) where I did not forgot the bar. It can be handy if it is possible to move all folowing notes or selected bars (from one instrument of the score) a bar forward or backwards (not changing the length of the score).


Comments

Just to let you know that several improvements in the upcoming 0.9.4 version specifically address a few of your comments:

3. The keyboard shortcuts for note durations have already been addressed in the 0.9.4 prereleases. See note entry for details.

8. Automatic scrolling is available in the 0.9.4 prereleases.

9. It may not be immediately obvious but the button with plus sign on the note entry toolbar adds a tie.

11. Copy-paste is much improved in the 0.9.4 prerelease. This should make it easier to move notes backwards or forwards by a bar.

0.9.4 version is still in the prerelease stage and not yet ready for official release.

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