Please backport 4.3's q & w keystroke behaviors ... and also 4.3's shift q and shift w behaviors

[scorster]

At some point MuseScore 4 gained an improved Note Input workflow, where pressing q or w changes the note value in the tool bar without changing the durational value of the selected note as well. In other words, it only changes the value of the note to-be-entered-next.

Said differently (and specifically with regard to the new behavior in MuseScore Studio 4.3):

• in MS4.3's Note Input mode, q merely moves the Toolbar's note value selection leftward
• in MS4.3's Note Input mode, w merely moves the Toolbar's note value selection rightward
• and neither q nor w affect the selected note's face value.

What's so good about that? I work in an especially efficient, more focused, more input-centric manner when q nor w don't affect the selected note's face value. Using just two keystrokes for doubling or halving input duration keeps my attention on speedy input. In contrast, I'm definitely slowed when hunting the qwerty keyboard for the value-specific duration shortcuts; and I delayed more so if I set Input duration via the Toolbar menu—due to the recent shifting of visual focus.

And what if I goof an intended duration while in MuseScore 4.3's Note Input mode? Shift q and Shift w allow me to change the value of the selected note. But I rarely need the Shift q or Shift w because when working carefully in 4.3's Note Input mode (using q and w) I seldom enter notes of unintended duration.

All to say: IMHO 4.3's Note Input-centric approach is a far improved workflow for careful scorists, precisely because q and w do not change the note value of the selected note.

To reiterate the request: I'd like to this 4.x functionality and related shortcuts backported to MS 3.7.

Discussion here on .org

Also discussion and explanation here on MuseScore 4 Github

Scorster

[worldwideweary]

Observation:

MS4.4 pre-release (with a quick test at least) does not have Shift Q/W as "toggle only", but it also changes the current selection while in note-entry like in MS3, which allows it to function as a "corrective". I would advise against altering what MS3 does, especially if MS4 does the same thing for the shift-version. Should keep at least one "corrective" functionality in the mix, if you know what I'm sayin'.

[scorster]

@worldwideweary

Thanks for your input!

I made my observations in MS 4.3.

According to your observations the Note Input q & w behaviors in the MS4.4 pre-release have reverted to a behavior prior that existed prior to the 4.3 release? Or am I completely off base here??

Did you look at the GitHub discussion I linked in the original post?

musescore#14927 (comment)

[worldwideweary]

Haven't tested another version, but nightly functioned as:

Q & W acts as toggle-based with no effects upon current selection, hence no potential "correction" during note entry
Shift-Q/W acts as toggle-based, but affects the currently selected (potentially previously entered) note at the same time, hence still allows to be used as a "corrective"

You suggested to also change [Shift Q&W] behavior, but that would not be in alignment with how current 4.4 nightly (nor how 3.7 and below, since they both toggle + affect current selection afaik), so that might not be the appropriate choice.

P.S. If we're looking at old posts, for fun you can also see some responses in the past about this topic here: musescore#10680

[scorster]

Haven't tested another version here, but it functioned as:

Q & W acted as toggle-based with no "correction" in note entry
Shift-Q/W act as toggle-based and also affect the currently selected (potentially previously entered) note at the same time.

Sorry don't follow. Not sure what you mean by "acted as toggle-based." And in what release? The current nightly?

You suggested to also change [Shift Q&W] behavior, but that would not be in alignment with how 4.4 nightly (nor, of course, how 3.7 and below are)

I don't recall suggesting a change to [Shift Q&W. I only appreciated the new behaviors in 4.3 and asked if it's possible to backport those 4.3 behaviors to 3.7.

If we're looking at old posts, you can also for fun see: musescore#10680

That was fun. At a glance it looks like confusion, differing opinions, no conclusion and then closure.

Tough topic?

[worldwideweary]

Sorry don't follow. Not sure what you mean by "acted as toggle-based." And in what release? The current nightly?

1. By "Toggle-based" I mean the command changes the duration's toggle-state. Yes, the nightly.

I don't recall suggesting a change to [Shift Q&W] ... I only asked if it's possible to backport the 4.3 behaviors to 3.7.

2. To my mind, to suggest backporting a behavior of Shift Q/W ("and also 4.3's shift q and shift w behaviors") is to suggest a change of some kind into 3.7, since it contains Shift+Q/W functionality already, but it looks like there is no difference respecting the nightly. That is, 3.7's Shift+Q/W changes the toggle-state and also updates while in note entry

At any rate, main point here is that imo it'd be okay to lose the current 3.7 behavior of Q/W, which is application + toggle state change at the same time for adherence to the 4.x branch: just toggle-state only, but don't change the Shift+Q/W behavior—which is what it is in 4.4nightly as well as what it is in 3.7—toggle-state change + application.

That's just my opinion though of course :)

[scorster]

This is the behavior I see in MS4.3 and I think it's quite elegant.

MS4-3.Note.Entry.Q.W.keystrokes.mp4

[worldwideweary]

P.S. Hey @scorster, have you been able to run new builds on your Mac? Another user couldn't get it to work for some reason who recently posted on Jojo's issue tracker here

[scorster]

@worldwideweary asked:

P.S. Hey @scorster, have you been able to run new builds on your Mac? Another user couldn't get it to work for some reason who recently posted on Jojo's issue tracker here

Thanks for inquiring.

I'd love to have a more recent and fully working version of MS 3.7 for MacOS!

Currently I'm running MS 3.7.0.4524440406, without problem:

OS: macOS 10.16, Arch.: x86_64, MuseScore version (64-bit): 3.7.0.4524440406, revision: github-musescore-musescore-f3d36a3

And though I've been able to download and run newer versions of 3.7—for instance, to open MS4 files—those newer releases don't have functioning audio output! The Output menus are empty and disabled in Prefs>I/O tab and to my knowledge there's been no progress on resolving this.

I'm curious if anyone has a link to the most recent MS 3.7 build that has functioning sound playback. I'd like to update to that, especially if it reads MS4 scores.

scorster

[scorster]

Thanks to msfp I learned of two relevant 3.7 action/commands [cited here in the 3.x handbook]:(https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/note-input#enter-pitch)

• "Increase active duration": In note input mode, this shortcut changes the selected duration to the next value above the current one.

• "Decrease active duration": In note input mode, this shortcut changes the selected duration to the next value below the current one.

Clearly others beside myself have sought and fought for the approach I've requested for setting the value of the pending note in Note Input mode. Thus we have them. So now the task of choosing intelligent shortcuts for them ... or perhaps it makes sense to go with the request in my original post.

Here are 3.7's actions filtered by "active"

     

Here are 3.7's actions filtered by "duration"

     

Oddly MS4 does not have any "active" actions

     

     

[worldwideweary]

Oh nice, it looks like your request is already implemented then!

For what it's worth, these functions were implemented back in 2013, so over ten years ago, which means it's possible others requested to get the double/half functions to apply later on in time.

Author: Maurizio M. Gavioli <mmg@luthien.(none)> 2013-03-28 10:54:39
Adds more actions and shortcuts:
*) new shortcuts for increase/decrease note pad value

Clearly others beside myself have sought and fought for the approach I've requested for setting the value of the pending note in Note Input mode. Thus we have them.

His PR doesn't mention any Issue# or fulfillment of requests, so it possibly could've just been his desire to implement without much forum requests, etc. Either way, good to know it exists for you already without needing extra work

P.S. That's one of those issues of the shortcut system: some of them aren't easily findable - their wordings don't give way to a quick search. Like, toggling accidentals don't show up searching for "flat" or "accidental"... because they use some symbol representation, yet they show if you search for "note input". I wasn't aware of them the first couple years of use, har har.

[scorster]

To enable easy keystroke access to MuseScore 3.x's "Increase active duration" and "Decrease active duration" I customized their shortcuts to a and z respectively. This was a slightly complicated endeavor because:

a) I needed to pick two simple, adjacent keystrokes for my left hand, which likely meant usurping one or more shortcuts currently in use.

b) I chose to usurp the existing a and z keystrokes—indeed already in use—as they're not part of my workflow. But first I had to circle back and clear those keystrokes before I could assign the new shortcuts; and I believe that's an undocumented procedure.

Despite taking these steps I'd rather leave defaults untouched except where I see it as imperative.

===================

That said, it would be much simpler (and the desired functionality immediately available to all) if MuseScore 3.7 simply adopted/backported MuseScore Studio 4.4's Note Input q and w behaviors, where the note value of the selected note is NOT affected. I see no downside to this because, whenever needed, the user can easily change the value of the selected note with Shift q and Shift w ... right there in Note Input mode.

What say ye Jojo?

scorster

[scorster]

Any chance for this?

[Jojo-Schmitz]

There's a chance...

[scorster]

Thanks! It really seems like a step in the right direction.

The requested shortcut behaviors

    • simplify Note Input (as detailed in the original post)
    • they get 3.7 users accustomed to the Input shortcut behavior they'll find in MS4.3 and beyond.