A question and suggestion regarding chord symbols
First, congratulations on a fantastic program. Both the feature set and user interface are brilliant, and the coding (a separate skill set) is first rate.
I notice that when I enter chord symbols for the first instrument in a score, so that I'm reminded of the chords at each point to help me figure out which notes will fit for each instrument (rather than telling a guitar or piano the chords to play), I have to select a note or rest in that instrument's score at each point I want to enter Ctrl-K to type the Bbdim or whatever. Slightly awkward, but doable. But if I later delete the note that I used to anchor the chord, the chord symbol disappears. And if I make a lot of changes, the whole row of chords vanishes. Seems to me that the chord should remain once it's entered, no matter what I do to the score. Maybe there's a better way to enter chords, or maybe I should use some other form of text entry. But having the chords available at each point is important to me. It would also be helpful to be able to select a whole set of chords and copy them to the next time through the song, measure by measure. Thanks.
Comments
"But if I later delete the note that I used to anchor the chord, the chord symbol disappears."
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How you do that? Maybe you have select the entire measure, so with the chord symbol selected too (hightlighted)?
In any case, works as expected here.
I delete a note:
Result, the chord symbol remains.
"And if I make a lot of changes, the whole row of chords vanishes"
For this, use Selection Filter (F6) -> Untick "Chords Symbols" button, and so, the chords symbols will be excluded of the removal of the measures content.
"It would also be helpful to be able to select a whole set of chords and copy them to the next time through the song, measure by measure."
You can do that:
Eg as method: select two measures (or four, not matter) -> Right-click on a chord symbol -> Select -> All similar similar elements in range selection
Then Right-click on a chord symbol (so, already all hightlighted) -> Cut / or Copy, according to your wish -> Past on the destinate note. Result (after Cut)
In reply to "But if I later delete the by cadiz1
The unclicking of Chord Symbols in Selection Filter works as you said to preserve those symbols. But it appears to be necessary to hit F6 and deselect every time I start up the program. Easy to forget. It would be nice to make that a permanent option, either globally or for a particular score. Is that already possible? If not, should it be an option?
And you're right, it isn't deleting the single note to which the chord is attached that causes the symbols to disappear, but if I select a group including that note, and hit delete, bye bye. Doesn't have to include more than one measure.
The copying of chord symbols is a little tricky but seems to work well. Thanks. What was confusing at first was that when you Select All similar items in Range after selecting several measures, the chord symbols turn blue and the box disappears - and you still have to hit Ctrl-C to copy those blued symbols, after which Paste works just fine.
In reply to The unclicking of Chord by Craig Wilson
"But it appears to be necessary to hit F6 and deselect every time I start up the program. Easy to forget. It would be nice to make that a permanent option, either globally or for a particular score. Is that already possible? "
Already possible, indeed.
- Go to: View -> Tick "Selection Filter"
- Other way (non permanent, but easier - for me - that hit F6) : tick/ untick "Selection" in a context windows after right-click on an empty space in the toolbar.
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- Another way (the better - for me, always, "semi-permanent"). Ie, I deplace the Selection Filter panel into the bottom left ot the page, and so, I have just to click onto the tab for opening either Selection filter, either Inspector, or Palettes.
With the next version of MuseScore, the order may be changed as you want only by drag left/right the tabs. Great! (I discovered this recently) :)
It's not clear if you are aware you don't have to enter chords one at a time by selecting individual notes for each chord - once you are in chord symbol entery mode, simply hit the Space bar t move to the next beat or note (or semicolon to must *just* by beat, or Tab to move by measure, or other shortcuts as dcoumented in the Handbook). So you shouldn't generally ever need to enter dummy notes then delete them. But in the rarte cases where this is for whatever reason necessary, indeed, the Selection Filter makes it possible. it's not the default because in *msot* cases where notes are deleted for a passage, it *does* make sense to delete the chords as well.
If you are still having trouble, attaching thre actual score would help us understand better what you mean.
In reply to It's not clear if you are by Marc Sabatella
Hi, Mark. I did learn about the spacebar and tab from your book (great job there, by the way). Is that information also in the online handbook?
I think that regardless of how the chord symbols are entered, if you then select multiple notes and delete them, even within a measure, the chord symbols also disappear. Once again, the chords are there to remind me of the chord progression, not to instruct a player. For a jazz tune the underlying chords will remain the same, but I want to be able to try out variations without erasing the chords every time I start over. In other words, I have the chords attached to and above the top instrument for my own use, but the chords aren't really specific for that instrument, it's just more convenient there. I don't know if anybody else does it that way. (I do have it that the Selection window comes up automatically, which helps, but the deselection of Chord symbols isn't saved from one session to the next.)
I guess an ideal solution would be to allow the user to - once the score is far enough along to have stable chord structure - to specifically deselect chord symbols from the selection window - for that score permanently, rather than requiring me to remember to do so each time I bring it back up. OR to allow chord symbol entry at the top of a score without tying it to a specific instrument.
Not a big deal, just something to consider for the future. I'm blown away by the quality of this thing. The frustrations are remarkably few for such a complex program.
In reply to Hi, Mark. I did learn about by Craig Wilson
Yes, information on how to enter chord symbols is in the online Handbook.
And yes, if you for some reason delete notes after already entering chord symbols, the chords are deleted too. As I said, in normal use you would never do that, so it wouldn't come up. If you simply want to try out a different melody, just enter that melody - don't delete the original. The new one will replace the old and the chords remain in place. There would normally be no reaosn to delete the notes *except* the cases where you also want to delete the chords, that's why they are deleted by default.
If that doesn't help make it clear, please attach the score you are having trouble with and explain why you are wanting to delete notes but leave the chords. Chances are excellent there is an easier way to do it - like, as I said before, simply entering a new melody *without* deleting the old first. Or, simply copy and paste the chords from another staff after entering the melody (or before). Not sure what you mean about not tying the chords to a specific instrument, but you can certainly add a scratch staff for the chord symbols while eiditng if you find it helpful. Copying and pasting chord symbols from staff to staff is simple enough, though, that it should rarely be necessary to need the scratch staff (eg, select the range, right cliuck a chord symbol, Select / All Similar Elements in Range Selection, Ctrl+C, click destination, Ctrl+V).
If you want chord symbols to not be selected for a period of time, just deselect them in the filter and leave them deselected until you are ready to resume normal use of the program. Eg, chord symbols won't copy and paste either with ranges with these deselected in the filter, so you really *don't* want to accidental forget to select them again when you are done.