Rest Input Mode
Is there a way to erase a note with one click of the mouse?
For example, by entering into a rest/erase-input mode or something similar so that one only needs to click a note-head of a chord to have that note be erased, or if there be a note without a chord, let its note-head be clicked to replace it with a rest of equivalent duration? I usually avoid the mouse when a keyboard equivalent is available, but this would be a nice speedy option under certain circumstances. Is this functionality already available and I've overlooked it? If not, is it possibly part of "the plan" in the future?
Peace.
Comments
Not with one click of the mouse (if there was then you would be forever erasing things) but if you click on a note and press [Del] it gets rid of it. If you hold down [Ctrl] whilst clicking on multiple notes and then press [Del] you will delete all the selected notes. This works for deleting selected notes from chords, too.
In reply to Not with one click of the by underquark
I do not understand how a "forever erasing" would take place if a particular mode or option was enacted for such activity? It would cease to be once no longer in that mode. This behavior of one-clicking is available in Note-Input mode for note setting once the desired parameters have been applied. I think it would be a nice optional feature.
Notes and rests are both handled by the program as durational units. There is already a specific 'note-entry mode' in MuseScore (toggle on/off by typing 'N') in which it is possible to enter rests; to add a separate 'rest-entry mode' would be superfluous, confusing, and would probably incur a need for more keystrokes to accomplish the same thing.
It is also already possible to change a note to a rest (and vice-versa) while in edit mode (i.e.: while not in note-entry mode). You do this by selecting the note (or rest), and then overwriting it with the appropriate input, either using the mouse or the computer keyboard.
The default keyboard shortcut for entering a rest is '0'. If you don't want to use the mouse, use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the note you want replaced by a rest, then simply type 0 and you're done.
In reply to Notes and rests are both by Recorder485
It seems to me you guys are saying there is no perceived benefit to a mode in which one is allowed simply to select the desired note to remove it as per an erase mode of a midi-roll editor provided by most roll-editors. I perceive a benefit, but then again it's up to whomever potentially implements functionality.
Thanks for taking the time to explain the entry of rests (sounds relaxing), maybe someone with less experience will benefit by reading this topic ;)
In reply to It seems to me you guys are by worldwideweary
I am not understanding the use case. Sure, every once in a while the need to delete something comes up, and the way this is virtually always done is by clicking it and pressing Delete. Why should there be a special case for rests? And why would you think of wnating to "enter" rests in this way -0 first create the note, then delete it? Seems way more work than just entering the rest directly.
In reply to Notes and rests are both by Recorder485
I think the request is for a way to use the mouse to delete notes. The op seems to want to click on a note and have it erased.
Perhaps hold down an "alteration" key such as ctrl?
At the moment it is a 2 stage gesture: Rt. click on the note and select delete. A rest will appear. It may not be the one that is wanted. :)
In reply to I think the request is for a by xavierjazz
Hmmm, perhaps you're right and that's what he's asking for. But 'erasing' a note with a single click would be a real problem, as it would eliminate one of the fastest ways to select a note 'way off in the middle of the score somewhere.
Making it a two-key process--or alt/ctl+mouse--doesn't shorten the workflow any either; it's already possible to replace a selected note with an equivalent rest with a single keystroke: '0'. And using right-click is even worse; you need to select the note first and then right-click on it. Otherwise you don't get the context menu which contains 'delete'. So that's three clicks plus nudging the pointer to the proper menu item. Way slower than click+0.
In reply to Hmmm, perhaps you're right by Recorder485
Again, this would be a mode to enter upon with the direct intention of being only for erasing so as to give the user a simple mouse or touch screen gesture to erase a note or replace it with the duration of the erased note's duration if it weren't part of a chord. This would only be useful if the user had in mind a bulk reason to do so, otherwise I agree that to enter into a particular mode just to do this one time wouldn't be worth it.
Yet, if I had a composition I was working on and for instance in 8 bars I had various chords constructed of four tones and changed my mind in wanting them to be triads, with knowing which notes to erase I could enter into this theoretical mode and easily do so by selecting them with the mouse without having to use two different devices or use the keyboard to navigate and use different buttons. In a sense this would lend toward an intelligent form of user laziness: my kind of front end ;)
In reply to Again, this would be a mode by worldwideweary
There is already a way to do that, almost exactly as you describe here. Simply hold down CTL while you mouse-click on each note you want to remove. When you have selected all the notes you want to remove, type DEL one time, and they will all be removed.
Notes that were part of a chord will simply vanish and the rest of the chord will remain. Any that were individual notes will be replaced by a rest of equal duration.
ETA--I realise that this appears to contradict my earlier post, but when I wrote that I was not thinking in terms of the 'bulk' situation you proposed in your subsequent one. ;o) For that situation, a solution such as this makes sense. HTH
In reply to There is already a way to do by Recorder485
What if I were to perform an error and require an undo? (N.B. also two devices used) I'd have to redo the whole selection again after deletion whereas my proposal would only undo one removal at a time and require one device: the mouse. Ah well. The question was basically whether or not if single click deletion was a planned function as with piano-roll editors, and it sounds like the answer is "no".
P.S. After reading Marc's post, I realize I shouldn't have titled the post "Rest-input" mode ;)
In reply to What if I were to perform an by worldwideweary
No, actually you wouldn't. Upon typing CTL+Z for an undo, all the notes previously selected will re-appear, and they will still be selected ('blue'). To remove any of those notes from the selection list, hold down CTL and click on it again, it will be deselected. You can then add any new note to the selection list in the same manner.
The only thing to watch out for would be typing any other command/input or clicking on anything without holding down CTL; if you do that the selection list is lost.
In reply to What if I were to perform an by Recorder485
You are correct, I forgot that the selection is maintained post undo. Like you said though, that selection can easily be lost with happy trigger fingers. Again, we're talking about using two devices to achieve the result.
(Another point about undo is that it would be nice if it could be assigned to a mouse-button. Now that I think about it, the user-shortcuts should allow mouse buttons as well as keys rather than only keyboard entry for those who have multiple-function mice. Maybe that's worth doing.)
In reply to Again, this would be a mode by worldwideweary
A number of programs have an "eraser" tool, where clicking an element deletes it, regardless of the element type. This much makes more sense to me than some special mode just for converting notes to rests. Not crazy about this for MuseScore as I'm not a fan of modes in general, and somehow your use case seems not common enough to be worth adding a special mode just to make that case ever so slightly easier (considering you can already click+delete or multi-select as mentioned). But it would be worth further discussion to see if there are other use cases that are more common or not so easily handled already.
In reply to A number of programs have an by Marc Sabatella
Note-input with only the mouse is functioning with Musescore, it just seems to me that the opposite of note-input, namely erasure, with only the mouse is a decent option. If there are multiple rests shown, I can enter into note-input mode and using only the mouse hover over any rest to display a virtual note, allowing me click on the desired staff line/space to place that note with a click. To have an erasure tool capable of doing the exact same thing for deletion would be its functional, evil twin, and I don't see why it wouldn't be provided except that it's not wanted to be provided, and I don't understand that ;)
In reply to Note-input with only the by worldwideweary
The method of clicking to enter notes is very inefficient, but it is provided mostly because it makes a nice easily discoverable method for beginners, who might not otherwise figure out they can simply type letter names or use the piano keybaord window (or MIDI). In general, people probably enter notes 100 times more often than they delete them, so making note input efficient is a higher priority. And beginners don't generally have trouble understanding the delete key is the way to delete things, and I don't recall anyone every mentioning this as an issue before.
But if there are those who have trouble using the delete key for whatever reason, a much simpler solution would be to just add copy/paste/cut icons to the toolbar. That seems like it addresses this particular issue completely.
In reply to The method of clicking to by Marc Sabatella
That actually a pretty decent idea. It would cater especially to touch screen users.
That and the ability to have mouse buttons as shortcuts would be a nice addendum to MS
(like having the usual web-browser back-button be assigned to undo or something similar).
The funny thing is that I'm one to eliminate as much as possible my mouse usage :-x
In reply to That actually a pretty decent by worldwideweary
FWIW, I have a Windows-based tablet (HP Spectre x2 - a detachable 2-in-1) on order, should be here in a few days, and I hope to be brainstorming some ideas for making the interface more touch-friendly. Which is equally ironic because I too am normally a keyboard user, and in fact have been working to make MuseScore as keyboard-friendly as possible.