When switching to note entry after stopping playback, start the note entry at the measure where you stopped.
I understand that *where* note input begins has been long-debated.
That said, it would be very nice to have an option that would allow me, after listening to scrolling playback of a composition and stopping it in a place where I made an error, to just jump the note entry/edit to the measure where I stopped playback (instead of its typical behavior) as an alternative to always having to make sure to click on the specific measure one wishes to start entry or editing.
It is intuitive that after I play back a section and want to start inputting or editing that I will be doing so close to where I stopped. It is counterintuitive to play the whole piece, hear a mistake, then start inputting from the beginning or the beginning of the page.
It is not a dealbreaker, but having the music jump back several pages when I want to make a quick correction is the most frustrating part of working with MuseScore. It would be nice to be able to set an option for where note input would begin.
Comments
There are two problems with this idea. First, the mistake probably just played so the edit cursor would be after the mistake, not on it. Second, if you did happen to stop the cursor on the mistake (because it's long note), which instrument (or staff) do you want to edit? Most scores have more than one staff, the solo 1 staff instrument is a little exceptional. If MuseScore guesses it will probably be wrong.
When you stop playback, the last measure played is still on the screen, so clicking the mistake and pressing N is not too difficult of a task at that point. When you start playback again it will start on the last note edited. You probably don't want that either, so you need to click the measure or note you want to start on.
In reply to There are two problems with by mike320
It would still be more intuitive to manually move back one or two beats than have MuseScore ALWAYS (and I do mean ALWAYS) move you back several pages or more so you have to search for your place again.
If I'm looking at a place on my screen, then *that's* where I want the note entry cursor to start. But even if it doesn't go to the right note, *Anywhere* on that screen is better than off screen, BECAUSE I CAN STILL SEE WHERE I WANT TO BE, and clicking Note Input before clicking the measure isn't going to punish me by severely throwing me off of where I need to be.
Yet MuseScore **ALWAYS** moves me off-screen, sometimes as many as 13-14 PAGES away from where I was, forcing me to go back and find my page and find the spot again, wasting time and ultimately productivity.
I would just like to have the option to have the input cursor move automatically to the section of the piece I'm currently looking at on the screen instead of some arbitrary other place if I don't immediately click the measure to edit. I assure you that the measure I DO want to edit will be closer to that by far than anywhere else MuseScore currently chooses to take me.
It doesn't have to take me to the exact spot. I just want the option to automatically bring me closer to the spot. Like on something I can see on the screen right then and there.
If it's an option, then it doesn't hurt anyone else who is used to the current workflow (because it will be off by default), but it WILL help many people who are not used to the workflow.
My rant is over.
In reply to It would still be more by Alijam Music
Not sure what you mean. Currently the place that starts note input is not random at all - it is whatever you yourself have selected. That is, the very last thing you clicked in the score before starting playback. So most likely it is some place where you last edited, or where you chose to start playback. But indeed, if you started there and then listened to playback for 13 pages, it will go back to that spot and maybe that's not what you want.
As mentioned though, if the music has more than one staff, how would MuseScore know which staff to go to? You'd probably waste a lot of time trying to figure out where the cursor went. Also MuseScore wouldn't know when you stopped playback to fix an error versus when you stopped it for another reason, and you wouldn't necessarily want playback jumping to the place you stopped playback in the latter cases - it would seem very random. Not sure it would really be viable. Maybe we could keep track of whether the selection *changed* after playback was stopped, and optionally use the point at which playback stopped if you didn't change the selection since the last playback. We'd still have to guess which staff though. And as mentioned, the cursor would be past the point where you want. So I'm not seeing this as very useful except in a very small minority of cases.
Best to just get in the habit of clicking where you want to start note entry, as the Handbook specifically says to. Then there is no guessing involved. Or if you can't be bothered to click, press Esc so *nothing* is selected, and then MuseScore will pick something on screen
In reply to Not sure what you mean. by Marc Sabatella
Most of my music is piano solo, so the staff isn't a large 40-instrument large orchestra staff. But even when I create for a marching band or orchestra, it's STILL easier for me if the cursor is on the screen. I'm usually very close to where I need to be, and having the music jump back so far completely disrupts my train of thought because now I'm not where I expected to be (which is close to where I need to change).
You mention that pressing ESC will force Musescore to select a measure currently on screen. Is there a way to make that a default option so that a measure currently on screen is selected after playback stops instead of having to remember to press ESC each time? I keep dealing with getting frustrated that the screen moves back many pages and I have to locate where I was studying and looking at when playback stopped and I said "right THERE is where I need to change something!"
Never mind, I give up. I just wanted to see if an option could be added. Instead I'm being told that I'm doing it wrong and I must force myself to do things "just so." It's clear that my suggestion is completely unwanted.
I'm sorry I wasted everyone's time.
In reply to Most of my music is piano by Alijam Music
No need to give up! We're just trying to help you get the most out of MuseScore. The suggestion is not a bad one and could possibly be considered some day. But meanwhile, we are trying to help you not be frustrated by showing you how to avoid the problem. The advice is free, and you are free to take or leave it.