The way Fretboard Diagramms is working needs a big overhaul

• Nov 15, 2024 - 21:51

This is simply not an efficient way to work. When you’re working on pieces with numerous chords, it’s a real headache to add them—especially if you’re not limited to simple three-note chords. Manually editing unknown chords is frustrating and time-consuming. Many other applications handle this much better. Guitar Pro, Dorico, and even Finale (RIP) were, as far as I remember, faster and more intuitive for placing the correct diagrams.

The separation of chord symbols and diagrams feels unnecessary and counterintuitive. I see no logical reason for this split. Why not allow users to select a chord symbol and then immediately choose the appropriate diagram from a menu? Alternatively, display relevant chord diagrams on the side of the interface, with options to customize them if needed.

I understand this would require a library or some programmatic solution, but it would be worth the effort. This workflow issue has pushed me—and likely others—away from MuseScore and toward other software. My students now receive PDFs created in alternative programs because it’s just faster and more practical. Honestly, that’s disappointing because MuseScore is fantastic overall.

However, this one issue takes so much time and creates a “Ugh, I don’t want to deal with this” feeling every time. Other programs let you type in chord symbols and—bam—fretboard diagrams appear automatically. Maybe a few quick edits are needed, but that’s it. There’s no need to scroll through 60+ diagrams (I have an extensive library) to find the right one, especially when more entries make the library increasingly cumbersome to use. Even with sections or categories, the process is clunky—you have to hover over each diagram to see if it’s the right one.

And if you’ve already entered chord symbols but now need the diagrams, you have to redo everything or hide the symbols. Either way, it’s not an efficient workflow.

Please reconsider this approach—it would make a world of difference.

Thank you

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