Currently, if you type a new tempo text entry but don’t specify a metronome marking, Dorico defaults to q=72. I would prefer if it instead auto-fills the same tempo as whatever was previously specified, as long as there is a previously specified metronome marking.
My specific use case is that I occasionally use the Tempo popover to specify things that aren’t actually tempo markings (e.g. section markers, verse/chorus/etc), since the alignment and formatting works well for that. This is likely a non-intended use case, but still, it seems more useful to default to the current tempo rather than any arbitrary fixed tempo like q=72.
Many people adapt Rehearsal Marks to label Verse, Chorus, etc. They use the Index in Properties to set the first letter and then add the remaining letters as a suffix.
It may take slightly longer than using a Tempo function (although by the time one fixes the MM mark, it may not take longer), but it doesn’t mess with playback speed.
Yes, these are all reasonable workarounds, with various pros and cons.
My thinking here though, is that whether or not you’re using tempo markings in their intended use case or as a workaround, having any fixed default tempo seems like a placeholder at best, as it’s got almost 0% chance of being the intended value (I suppose 72bpm is not an uncommon tempo, but still just by random chance it’s quite unlikely). It seems much more likely and generally useful to have tempo markings (that don’t have an associated tempo already) default to whatever the current tempo is, and then let the user change it if they so desire. Just a better user experience, imho.
It’s a small thing, but Dorico is just so good at getting the small things right already
