Inconsistent "default" note duration

Dorico
#1

Scenario:

  • I have a whole note selected
  • I click on the whole rest in the next bar
  • note highlighted in the toolbox is still whole note
  • I click enter
  • note duration changes to a quarter note

If however:

  • I have a whole note selected
  • I click on a quaver rest
  • note highlighted in the toolbox is quaver (makes sense, that is my selection)
  • I click enter
  • note duration stays on quaver

Why two different behaviours? Personally, I find uncommanded change of duration confusing and even annoying at times. Apologies if it’s a setting somewhere and I don’t know about it.

#2

When you double-click to bring up the caret in a new location, it always (AFAIK) defaults to a quarter note.

#3

Maybe the difference is in implicit vs explicit rests. So in case of implicit whole rest, it defaults to a quarter note. Still, it creates inconsistency and changing of the currently selected duration between pointing to musical grid and entering edit mode without any real benefit to it.

#4

Dear theoretical,
IIRC, this has already been pointed out a while ago, and, although you don’t like it, and as Derrek rightfully writes, it’s the expected behavior that Dorico picks quarter note rhythmic value when note entry mode is invoked, no matter what selection was made before.

#5

Sometimes, small inconsistencies in less-common use cases is the price for a better way of doing things overall. If they changed it, no doubt someone else would complain that something else was needlessly complex, as a consequence.

#6

Check the video. Two whole rests, two different results :wink:

The real reason this happens is that one must select either a note or a rest (or a bar) to enter the note input mode. The side effect is that user’s previously selected duration is now overwritten by the duration of selected note, even if the user wanted to continue with previously selected duration. And the fact that Dorico treats implied rests special, but still highlights their duration.

Would be nice to make it possible to leave the highlighted duration active,

  • do not turn off duration selection when a bar is clicked
  • do not switch selected duration when an implied rest is clicked

Alternatively, always display rhythmic grid so user could point to the location on the grid and enter input mode without losing current selection.
unexpected.mov.zip (264 KB)

#7

No, as far as I know that is incorrect. It has nothing to do whether a rest is implicit or explicit. Try it out. If you had selected, say a half rest for your experiment it would still default to a quarter note. Or if you input an explicit rest, still the same result. This begs the statement that as for inconsistency, some would say that always defaulting to quarter note when entering Note Entry Mode is consistent. :wink:

But I understand your desire to perhaps have an option to retain a previously selected note or rest. I have just always gotten into the habit of telling Dorico what duration I want when going into note entry. (Unless I want a quarter note/rest!)

#8

Dear theoretical,

Could you upload another video showing how you inputted the rest(s), that also shows the note palette. I am not able to duplicate your results. I always get a quarter note when going into note entry mode.

[EDIT] Just for clarification, are you aware that the “quarter note” icon in the grid is only showing the voice you are in and not the duration?