Note Value Longer / shorter key command

I’m sure this has been answered, and I sincerely apologise if it has. I just haven’t found the correct wording for this to appear in my searchings.

Am I correct in assuming “Note Value Longer / Shorter” under the key commands allows you to go from say quarter to eighth to sixteenth by hitting only the “Note Value Shorter” key command and vice versa for Note Value Longer? My bindings are set as = and - by default (I’ve not touched anything) and they do not work (they toggle the accidentals). I remap mine to an unused key and they still do not work. Am I misinterpreting what this key command means? It is under the “note Input” section of the key commands. Instead of pressing 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 etc, I’d like a key command to step up or down these rhythmic lengths. I’ve searched the help and was unsuccessful.

You’re referring to “Lengthen/Shorten Duration by Grid Value.” By default, it’s Alt-Shift-L/R arrow.

Sorry Dan, I wasn’t clear enough. I mean in note entry, before you enter a note. Like instead of pressing 3 or 4 or 5 to select the rhythmic value. Or is that what you mean? I thought alt shift left/right lengthened/shortened after the note had been entered…?

There are also double/halve note value commands, which may actually be what you want. These (like the ones Dan mentioned) function only after you’ve entered a note, not before.

Thanks Leo, but what I’m really after is three keys. Let’s say number keys 1,2 and 3. Number 2 selects quarter note. Number 1 will change the quarter note to an eighth. Pressing number 1 again changes it to a sixteenth. Pressing 3 climbs back up through progressively longer durations. In this way I can press 2 any time to get to quarter and go from there one step up/down…another step up /down etc. This is all before a note is entered. This is just selecting the duration in note entry mode. This should allow fewer buttons on a controller keypad, plus alleviate needing to remember multiple keys for rhythms. Just an idea.

What you’re asking for certainly doesn’t (yet?) exist.
edit for anyone else reading this: it IS possible with a little JSON hackery. Read down for the solution.

Aah ok. Cool, thought I’d missed something. I think this idea could be useful, I hope it will be considered. Cheers guys.

Yup, it would be analog to the decrease/increase dynamics…

There are existing ‘Note Value Longer’ and ‘Note Value Shorter’ key commands that are active during input on tablature that already do this, with the default shortcuts of = (longer) and - (shorter), but they only work in tablature input. You’d need to manually graft these lines into the kStepTimeInput context in your keycommands_en.json file to make them operate outside of tablature input.

					{
						"NoteInput.NoteValueLonger": [ "=" ]
					},
					{
						"NoteInput.NoteValueShorter": [ "-" ]
					}

As always, be sure to check your JSON file using a JSON linter before you try running Dorico again.

Aah, fantastic. Thank you wizard Daniel.