# replace esc key **URL:** \ **Category:** Dorico\ **Created:** [May 1, 2019, 12:48am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522 "2019-05-01T00:48:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![evanpremo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a183cd/32.png) [@evanpremo](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/evanpremo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 12:48am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/1 "2019-05-01T00:48:08Z")
I have a new MacBook Pro with a touch bar. The esc key is hard to find as it’s part of the touch bar now. Is there a way I can replace that shortcut with " ` " (to the left on the “1”)? I can’t figure out how to do it in the Key Command preferences. Thanks for your help! ---
**Author:** ![dspreadbury](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/dspreadbury/32/328687_2.png) [@dspreadbury](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/dspreadbury)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 8:03am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/2 "2019-05-01T08:03:48Z")
‘Esc’ is the shortcut for two commands in Dorico: UI \> Escape, and Note Input \> Stop Note Input. In theory you should be able to assign these functions to another key. ---
**Author:** ![ianpartridge](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/ianpartridge/32/51308_2.png) [@ianpartridge](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/ianpartridge)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 9:14am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/3 "2019-05-01T09:14:00Z")
Another option is a utility like Karabiner [Karabiner-Elements](https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/) I’ve remapped my § key (who even uses that anyway!?) to Escape. Quite why Apple thought § was more important than Esc boggles the mind… ---
**Author:** ![benwiggy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/benwiggy/32/1715_2.png) [@benwiggy](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/benwiggy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 10:26am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/4 "2019-05-01T10:26:43Z")
> [@evanpremo](#): > > The esc key is hard to find as it’s part of the touch bar now. Isn’t it just above the Number 1? If you’re remapping Escape to another key anyway, that’s surely the same as looking for it in a slightly different place? Can the TouchBar be programmed to give Dorico shortcuts? ---
**Author:** ![pianoleo](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/pianoleo/32/1609_2.png) [@pianoleo](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/pianoleo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 10:32am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/5 "2019-05-01T10:32:48Z")
> [@benwiggy](#): > > Isn’t it just above the Number 1? That would be F1, wouldn’t it, Ben? ---
**Author:** ![benwiggy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/benwiggy/32/1715_2.png) [@benwiggy](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/benwiggy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 10:49am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/6 "2019-05-01T10:49:01Z")
> [@pianoleo](#): > > That would be F1, wouldn’t it, Ben? From what I’ve seen, No. They don’t have F-keys at all: just the bar. I’m hoping Apple will have given up on this when I need to buy my next laptop. 😆 ![](http://cdn.osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/touch-bar-escape-key-macbook-pro-610x349.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![pianoleo](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/pianoleo/32/1609_2.png) [@pianoleo](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/pianoleo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 10:53am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/7 "2019-05-01T10:53:13Z")
D’oh. Of course. ---
**Author:** ![dspreadbury](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/dspreadbury/32/328687_2.png) [@dspreadbury](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/dspreadbury)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/8 "2019-05-01T11:25:11Z")
The Touch Bar can’t be programmed to do Dorico-specific things without us adding support for it to the application itself, which is something we’ve experimented with, but it will require a lot of careful thought and design work to produce something truly useful, and for the time being we don’t think this is sufficiently important to displace work on features that will benefit a larger number of our users. ---
**Author:** ![benwiggy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/benwiggy/32/1715_2.png) [@benwiggy](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/benwiggy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 11:48am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/9 "2019-05-01T11:48:54Z")
They can, it seems, be set to show the Function Keys on a per-app basis, and you can configure the F-keys to do stuff in Dorico. > **[How to make the function keys the default Touch Bar display](https://www.imore.com/how-make-function-keys-default-touch-bar-display)** > > If you know you'll need the function keys a lot in a specific app, you can set them as the default Touch Bar display! ---
**Author:** ![evanpremo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a183cd/32.png) [@evanpremo](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/evanpremo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/replace-esc-key/126522/10 "2019-05-02T01:48:41Z")
> [@benwiggy](#): > > > [@evanpremo](#): > > > > The esc key is hard to find as it’s part of the touch bar now. > > Isn’t it just above the Number 1? If you’re remapping Escape to another key anyway, that’s surely the same as looking for it in a slightly different place? > > Can the TouchBar be programmed to give Dorico shortcuts? By “hard to find” I just mean hard to easily hit without looking down away from the work. I use it so much in Dorico I’d like it to be an actual key. Thanks for your very helpful responses everyone.