I am a new Mac user from Windows. I know that to make the next note higher than the previous note, you need to press shift + option + [whatever note name you desire]. This works, except for the note “B”. When I try to press shift + option + B, nothing happens. Why is it like this? It’s so weird. I’ve never had this problem with Windows before. Please help me.
There are some known conflicts with system key commands.
This problem has been quite heavily reported. It creates an undotted i in some keyboard layouts that the Qt framework Dorico is built upon cannot handle…
I use Mac, not Windows.
Is there anything being done to correct this?
Since it’s a Qt framework problem and not the purview of Steinberg (i.e. Dorico) there isn’t much the Dorico development team can do outside of letting the Qt team (not Steinberg) know about the issue. Given how helpful the Steinberg team is on this forum, I have no doubt they’ve broached the issue with the Qt development (https://www.qt.io) team.
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I have a French keyboard layout and am not bitten by this problem (don’t worry, we have other problems 
) — maybe try and experiment other keyboard layouts that might work (System>Keyboard >other language?)… I don’t know if there’s a good workaround to it
For some context, this issue was first reported in November of 2016. Note that Dorico version 1.0.0 was introduced in October 2016, just one month prior.
There are several good suggestions in that thread for alternative ways to accomplish what you want. Maybe adopt one of those and retrain your muscle memory. But I wouldn’t expect this to be fixed any time soon (if ever).
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If it is never going to be fixed, it should be documented as such.
BTW, calling Shift-Option-B on Mac a “system key command” is a misnomer. Dotless-I is a letter of the Turkish alphabet, and has been standard on Macintosh keyboards since 1984. (I know I am barking up the wrong tree and that this is the fault of Qt. So where can we go to put pressure on them?)
Deferring to the tools developer (or any other third party to resolve issues) is never a good strategy. Does anyone imagine that the QT developers think this is any more problematic than Dorico developers?
Also, on Mac, the Shift-Option-B command toggles insert mode. If one doesn’t notice this happened, then it can lead to significant unintended changes in your score.
What I don’t understand is why didn’t the Dorico team just redefine the keyboard commands for this set of commands to avoid any conflict once it was discovered.
Well… Not on my Mac, at least. I suppose it’s still a problem linked to the keyboard language layout. I cannot blame the team for not testing every shortcut on every layout available, but I agree a solid workaround for this issue would be more than welcome.
Well, I figured this out long before I posted the thread, either
(1) Use a cheap midi keyboard, of about 25 or 32 keys, and play the “B” note you’d like to play (make sure the octave is set correctly.
-OR-
(2) Press “B” on your keyboard, and then use option + command + up to make the previous b higher.
I think it is very awkward if this was the only note that would require me to do this, but I guess it seems that some people have a nasty habit of overlooking things.
Well, this is interesting…
If you remove or change the key command for toggle insert (I changed it to control-i), then Shift-Option-B works as expected. And there is no side effect for toggle insert like there is if you don’t change or remove that key command.
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