Drum Kit cursor/mouse/click note input

[chriswastyping]

Your idea

As a drummer, I always find that writting drum parts is always a pain. My standard first step in musescore is usually adding a large drum kit from unpitched percussion. Then trying to understand how to input notes, it never feels intuitive.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e8e4fcf8-fb2c-424f-a361-2be50b5d6c42

For some reason in musescore you can't click to input a note, but you can if you press a key i.e B to input a bass drum. It would be better to just be able to click the note into the bar like other instruments in the app. As I understand this is to choose drum sounds? But then the snare drum only offers one note for 3 different types of notation. There's also a default to make sure that the bass drum is seprate from snare and hi-hat - I get the separation but generally everything on voice 1 should work ok.

Here's a pretty standard drum kit notation guide:

https://drummagazine.com/drum-notation-guide/ https://www.drumeo.com/beat/how-to-read-drum-music/

Problem to be solved

• Overhaul of drum kit input notation
• Condense 4-piec kit, 5-piece kit, large kit to one drum kit
• Use modern standardised drum kit notation

Prior art

No response

Additional context

No response

Checklist

• [X] This request follows the guidelines for reporting issues
• [X] I have verified that this feature request has not been logged before, by searching the issue tracker for similar requests

[zacjansheski]

There is no true standard for drum kit notation. Evidenced by how the notations on the provided links don't match eachother.

A better cursor/mouse/click note input system for percussion is a feature we have planned for 4.5

[MarcSabatella]

To be clear, though: you can click to enter notes onto percussion staves, with no keyboard required. You just have to use the drum input panel select which note you want to enter first, since often there are multiple notes that can entered onto the same line. Or you can simply double-click the note in the panel to save the back and forth motion between score and panel.

Room for improvement for sure, so I'm excited to see what they come up with, but it is not the case that you can't enter by mouse alone. Of course,e entering by keyboard is far more efficient, so hopefully the limitation to only 7 note input shortcuts is also lifted as part of the redesign.

Anyhow, if you need further help entering percussion more efficiently while waiting for the improvements yet to come, be sure to ask on the forums at musescore.org

[bobjp]

True, there is no set standard for drum set notation. For example Sibelius doesn't use the hands and feet style. All drums are in voice one. Cymbals are different voices and noteheads. Notes are intered much like any other instrument. Drum note can be entered quickly and easily with the mouse. As well as shortcuts.

Sure, in MuseScore drum set notes can be entered by double clicking in the panel. But it is awkward, imprecise, and slow. Un natural as opposed to working in the staff. Which is a large part of the problem with the drum palette.

[chriswastyping]

Thanks for getting back folks, just on the notation, I mean more as drummer reading the music, it feels like the palette provided is limited and it just doesn't feel as intuitive compared to sibelius maybe? That being said, I am looking forward to seeing the new input system!