Transposition Shortcut

[Fourniture]

Your idea

A right-click-menu option that allows for easy transposing. Visualization:

Problem to be solved

It is cumbersome to go to "Tools" to transpose a passage, if you transpose frequently. When arrangers and orchestrators want one instrument double another an octave above or below, this would be a helpful option. Just select the passage, copy, paste, and then right click to transpose.

Prior art

No response

Additional context

I am sure that a shortcut could be created by the user for this feature, but I expect a program to have what I need. This is a common operation which Musescore should have readily available.

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

[SteveBlower]

Are you aware of the existing shortcuts CTRL+Up Arrow to transpose up an octave and CTRL+Down arrow to transpose down an octave?

[Fourniture]

No, I was not. Thank you for mentioning them. However, I would still suggest that this appear as a feature, as the right-click menu seems to be the first place to look if one wanted something transposed.

[SteveBlower]

Are you also aware of the other keyboard shortcuts for transposition:

Arrow up/down - transpose by a semitone

ALT+SHIFT+ up/down - move notes diatonically.

See https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4/transposition#Transposing_with_keyboard_shortcuts

[FrancRos31]

Maybe is it better to move the "Transpose..." dialog from "Tools" to the right-click menu? The "Transpose" menu works by selecting measures; by moving it in the right-click menu you can save time and improve the workflow, and if you want to transpose the whole score simply use Ctrl + A and right click for transposition.

[Fourniture]

I personally expect to find "Transpose" in "Tools"; it's just that it's the second place I would look. There's nothing wrong with having two access paths; "Staff/Part Properties" is found both in the right-click menu and the properties sidebar. Notice, however, that I recommended that only octave transposition is found in the right-click menu (and a "more..."). The whole purpose of the right-click shortcut is to avoid having to deal with the large transposing menu every time you need to transpose. It would reduce the process from 6 clicks (Tools -> Transpose -> By Interval -> Up/Down -> Perfect Octave -> OK) to only two.

[SteveBlower]

But as per my previous comment, octave transpositions already have default keyboard shortcuts. Do we really need three ways to do the same thing?

[Fourniture]

Consider a text writing program. You can get "Properties" by clicking a button, or in the right-click menu, or in the top toolbar. You can also get subscript or superscript in any of those three options. Those three options also exist for changing the font! So clearly there is precedent for three options. In this case, is it unnecessary duplication? I think not, because the two current ways to transpose something are not immediately evident. I repeat; I expect to find features that transform notes, text, images, etc. in the right-click menu. It's a standard workflow.

[FrancRos31]

I personally expect to find "Transpose" in "Tools"; it's just that it's the second place I would look. There's nothing wrong with having two access paths; "Staff/Part Properties" is found both in the right-click menu and the properties sidebar. Notice, however, that I recommended that only octave transposition is found in the right-click menu (and a "more..."). The whole purpose of the right-click shortcut is to avoid having to deal with the large transposing menu every time you need to transpose. It would reduce the process from 6 clicks (Tools -> Transpose -> By Interval -> Up/Down -> Perfect Octave -> OK) to only two.

Having the menu in two places seems a good idea, let's see what the devs think about it.