UI: Move tied-notes button above # on note-length toolbar
This suggestion is part of a series of related suggestions for improving the Ipad user experience when entering notes manually into the SP score. Improvements generally mean fewer menu levels to navigate, a user context that stays more spatially focused on the score on the screen, and fewer keystrokes to get entry jobs done.
Currently SP displays a variety of buttons on the Note Entry toolbar. A set of note-length selection buttons at the top, followed by buttons for dotted notes, sharps, ties, triplets, grace notes, and keyboard type. The current ordering of the lower buttons (dotted notes -> keyboard type) seem to be ranked in order from most frequently used (dotted notes on top) to least frequently used (keyboard type) at the bottom.
The current ranking does not seem optimal because the tied notes button is below the sharps/flat button.
First, I have no generally accepted statistical evidence to support this next claim, but it seems to me that I have seen many more tied note sets in scores than I have seen sharps and flats. Second (personal experience), I find that I’m frequently skipping over the sharp button to stretch and reach (with my left thumb, remember) for the tied notes button.
A better approach would be to reorder the tied-notes button above the sharp/flat button, to reflect the more frequent use of ties in music than sharps and flats on individual notes. Or even better (but lots more dev work), allow users to specify their favorite order in setup options.
If this change was implemented, the actual button order would be more consistent with the “rank by frequency of use” principle, and would create a better user experience (less awkward stretching) for users who tap left-side toolbar buttons with their left thumbs.
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