Keyboard Shortcuts

I love keyboard shortcuts. I love knowing that if I hold command+option+F, my copying will be filtered in Finale, and that if I add shift to that combination, I can edit the filter.

They’re tough to learn, though. Because most times, you are replacing a known pull-down menu.

But once you’ve got the shortcut, you can do your job so much more efficiently.

So I have a tough rule about keyboard shortcuts – I force myself to stop – even if I’m about to click on the function I want – backup and use the keyboard. The annoyance of stopping and correcting helps it to stick in my mind better.

For example, I’ve tried to get better about turning on italics before I type the italicized word – saves maybe 5-10 seconds per instance. So I have had to backspace and retype a lot of words to replace my habit.

All of which is to say:

When you hear a mistake at m.17, correcting it after m.80 is not sticky. Stop immediately, go back, and fix.

No. That should be accented.
No. Your cutoff wasn’t together.
No. Tenors sang an F instead of an E.

Again. Again. Again.

Force yourself to fix the mistake immediately. It’s the only way to make it sticky. And the pain will be such that you and your choir will choose to be more mindful and fix mistakes faster.

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