[bazza]

There are various ways of sorting files in a library for display (A-Z, by Date created, etc.). For files listed as a 'Collection', one option is 'Shuffle' - bringing titles up in a random order - but this is not available for viewing items under the the 'Songs' or 'Setlists' heading.  Is there a reason for this absence? For the way I use these categories, a Shuffle option would be a welcome facility.

[Zubersoft]

You can always tap the ? icon on any tab to randomly select an entry from that list. Having said that, there is nothing preventing me from supporting a "shuffle" option with any of the lists. I would just need to update the code to handle that new type of sorting for those tabs as well as the UI to show it as a sorting option. I can add this to the list of feature requests. Unless more users request it, it will be a little lower on the priority list.

Mike

[Jonk]

I really wish the Sort/Shuffle option in setlist would randomize the order differently each time. I see little use for it as it is.

[bazza]

Thanks for the reply, Mike, and for the advice about using '?' in the alphabet list, which I didn't previously know.  I understand it's not a high priority, but I shall look forward to the additional 'Shuffle' option for 'Songs' and 'Setlists'.

If it's not too troublesome to set up, I would endorse Jonk's suggestion (above) about varying the randomised order each time 'Shuffle' is selected.

[BRX]

I think I requested it already in another thread, but I'd like the "?" for random song selection at the top of the alphabetical list.

I use it more often than selecting a song with x/y/z and it's always an additional action to "page up" the alphabetical list (which I would have to do for x/y/z anyway). 

(Maybe bazza and other users would have noticed/known about the "?" if it is in view, too).

[GraemeJ]

Maybe it's just me, but I fail to see why shuffling a setlist is a good idea?  Surely, the whole point of a setlist is to display the pieces in a pre-determined order.

[BRX]

It's not only you. I might see why one could want to shuffle a collection, for instance for creating a randomized setlist from a shuffled collection, but not for a setlist in itself.

[bazza]

Graeme, it depends on what constitutes a 'setlist'.  I know a set usually means a number of pieces to be played in order at a performance - maybe  lasting an hour or so.  In the folk world it means a short sequence of tunes (say, just two or three) used for a single dance at a ceili, or for a player's contribution as part of an informal music session.  Folk players are likely to have many such short sets at their disposal - usually pairs of tunes that compliment each other stylistically. My own collection of material, for example, includes over 700 such sets - more than are memorable. To be able to refer to them in random order would be useful when practising, helpful in sparking ideas as to what to play next in a session, and as an 'aide-memoire' to remind me of sets that I'd not played for a long time.

[bazza]

I should add, of course, that shuffling a number of setlists as described wouldn't change the order of pieces in each mini-set. It would shuffle them by title of set - i.e. where that title is actually made up of two or more tune names, as in 'Mason's Apron/Collier's reel'.  The shuffling would not affect the content of each set.

Presumably a band might also have several sets stored for different purposes, e.g. a wedding set, a Christmas party set, a concert set . . . .   But, as you imply, that sort of shuffling would probably not be as much use to them as it would be to us folkies.

[Zubersoft]

The reason the setlist is not reshuffled every time is so that you can switch sort orders without losing the shuffled order that was generated (in case you weren't finished or wanted to continue it later). If you want to reshuffle the list, just tap the three dots at the top right corner (the overflow menu) and tap "Reshuffle".

As far as putting the ? at the top, I know a few users have asked for that. I've always been torn on this one, but if most people seem to want it at the top, I can put it at the top.

Mike

[BRX]

I see. So you're essentially using the setlist tab of MS as a collection for your "setlists" which are more or less static medleys.

That's an unusual and surely not really intended use of the setlist feature and I'm not sure I like to have a feature to shuffle the setlists for this purpose.

IMHO it would be better to use a collection for these medleys as individual songs containing the "setlist songs" which can be shuffled (makes sense there) and applied to a regular setlist.

But a good feature for that would be "create medley from setlist" (or collection) to quickly create those folkie setlist/medleys which can then be used in a "normal" setlist.

(Just thinkin' loudly).

[Jonk]

Maybe it's just me, but I fail to see why shuffling a setlist is a good idea?  Surely, the whole point of a setlist is to display the pieces in a pre-determined order.

My setlists tend to be mostly in alphabetical order by how they are created. The shuffle function needs a bit of work to make it useful. Perhaps the "Collection/Diff/Genre/Rating" bar needs a "Sort by" option (Name/Artist/Rating/Tempo/Random). This would improve many other areas too.

[bazza]

Jonk, I'm not sure I understand what you're proposing about the use of a shuffle function under the 'Setlist' tab, but it does seem to hint at the risk that individual requests for specific amendments could set Mike an impossible task - of generating a proliferation of niche features that require an impenetrable user manual to navigate.  (Ever used MuseScore . . .?).  I'm wondering if I should withdraw my request (above) on these very grounds: I thought it would be a fairly straightforward ask, but it seems it could lead down a rabbit hole.

BRX - you're right about how I use the 'Setlist'  tab, and I agree it would work to use the 'Collection' tab for an assemblage of folkie mini-sets.  Trouble is, you can only include single items ('Songs') in a collection, so I'd have to re-notate each of my 700+ mini-sets into combined single files in order to add them.  Life's too short.  

But, notwithstanding any reservations about shuffling material in the 'Setlist' column, I still think an ability to shuffle/randomise the 'Songs' list would be useful.

[BRX]

Trouble is, you can only include single items ('Songs') in a collection, so I'd have to re-notate each of my 700+ mini-sets into combined single files in order to add them.  Life's too short.  

Thus my suggestion for  "create medley from setlist" (or simply from selected songs). 

[BRX]

I think I requested it already in another thread, but I'd like the "?" for random song selection at the top of the alphabetical list.

Thanks, Mike, for including it in  3.8.25/26.

It's a small thing but really adds conveniance and visibility to the random song selection which I already benefited from.