Sustain notes hands-free for tuning

[MarkDBlackwell]

An important use-case exists for notes to be sustained—optionally—"hands-free."

I searched the user interface and could not figure out how to keep notes playing, "hands-free." How can I do that?

I scanned all of the issues looking for that use-case. I could find only #146.

RATIONALE

Usually, people tune a physical musical instrument (other than a pipe organ) alone, without the assistance of another person.

While tuning a keyboard instrument (such as a harpsichord), both hands are occupied:

1. One is holding down a key of a physical instrument in order to produce (and continue) a note; and

2. The other is operating a tuning "hammer" to adjust its pitch.

Obviously, then, regarding our computer, we don't have a free, third hand to keep holding down a key or mouse button. That includes the space bar.

This is the important use-case for any tuning software to be capable of sustaining notes optionally in a "hands-free" mode.

SMARTPHONES

Does it work differently on smartphones?

I guessed that sustaining notes "hands-free" might already have been implemented using Android's "press and hold" or Apple's "long press." I tried it in Firefox on my Android phone using the "Virtual Kbd" feature. However, notes didn't sustain.

[frostburn]

There's an undocumented feature where you press down keys, press shift, release keys and release shift to initiate sustain. This will be made explicit and more consistent in Scale Workshop 2.