# Duplicate (copy/paste) tab notation

**URL:** <https://community.capoapp.com/t/duplicate-copy-paste-tab-notation/63>\
**Category:** Feedback\
**Created:** [June 18, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://community.capoapp.com/t/duplicate-copy-paste-tab-notation/63 "2022-06-18T22:30:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mark\_Bailey](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/community.capoapp.com/mark_bailey/32/52_2.png) [@Mark\_Bailey](https://community.capoapp.com/u/Mark_Bailey)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://community.capoapp.com/t/duplicate-copy-paste-tab-notation/63/1 "2022-06-18T22:30:29Z")

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One thing I find tedious when tabbing out a song is creating the notation for repeating notes/structure. I would like to be able to select multiple notes and group them and then duplicate them (or copy/paste) them so I can place them where ever they are repeated.

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**Author:** ![liscio](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/community.capoapp.com/liscio/32/3_2.png) [@liscio](https://community.capoapp.com/u/liscio)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://community.capoapp.com/t/duplicate-copy-paste-tab-notation/63/2 "2022-06-22T14:52:17Z")

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Yeah, this is one of many long-overdue features. 😄

When I first toyed with building this feature, I encountered a few usability issues that I was unsure how to resolve. (And a few technical ones that _should_ now be resolved.)

### Location

When you ask to _Duplicate_ or _Paste_ something like a note or chord, where should it go?

**Duplicate:** In a graphics or drawing application, sometimes the _Duplicate_ operation will place an object “nearby” so that you can grab it to move it around, but sometimes the object will be placed exactly on top of what was already there. In Capo, what’s the definition of “nearby”?

**Paste:** The (possibly?) obvious answer would be to paste the items at the current playhead location. But the bigger issue is listed below.

### Existing Entries

Once you answer the above question, the next one is: What happens to the notes and chords that are already there?

For example, if you paste notes at a spot where there are already entries, should the pasted ones be allowed to overlap, or should everything that occupies the range of notes be erased to make room for what was pasted?

* * *

To be completely honest, I _think_ that most of the technical limitations that prevented me from building this feature are probably gone now after _many years_ of small, incremental improvements and cleanup in the code. I’ll have to revisit this during my next big hunk of work on the product.

Thanks for the feedback!