Simple Entry tool

When you click this tool, PrintMusic displays the Simple Entry palette, containing an individual icon for each rhythmic value (quarter note, eighth note, and so on) and other tools for adding grace notes, sharps, tuplets and so on. (If the Simple Entry palette doesn’t appear, choose its name from the Window menu.) Using the tools on this palette, you can enter music into your score by clicking one note at a time, typing in notes with your computer keyboard, or with aid from a MIDI keyboard. Each tool in the Simple Entry palette corresponds to a keyboard shortcut, which allows you to easily change tools in preparation for entering, and then additional keyboard shortcuts can be used to edit the note you just entered. You can use these keystrokes in tandem with the Simple Entry caret, which works much like the cursor in a word processing program, to enter all of your music with your computer keyboard. In addition, you can use special keyboard shortcuts to add articulations and expressions, as well as clef, key, and time signature changes on the fly.

For hands-on Simple Entry training, open EntryExercise.MUSX located in the PrintMusic 2014/Music Files/Tutorials folder.

ClosedSpecial mouse clicks and keystrokes

The numeric keypad located on the right side of most desktop computer keyboards is used for many Simple Entry keyboard commands. To specify a keystroke is to be pressed on the numeric keypad, we’ll use the terminology “numpad-keystroke” (e.g. press numpad-5 to choose the Quarter Note tool). Keystrokes that are not preceded by “numpad’ are to be struck on the letter and number keys on the left side of a standard desktop keyboard (also known as the QWERTY keyboard).

ClosedAlternative Simple Entry key commands for laptop users

If you are using a laptop computer, there may not be a numeric keypad available on your keyboard. If this is the case, you may find the default keyboard commands difficult to use. In response to this, we have provided an alternative set of Simple Entry keystrokes optimized for laptop computers, do the following. To use the key commands optimized for a laptop computer:

  1. Choose the Simple Entry tool .
  2. Choose Simple > Keyboard Shortcut Set > Laptop Shortcut Set.
ClosedEntering Notes or Rests
  • Press numpad 1-8 (or COMMAND+OPTION+SHIFT+1-8), then click on the staff to enter a 64th note through double whole note. Select the duration and then press . (period) to specify a dotted note.
  • Press 9 and then numpad 1-8 (or COMMAND+OPTION+SHIFT+1-8), then click on the staff to enter a tuplet based on the duration.
  • Press T and then numpad 1-8 (or COMMAND+OPTION+SHIFT+1-8), then click on the staff to enter a tied note.
  • Choose the Eraser tool then click a note, rest, accidental, tuplet, tie or dot to erase it.
  • With a note selected, press RETURN to activate the Simple Entry caret.
  • Press UP ARROW to move the caret up diatonically, or DOWN ARROW to move the caret down diatonically.
  • Press SHIFT+UP ARROW to move the caret up an octave, or SHIFT+DOWN ARROW to move the caret down an octave.
  • With the caret active, press numpad 1-8 (or COMMAND+OPTION+SHIFT+1-8) to select a duration, 64th note through double-whole note, for the next note entered. Select the duration and then press . (period) to specify a dotted note.
  • With the caret active, press RETURN to enter a note at the pitch specified on the staff of the rhythmic duration chosen in the Simple Entry palette. (Notes entered with the caret are selected automatically.)
  • With the caret active, press a letter key A-G to enter a note of that pitch. PrintMusic enters the note within the range of a fourth higher or lower than the pitch specified on the caret.
  • With the caret active, press 0 to enter a rest on the staff of the rhythmic duration chosen in the Simple Entry palette.
  • With a note selected, press SHIFT+a letter key A-G to add a note of that pitch to the selected note. PrintMusic adds the note within the range of a fourth higher or lower than the pitch specified on the caret. The added note is selected.
  • After entering a note with the caret, press COMMAND+RETURN to add a note to the previous entry at the pitch specified by the caret.
  • Press a number key 1-8 (on the QWERTY keyboard) to add a note of that interval (unison through octave) above the selected note. The added note is selected.
  • Press COMMAND+SHIFT+9 on the QWERTY keyboard to add a ninth above the selected note. The added note is selected.
  • Press SHIFT+1-9 on the QWERTY keyboard to add a note of that interval (unison through ninth) below the selected note. The added note is selected.
  • With the caret active, play a note or chord on a MIDI keyboard to enter pitch(es) of the chosen duration.
  • Press ESC to hide the Simple Entry caret.
ClosedSelection
  • OPTION-click the note or rest to select a note or rest.
  • OPTION+SHIFT-click a notehead to add it to the current selection within a chord.
  • Press LEFT ARROW when a note is selected to move the selection one note or rest to the left. If no note is selected, PrintMusic will select the last edited note.
  • Press RIGHT ARROW when a note is selected to move the selection one note or rest to the right. If there is no note or rest to the right, the caret appears.
  • Press COMMAND+LEFT ARROW when a note is selected to move the selection one measure to the left.
  • Press COMMAND+RIGHT ARROW when a note is selected to move the selection one measure to the right.
  • Press COMMAND+UP ARROW when a note is selected to move the selection up a note in a chord. If there is only one note in the staff, or the top note in the chord is selected, selection moves to the staff above.
  • Press COMMAND+DOWN ARROW when a note is selected to move the selection down a note. Selection can be moved to the staff below. If there is only one note in the staff, or the bottom note in the chord is selected, selection moves to the staff below.
  • Press COMMAND+A when a note is selected in a chord to select all notes in the chord.
  • Press ESC or CLEAR to clear the selection.
ClosedAccidentals
  • Press = when a note is selected to make the selected note sharp. With no selection, press = to select the Sharp tool .
  • Press - when a note is selected to make the selected note flat. With no selection, press - to select the Flat tool .
  • Press N when a note is selected to make the selected note natural. With no selection, press N to select the Natural tool .
  • Press SHIFT+- (minus) when a note is selected to make the selected note double-flat.
  • Press SHIFT+= when a note is selected to make the selected note double-sharp.
  • Press numpad - (minus) when a note is selected to lower the selected note by a half step. With no selection, press numpad - to select the Half Step Down tool .
  • Press numpad + (plus) when a note is selected to raise the selected note by a half step. With no selection, press numpad + to select the Half Step Up tool .
  • Press COMMAND+SHIFT+- (minus) when a note is selected to show or hide a cautionary accidental on the selected note.
  • Press P when a note is selected to add a parenthesized accidental. Press this keystroke again to toggle between parenthesized and non-parenthesized accidental.
ClosedModify Notes and Rests
  • Select a note (without the caret active) and press UP ARROW to move the note up diatonically, or DOWN ARROW to move the note down diatonically.
  • After entering a note with the caret press OPTION+UP ARROW to move the note just entered and the caret up diatonically or OPTION+DOWN ARROW to move the note just entered and the caret down diatonically.
  • After entering a note with the caret press OPTION+SHIFT+UP ARROW to move the note just entered up an octave or OPTION+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW to move the note just entered down an octave.
  • Select a note then press OPTION+1-8 on the QWERTY keyboard to change the note or rest value (64th through double whole note).
  • Select a note and press . (period) to add a dot to the note.
  • Select a note and press 9 to begin a tuplet.
  • Select a note then press R to change a note into a rest. Press R again to change it back to a note.
  • Select a note and press T to add a tie to the next note. Press SHIFT+T to tie to the previous note.
  • Select a note with a tie and press COMMAND+F to flip a tie.
  • Select a note then press OPTION+G to toggle the note between grace note, slashed grace note (for flagged grace notes), and full note.
  • Select a note or rest then press H to hide the selected note or rest.
  • Select a note then press \ (backslash) to change the enharmonic spelling of the note.
  • Select a note and press DELETE to erase it. Without a note selected, press DELETE and then click on a note, accidental, tie, dot or tuplet to erase it.
ClosedBeams, Stems and Ties
  • Select a note then press T to tie the selected note to the next note. Press SHIFT+T to tie the selected note to the previous note.
  • Select a note then press / to break or join the beam on the selected note. Press SHIFT+/ to restore default beaming.
  • Select a beamed note then press OPTION+/ to create a flat beam.
  • Select a note then press L to flip the stem of the selected note. Press SHIFT+L to restore the default stem direction.
ClosedAdding Articulations
  • Select a note and press numpad * or OPTION+A and press an articulation shortcut key to add an articulation to the note. For example, A for an accent, S for staccato, etc. Click Select (or press RETURN) to open the Articulation Selection dialog box where you can choose from a list of articulations. (Note the shortcut assignment appears in the upper right corner of each articulation in the Articulation Selection dialog box.)
  • Press COMMAND+numpad * or COMMAND+OPTION+SHIFT+A and then press an articulation shortcut key (or click select or press RETURN to choose an articulation) to add a sticky articulation to the caret and mouse cursor. Now, the chosen articulation will appear on all notes entered until the sticky articulation is removed. Press COMMAND+numpad * or COMMAND+OPTION+SHIFT+A again to remove the articulation from the caret and mouse cursor.
ClosedAdding Expressions
  • Select a note and press X. Then press an expression shortcut key to add an expression to the note. Click Select (or press RETURN) to open the Expression Selection dialog box where you can choose from a list of expressions.
ClosedChanging the key, time and clef
  • Select a note, press OPTION+K and press a key signature shortcut key to change the key signature or click Select to open the Key Signature dialog box where you can specify the new key. The key change appears at the current measure.
  • Select a note, press OPTION+T and press a time signature shortcut key to change the time signature or click Select ore press RETURN to open the Time Signature dialog box where you can specify the new meter. The key change appears at the current measure.
  • Select a note, press OPTION-C and press a clef shortcut key to change the clef or click Select or press RETURN to open the Change Clef dialog box where you can specify the placement and clef type for the clef change.

 

ClosedContextual menus

The Simple Entry contextual menu is reached by right/CONTROL-clicking on a note or rest. A contextual menu will appear where you can select from various options to edit the note or rest you clicked. The item chosen from this menu applies to all selected notes.

Menu item

What it does

Delete

Deletes the note(s)

Show/Hide

Hides non-hidden note(s) or rest(s). Shows hidden note(s) or rest(s)

Toggle Note/Rest

Change note(s) to rest(s) or rest(s) to note(s)

Add Articulation

Shows Waiting for input dialog box. Type an articulation shortcut to add articulation or press Enter to choose the articulation to be added

Add Expression

Shows Waiting for input dialog box. Type an expression shortcut to add expression or press Enter to choose the expression to be added

Change Clef

Shows Waiting for input dialog box. Type clef shortcut to add a clef change or press Enter to choose the desired clef

Change Key Signature

Shows Waiting for input dialog box. Type key signature shortcut to add a key change or press Enter to choose the desired key

Change Time Signature

Shows Waiting for input dialog box. Type time signature shortcut to add a time signature change or press Enter to choose the desired time signature

 

See also:

Simple Entry

Main tool palette

 

 

PrintMusic User Manual Home
Leave feedback on this topic
Finale PrintMusic 2014 for Mac

7007 Winchester Circle, Suite 140

Boulder, CO 80301