You are here: How do I... > S > Simple Entry > Using your computer keyboard to enter music (Simple Entry)

Using your computer keyboard to enter music (Simple Entry)

All of the functionality that exists for entering notes with a mouse, and more, is available using your computer keyboard, and the Simple Entry caret. The Simple Entry caret works much like the cursor in a word processing program. While using your computer keyboard with Simple Entry, the Caret allows you to specify pitches, rhythms, and other entry items before entering.

You can also use modifier keystrokes to edit the note you just entered. In this section, you’ll first learn how to specify the next note to be entered using the Simple Entry caret, and then how to modify the previously entered note. The following instructions describe entry for standard notation staves. For information regarding entry into a tablature staff, see To enter directly into a tablature staff (Simple Entry).

To enter music using Simple Entry and your computer keyboard:

  1. Click the Simple Entry tool . The Simple Entry Palettes appear. (If they don’t, you’ve probably hidden the palette. Choose Simple Entry Palette and Simple Entry Rests Palette from the Window menu.) See Simple Entry Palette for more information on moving and resizing the palette. Though the Simple Entry Palettes do not need to be visible to enter notation with the Simple Entry caret, it’s a good idea to display them at first until you have become familiar with the corresponding keyboard shortcuts and modifiers.
  2. From the Simple menu, choose Simple Options, and then ensure Use Simple Entry Caret is checked. Then click OK. When this option is checked, a vertical line appears. The caret also displays a note of the duration selected in the Simple Entry Palette, as shown in the above image. Accidentals, ties, dots, and tuplets can also be indicated on the caret before entering the note. If you do not see the caret, select one of the duration tools in the Simple Entry Palette.
  3. To choose the desired rhythmic duration for the next entry, click a duration tool in the Simple Entry Palette, or type the corresponding keystroke in the numeric keypad (1-8). The caret displays the chosen rhythmic duration. See the numeric keyboard diagram above (under Using a mouse to enter music), or refer to the Simple menu.

    The numeric keypad is the set of number keys on the right side of a standard desktop keyboard. The QWERTY keyboard is the letter keys and the numbers above them.

  4. To specify the pitch before entering, you can use the UP and DOWN ARROW on the computer keyboard until the caret displays the desired pitch. The note moves up and down in the staff diatonically. You can move the caret up an octave by pressing SHIFT+UP ARROW, or down an octave by pressing SHIFT+DOWN ARROW.
  5. Select a tool, or a combination of tools, in the Simple Entry Palette to specify additional properties of the next note to be entered. For example, to specify a dot and a sharp, click the Dot icon , and the Sharp icon , or press the corresponding keystrokes for these tools to select them. The tools selected in the Simple Entry Palette tell Finale what to add to the next note when entered. The mouse cursor displays this information as well.
  6. Press the ENTER key to enter the note. The note appears on the staff and the caret moves to the right. The note you just entered is selected automatically, so you can use modifier keystrokes to edit it (explained below). Notice the tools chosen in the Simple Palette are still selected, and will apply to the next note if you were to hit the ENTER key again. To select a single tool (like any of the duration tools), and deselect all others, double-click the icon on the palette, or double-press the corresponding keyboard shortcut. For example, press the 5 key on the numeric keypad twice if you want to choose only the Quarter Note Tool for the next entry.
  7. Press 0 (or Tab) to enter a rest of the chosen duration.
  8. Hold down the CTRL key and press a duration keystroke to specify a rest of that duration for the next entry.
  9. Type the letter name of a pitch, A through G, to enter it. The pitch appears in the staff of the chosen duration, along with any other items selected in the Simple Entry Palette. The caret moves to the right.
  10. To add additional notes above the previous entry, type the interval (1 through 8 or CTRL+SHIFT 9) on your QWERTY keyboard. For example, to add a third to the note you just entered, type 3. To enter a fifth, type 5. The interval entered is automatically selected, so, to enter a triad, you would type 3 for the first third, and then 3 again for the second. To enter an interval lower than the note you just entered, hold down the SHIFT key and type the interval (2-9).
  11. Also, you can hold down the SHIFT key and type the letter name of a note to add it to the note you just entered. To add a note a fifth or more higher than the note you just entered, hold down the SHIFT key and press the UP ARROW, and then type the note letter. To add a note a fifth or more lower than the note you just entered, hold down the SHIFT key and press the DOWN ARROW, and then type the note letter. Note that the caret position changes, and will apply to the next note entered as well. Use SHIFT+up/DOWN ARROW to move it to the desired octave in preparation for the next entry.

    These shortcuts also apply to any selected note. (After entering a note, it is selected automatically.)

  12. After entering a note or rest, hold down ALT and press a number (1-8) to change the duration of the note or rest you just entered (64th through double-whole note).
  13. After entering a note, you can use additional modifier keystrokes to add a dot, tie, accidental, to the note you just entered. Or, even change it to a grace note, flip the stem or break/add beams. To see a list of modifier keystrokes, from the Simple menu, choose Simple Edit Commands, and then Modify Entry.
  14. After entering a note, to move it up or down in the staff, hold down the ALT key and press the UP and DOWN ARROW. Hold down ALT and SHIFT and press the up or DOWN ARROW key to move the note up or down an octave.
  15. After entering a note, use the up and down arrows to adjust the caret pitch. Then, hold down CTRL and press Enter to add a note to the previous entry.
  16. After entering a note, press 9 to change it to the first note of a tuplet.
  17. Hold down SHIFT and click the score to open the Simple Entry Tuplet definition dialog box where you can specify more complicated tuplets. See Simple Entry Tuplet Definition dialog box.
  18. To move the selection forward or back a note, press the right and left arrow keys. To move selection forward or back a measure, hold down CTRL and press the right or left arrow key respectively.
  19. To activate the caret on an existing selected entry, press Enter.
  20. To move selection up or down in a chord or to the staff above or below, hold down CTRL and press the up or DOWN ARROW key.
  21. To change the pitch of existing notes, choose the Repitch Tool . Then, activate the caret and type the new note letters (or play pitches on a MIDI keyboard) to alter the pitch without changing rhythmic values.
  22. With the trigger the same options for Expression entry. Press Alt+c for clef, Alt+t for time signature, or Alt+k for key signature. See Keyboard Shortcuts for more details.

 

 

Finale User Manual Home
Leave feedback on this topic
Finale 2014 for Windows

7615 Golden Triangle Drive, Suite M

Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3848