# Entering music in the score

General rules
Clefs
Key Signatures
Time signatures
Entering notes and rests
Using the mouse to enter notes or rests
Using the keyboard to enter notes or rests
Example
The Voice selector
Modifying notes/rests
Adding/removing ties
Beams
Tuplets
Texts

## General rules

To select something

- Use the mouse. IMPORTANT: Mouse must be in pointer mode. For this, click on the button in the toolbox.

- Select one object: Clicking on an object with the left button selects it.
- Select many objects:
  - Clicking while having pressed key ``Ctrl`` adds clicked object to current selection.
  - Dragging a box around an area selects all objects in that area.

Contextual menus

- By clicking with the mouse right button on any object (mouse must be in pointer mode), a contextual menu will be displayed. It contains specific actions for that object.

To delete an object

1. Select it with the mouse (click on it or drag around it).
2. Either, press delete key ``Del`` or click Cut either on contextual menu, on main menu, or in toolbar

- Also, if you make a mistake when entering notes, rests or when doing any other action, press ``Ctrl`` + ``z`` to undo last action (or, choose Edit > Undo). You can undo as many steps as you like.

To enter music symbols in the score

- Entering music begins with selecting the data entry mouse mode in the toolbox. To do it you must click on the button .

- Then you must select the palette that contains the symbol you would like to add. To select a palette you must either use one of the keys ``F2`` to ``F12`` or click on the palette selection button.

- Next step is to select a symbol from a palette by clicking on it with the mouse.

- Finally, move the mouse to the score, to the place where you would like the symbol to be added, and click on that point. In order to show you valid places to drop the selected object, different mouse cursors are used to guide the process. The mouse cursor ensures that you place symbols in meaningful locations and provide additional visual feedback about the action that is being performed.

- When you add music symbols to the score the program properly aligns and positions them according to standard music notation rules. Notes are beamed together or flagged, rests are added around notes, measures resized, etc. in order to get the music to fit properly.

## Clefs

To Add a clef

1. Select the data entry mouse mode in the toolbox (click on the button ). A clef can not be selected if mouse is not in data entry mode!
2. In the toolbox select the clef/key/time tab
3. Then select the desired clef.
4. Move the mouse cursor over the point to which you want to add the clef. Notice that the cursor changes into a pointing finger and that each measure highlights as you move the cursor over it.
5. Click the mouse to add the cleft at pointed position in the highlighted measure.

To remove a clef

1. Select it with the mouse (click on it or drag around it).
2. Either, press delete key ``Del`` or click Cut either on contextual menu, on main menu, or in toolbar

## Key Signatures

Key signatures are always added to the beginning of pointed measure.

To Add a key signature

1. Select the data entry mouse mode in the toolbox (click on the button ). A key signature can not be selected if mouse is not in data entry mode!
2. In the toolbox select the clef/key/time tab
3. Then select the desired key signature.
4. Move the mouse cursor over the measure to which you want to add the key signature. Notice that the cursor changes into a pointing finger and that each measure highlights as you move the cursor over it.
5. Click the mouse to add the key signature at the beginning of the highlighted measure.

To remove a key signature

1. Select it with the mouse (click on it or drag around it).
2. Either, press delete key ``Del`` or click Cut either on contextual menu, on main menu, or in toolbar

## Time signatures

Time signatures are always added to the beginning of pointed measure.

To Add a time signature

1. Select the data entry mouse mode in the toolbox (click on the button ). A time signature can not be selected if mouse is not in data entry mode!
2. In the toolbox select the clef/key/time tab
3. Then select the desired time signature.
4. Move the mouse cursor over the measure to which you want to add the time signature. Notice that the cursor changes into a pointing finger and that each measure highlights as you move the cursor over it.
5. Click the mouse to add the time signature at the beginning of the highlighted measure.

To remove a time signature

1. Select it with the mouse (click on it or drag around it).
2. Either, press delete key ``Del`` or click Cut either on contextual menu, on main menu, or in toolbar

## Entering notes and rests

There are two ways to add notes to an score.

- The most intuitive one is to drag symbols with the mouse from the toolbox and placing them in the score. But although it is a very intuitive method of doing things, it is also an extremely slow method for entering notes. Imagine writing a letter using a text editor in which characters are entered by selecting them with the mouse from a palette!. See Using the mouse to enter notes or rests

- The best approach to enter notes and rests is that of a text editor: use the keyboard to enter the notes and rests, without worrying about its positioning: the program will take care of everything for you. Later, when you have entered all the notes, you could improve the layout and appearance of the score by doing small adjustments, adding notations, other markup and texts, and trimming things. See Using the keyboard to add notes or rests

### Using the mouse to enter notes or rests

Here is how to add a note or a rest using the mouse:

1. Select the notes/rests tools in the toolbox or press ``F3``.

1. Select what to add, a note or a rest .

1. Then select the desired duration and other options (accidentals, dots and voice).

1. Move the cursor over the measure to which you wish to add the note. Notice that:

- The mouse cursor shows the note or rest that is going to be added
- A 'time grid' is drawn around the measure to indicate time subdivisions within the measure.
- As you moves the mouse over the staff the pitch for the new note is shown in the status bar. at the bottom left.

1. Move the cursor over the time position at which you would like to add the note or rest.
2. Click the left mouse button to add the note or rest.

### Using the keyboard to add notes or rests

The best approach to enter notes and rests is to use the keyboard. The program will take care of everything for you. Later, when you have entered all the notes, you could improve the layout and appearance of the score by doing small adjustments, adding notations, other markup and texts, and trimming things.

- First select the pointer mouse mode in the toolbox (click on the button ). Keyboard data entry doesn't work if mouse is not in pointer mode!

- Next you have to select the notes/rests tool . Use mouse or press ``F3``.

- Then you must use the keyboard to select voice, octave, duration, and other characteristics (accidentals and dots).

- Finally, you must choose pitch. Whine selecting pitch the note is automatically entered in the score and you are ready to enter a new note.

Select octave:

- ``Ctrl`` + ``+`` → Increment octave

- ``Ctrl`` + ``-`` → Decrement octave

- ``Ctrl`` + ``0`` … ``9`` → Select octave 0..9

Select voice:

- ``Alt`` + ``+`` → Increment voice

- ``Alt`` + ``-`` → Decrement voice

- ``Alt`` + ``0`` … ``8` → Select voice 0..8 (0 for 'Auto')`

Select duration:

- ``0``, ``1``, ``2``, ``3``, … ``9`` → Select longa, whole, half, quarter, …, 128th, 256th note/rest duration

Select dots:

- Press ``.`` as many times as dots desired.

Select accidentals:

- ``-`` ``-`` → Double flat

- ``-`` → Flat

- ``=`` → Natural

- ``+`` → Sharp

- ``+`` ``+`` → Sharp-sharp

- ``x`` → Double sharp

- ``=`` ``-`` → Natural-flat

- ``=`` ``+`` → Natural-sharp

Select pitch and enter the note:

- ``c``, ``d``, ``e``, ``f``, ``g``, ``a`` or ``b`` → Enter note Do, Re, Mi, … La, Si (in current selected octave).

- ``⇑ Shift`` + ``a`` .. ``g`` → Enter note in next higher octave.

- ``Ctrl`` + ``a`` .. ``g`` → Enter note in next lower octave.

- ``Spacebar`` → Enter a rest

- ``Alt`` + ``a`` .. ``g`` → Add note to chord.

Tie to previous note

- ``_`` followed by ``a`` .. ``g`` → Enter new note and tie it to previous one.

#### Example

Assume current selected octave is octave 4:

- ``4`` → Select duration: eighth note/rest

- ``+`` ``.`` ``c`` → Add a dotted C sharp eighth note in octave 4. The order of keys before ``c`` is irrelevant.

- ``.`` ``+`` (``Ctrl`` + ``c``) → Add a dotted C sharp eighth note in octave 5. Octave 5 remains selected.

- ``Ctrl`` + ``-`` ``-`` → Down two octaves. Now in octave 3.

- ``3`` → Select duration: quarter note/rest.

- ``Spacebar`` → Add a quarter rest.

- ``d`` → Add a quarter D note in octave 3.

- ``←`` → Cursor back. Now pointing to quarter D note in octave 3

- ``Alt`` + ``f`` → Add a quarter F note in octave 3. In chord with D note.

- ``←`` → Cursor back. Now pointing to chord D-F.

- ``Alt`` + ``a`` → Add a quarter A note in octave 3. In chord with D-F notes.

## The Voice selector

LenMus allows you to notate up to eight polyphonic voices per instrument. The Voice selector displays the currently selected voice. The voice number you chose will be assigned to any notes or rests you enter.

## Modifying notes/rests

- Pitch: drag note with left mouse button

- Accidentals, dots:

Select note with mouse (click on it). Use toolbox buttons to select the desired attributes. For example, to add a dot click on 'dot' button.

## Adding/removing ties

To add a tie

1. Select the two notes to tie with the mouse (click on it or drag around them).
2. Click on toolbox, tool ties

To remove a tie

- Either:

1. Click on the second note with right button. A contextual menu will be displayed.
2. Select 'Remove tie'

- Or, follow the general method to delete objects.

## Beams

To beam

Select the notes to beam (i.e. drag around the notes) and, on toolbox, click on "join beam" tool

To delete a beam

Move caret to note and, on toolbox, click on "cut beam" tool

## Tuplets

To add a tuplet

Select the notes in the tuplet. On toolbox click on tuplet tool

## Texts

Attached to an object Click on the object with the mouse right button, and choose 'Attach text' from contextual menu.

Titles

- Either, click on any empty space in the page with the mouse right button, and choose 'Add title' from contextual menu.

- Or go to main menu and select Score > Insert title.

Copyright © 2009 LenMus project. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License (FDL), version 1.3 or later.