The Keypad

The Keypad at the bottom right of the screen is where you choose note values, accidentals, articulations, ties and other markings for cre-
ating and editing notes. (Articulations are symbols above or below a note such as staccato, tenuto and accent. Note value means the
length of a note. These words and other musical and technical terminology are explained in the Glossary in the Reference Guide.)

Keypad window

The numeric keys at the right of your computer keyboard correspond to the buttons on the Keypad. Typing these keys does exactly the
same as clicking the buttons with the mouse, and is quicker. If you use a notebook (laptop) computer, see Notebook (laptop) Shortcuts.

The six little tabs just below the bar that says Keypad choose between six different layouts of musical symbols on the Keypad, which
calledyou first layout, second layout, etc. To change layout, you can either click the tabs with the mouse, press F7–F12, or click the
button (shortcut +) to cycle through the layouts; the button (shortcut F7 on Windows, – on the numeric keypad on Mac) goes back
to the first layout.

Have a quick look to see what’s in the other layouts—fairly obscure stuff. The first layout is the one you’ll be using most of the time.

The row of numbers at the bottom of the Keypad are for setting the “voice” of the note you’re inputting or editing. This is so that you
can have multiple rhythms played simultaneously on the same staff. More about this later on.

Beware that because the numeric keypad is used for specific functions in Sibelius, you can’t switch off Num Lock to use the number
keys as alternative arrow keys etc. while using Sibelius, as you can with other programs.

The button at the top left-hand corner of each Keypad layout (shown at the left) can be used as a substitute for the Esc key –
this is particularly useful if you are using Sibelius on an interactive whiteboard in a classroom, since it means you don’t have
to carry a keyboard under your arm the whole time just to be able to press Esc!

Notebook (laptop) Shortcuts

If you use a notebook (laptop) computer without a separate numeric keypad, you may already be wondering how you’ll input any notes
at all. Thankfully you don’t need to resort to laboriously entering every note individually with the mouse; nor do you need to find a
friend to hold down the Fn key while you type.

Sibelius has some alternative single-key shortcuts built in, which allow you the same freedom and speed when inputting notes.

To use Notebook (laptop) keyboard shortcuts with Sibelius:

1 Choose File > Preferences.
2 Select the Keyboard Shortcuts page.
3 Select Notebook (laptop) shortcuts from the Current feature set menu at the top of the dialog.
4 Click OK.

Press Command+ “,” (Mac) or Control+ “,” (Windows) to open the Sibelius Preferences.

Now, instead of using the numbers on the keypad, you can use the standard numbers along the top of your keyboard which will corre-
spond to the same numbers on the Keypad. When this feature set is in use, use Shift+1 to Shift+9 to enter intervals above a note—see
 .2 Keyboard shortcuts in the Reference Guide.

13

Note Input and Editing