Tip #3 - Use Keyboard Codes to Enter Music

The single most important tip to increase your speed and efficiency when entering music with MusEdit is to use the computer keyboard rather than dropping symbols on the staff with the mouse. At first it may seem intuitive to use the mouse in combination with the symbols toolbox, but as you've probably discovered it can be very tedious (but if you insist on doing this, at least use "Large Symbols" view). On the other hand if you get used to using the keyboard (along with various shortcuts) you can almost type in the music as fast as you might type text with a word processer.

I've included a large format summary of MusEdit's keyboard codes with the extra sheets which came with your MusEdit package, and you may want to keep this sheet near your computer for reference until you've learned the codes. The same summary is also available in Appendix A in your MusEdit manual. Also, you can always look up a keyboard code while using MusEdit by displaying the symbols toolbox and simply floating the mouse cursor over the symbol which interests you. The keyboard code will appear in the title bar of the symbols toolbox (this even works with the "mini" symbols toolbox).

Here's something you may find useful:

It may be easier to remember the keyboard codes if you know why they were chosen, so here are the explanations...

1) First, the letters a-g and A-G are reserved for jumping to staff lines (eg. "c" jumps the caret down to the nearest "c" staff line, while "C" jumps the caret up to the closest "c"), so they couldn't be used for symbol codes (more on this in tomorrow's tip!)

2) Notes:
w = Whole note, h = Half note, q = Quarter note,
s = Sixteenth
t = eighTh ( "e" was reserved, see note 1 above)
y = thirtYsecond ( "t" was taken by eighth note )
x = siXtyfourth ("s" was taken by 16th)

3) Codes which look very much like their symbol:
. (dot) : (multi-dot) > (accent)
# (sharp) ( (left paren) ) (right paren)
~ (trill) | (bar) % (repeat bar)
/ (up slide) \ (down slide) @ (number in a circle)
p (p pluck) i (i pluck) m (m pluck) ("a" was taken)
* (lift pedal symbol) + (tap)

4) Codes which look somewhat similar to their symbol:
$ (grace note) ; (stacatto) ? (fermata)
_ (whole rest) - (half rest) ! (quarter rest)
& (flat -b was taken) = (tremlo)
z (glissando) n (down curved tie) u (up curved tie)
< (up stroke) " (double bar) I (end bar)
[ (left bar) ] (right bar) P (Ped symbol)
O (coda) Z (diagonal "strum" slash)
W (vibrato) ^ (up/down arrow)
{ (up bend) } (down bend)

5) Left over codes assigned for other reasons or randomly:
L (legato) o (mordent)
, (eighth rest) ' (sixteenth rest)
j (thirty second rest) J (sixty fourth rest)
N (natural) R (pre-bend)
l (slide) ` (Thumb plucking finger)
k (1/2 bend - looks a bit like a fraction)
k+k (1/4 bend) K (Full bend)
U (treble clef) U+U (bass clef)
M (eighth pair) M+M (shuffle rhythm pair)
v (hammer on - down arrow, like hammer motion)
V (pull off - same key as hammer on)
r (ring finger, "a" of p,i,m,a but "a" was taken already - see note 1)

6) Note styles:
Alt + n = Normal notes
Alt + / = strum notes (shaped like a / )
Alt + x = muted notes (shaped like an x )
Alt + r = haRmonic notes ( Alt + h activates the Help menu! )

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