Notes Menu commands

See Default Enharmonic Entry Spelling (Insert Menu) for information on the enharmonic spelling of the new pitch (flat or sharp).

Octave commands raise or lower the pitch of the selected note(s) chromatically by a whole octave.

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

Choose Volume...

Opens the Note Volume Dialog so you can set the volume for the selected notes note (default 64).

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

The duration of the notes can be modified incrementally using the Duration: Increase/Decrease commands.  If you would like MidiIllustrator to include dotted durations in the choice of increased or decreased durations, see the Include dots when incrementing duration of selection option in Editing options.

Note durations can only be increased if there are no conflicting notes ahead of the note to be lengthened (see exceptions to this rule in Edit Mode, below).

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

Note Duration Increases In Edit Mode

In Edit Mode, MidiIllustrator will try to shift 'conflicting' notes in a given measure to the right in order to make way for note lengthening operations.  Notes are only shifted when necessary, specifically:

• If there is rest space to the right of a note to be lengthened, this space will be taken to accommodate the new note length.
• If there is no space, or not enough space to the right of the note to be lengthened, then MidiIllustrator will check see if there is room at the end of the note's measure to accommodate the new note length.
• Notes 'in the way' of the operation will be 'shifted' as far as possible into the rest space at the end of the measure, and the note will be given the desired length if possible.
• MidiIllustrator uses a 'best possible' approach in duration changes.  If, for example, you want to increase a quarter note to a whole note duration, but there is only room for a half note, then the half note value will be set (instead of simply failing the operation).

• Up a staff: notes will be moved to the next visible staff above their current staff.
  
• Down a staff: notes will be moved to the next visible staff below their current staff.
  
• Forwards: notes will be nudged to the right by a small amount.
  
• Backwards: notes will be nudged to the left by a small amount.

In all cases note durations are unchanged.

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

See also Stem Direction in Voices.

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

See Voices for more information.

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

• Double Sharp
• Sharp
• Natural
• Flat
• Double Flat

Note that any accidental in the spelling will only be shown if it has not already been displayed on the staff line earlier in the measure (normal notating rules), or if the Show Courtesy Accidental option is enabled (see below).

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

Accidentals other than courtesy accidentals can only be altered in Edit Mode .

The accidentals which are available (depending on the particular key/pitch) are:

• Double Sharp
• Sharp
• Natural
• Flat
• Double Flat

Show Courtesy Accidental

With this option enabled, any accidental in the spelling of the note pitch will be shown even if it has already been displayed on the staff line earlier in the measure (normal notating rules would not repeat the accidental, thus keeping the score uncluttered).

If for example, the entry note is Bb on a staff with a key signature of F major, where all B notes are flat as standard, then no flat accidental will be shown to the left of the Bb note unless Show Courtesy Accidental is enabled.

Note that the Show Courtesy Accidentals option in Score Options will override any 'per note' courtesy accidental setting, and will display accidentals (as appropriate) next to every note.

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.

Allows the enabling or disabling of automatic tying on selected notes.  When tying is disabled, even notes which should be tied because of their sound duration will only be displayed as a single untied note.  This option is useful for simplifying the notation in some cases.

This command is no longer available once the score has entered Edit Mode (see Editing a Song for the First Time).

Tie Notes Together (Edit Mode Only)

Ties together (or unties) contiguous selected notes of the same pitch. 

To tie two or more notes:

1. All the notes to be tied must be selected (using the mouse or keyboard)
2. The notes must be the same pitch, voice and staff
3. There can be no space (gaps) between them

To remove a tie, select the tied note(s) and reverse the command.

Connecting notes of different pitches (creating slurs) is detailed below in Slurs.

See also Keyboard Shortcuts.

To create a slur, select the first and last notes in the desired range.  Then choose the Create Slur command.

All notes of the same voice in the selected range of staves will be considered when MidiIllustrator calculates the path of the slur.  Notes of other voices are ignored, allowing you to have overlapping slurs in multi-voice passages.  Slurs can cross staves.  If slurs cross from one system or page to another system or page, MidiIllustrator will automatically calculate the path of the slur around other notation, terminating and restarting the slur as necessary at the end/start of each system.

Any number of slurs can be created from one note over another note, but only one slur can start and end between the selected starting and ending notes.

The slur will be positioned above or below the range of notes depending on the optimal path.  You can force the slur position to either above or below the notes using keyboard shortcuts.

MidiIllustrator will try to modify slurs when you make changes to the notation however if the starting and ending notes are deleted or moved to positions where a slur cannot be drawn, the slur will be automatically deleted.

To remove a slur, select the either the first or last note in the slur range and choose the Delete Slur command.

Connecting notes of the same pitch (creating ties) is detailed above in Ties.

See also Keyboard Shortcuts.

Finger numbers can be assigned to notes and chords in one of three ways:

• Manually using commands in the Notes Menu or with Keyboard Shortcuts

• Automatically for a selection of notes using commands in the Notes Menu or with Keyboard Shortcuts without the need to open the Fingering Analysis dialog

• Automatically for the entire score, a range of staves, or a note selection using the Fingering Analysis dialog

Valid finger numbers are from 1 to 5, starting with the thumb (1) on each hand through to the pink (5).  To assign fingering manually to one or more notes:  Select the notes to be updated, and apply the finger command 1-5.  To remove any fingering, apply finger command 0.

To assign fingering automatically to one or more notes:  Select the notes to be updated and choose an automatic fingering command:

• Automatic Fingering
  Finger numbers are assigned to selected notes in the context of their position relative to one another and relative to other notes nearby in the score
• Automatic Fingering - Ignore Unselected Surrounding Notes
  Finger numbers are assigned to selected notes in the context of their position relative to one another but ignoring other notes surrounding the selection.  This allows you to set fingering for a particular melody or musical idea without having other notes influence MidiIllustrator's fingering calculations.

You can read more about automatic fingering analysis and how assigning finger numbers enables other MidiIllustrator features such as Performing Hands.

Note that tie notes and tuplets are treated differently when deleted.

See the Keyboard Shortcuts for this function.