Differentiating between inputting and editing your music

Depending on whether you input or you edit notes, the tools in the toolboxes and the panels behave differently.

To input notes, the caret must be activated.

If the caret is activated, selecting tools or items in the Notes toolbox and the Notes panel affects the note or chord that you are about to input as you can specify the duration, rhythm dot, accidentals, and articulations. Then you specify the pitch by clicking the note into the score, by pressing the letter name of the note on your computer keyboard, or by playing the note or chord on your MIDI keyboard.

If no notes or chords are selected in the music area and you select a duration from the Notes panel, either by pressing its key command or by clicking it with the mouse, mouse input is activated. If you move the mouse pointer over the music, a shadow note is displayed to indicate where the note will be input if you click.

To edit notes, one or more items must be selected in the music area. If one or more notes or chords are selected in the music area, the Notes toolbox and Notes panel affect the selected notes and chords. If you select a new duration from the Notes panel, either by pressing its key command or by clicking it with the mouse, the durations of the selected notes and chords are all edited to match the chosen duration.