Reversing pitches/rhythms

You can reverse notes, including pitches and/or rhythms, and staff-attached items so that selections are played backwards; for example, the first note of a phrase becomes the last note. This transformation is also known as “retrograde”.

Procedure

  1. In Write mode, select the notes and staff-attached items whose pitches and/or rhythms you want to reverse.

    For example, to reverse dynamics alongside notes, include dynamics in your selection.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To reverse pitches only, choose Write > Transform > Pitches > Reverse Pitches.

    • To reverse rhythms only, choose Write > Transform > Rhythm > Reverse Rhythms.

    • To reverse pitches and rhythms, choose Write > Transform > All > Reverse Pitches and Rhythms.

    • To reverse and invert pitches, choose Write > Transform > Pitches > Reverse and Invert Pitches to open the Reverse and Invert Pitches dialog.

    • To reverse and invert pitches and reverse rhythms, choose Write > Transform > All > Reverse and Invert Pitches and Reverse Rhythms to open the Reverse and Invert Pitches and Reverse Rhythms dialog.

  3. Optional: If you chose to reverse and invert pitches, change the settings as required for your inversion.
  4. Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog.

Result

The selected notes and staff-attached items are transformed according to your initial menu selection and optionally your settings in the dialog.

Tip

You can also reverse pitches/rhythms using the note tools popover.