Inputting playing techniques with the popover

You can input playing techniques using the playing techniques popover, both during note input and by adding them to existing music.

Note

  • You can only enter one playing technique into the popover during note input. You can enter two playing techniques when adding playing techniques to existing music if they are separated by ->.

  • You can input playing techniques in the middle of tie chains by starting note input, then moving the caret to the required rhythmic position.

Procedure

  1. In Write mode, do one of the following:

    • Start note input.

    • Select an item on each staff at the rhythmic position where you want to input a playing technique. If you want to input playing techniques with duration or a separate playing technique for each note, select items that span the required duration.

  2. Optional: During note input, if you want to input notes and notations onto multiple staves, extend the caret to those staves.
  3. Open the playing techniques popover in any of the following ways:

    • Press Shift-P.

    • In the Notations toolbox, click Popovers Popovers button, then Playing Techniques Playing Techniques button.

  4. Enter the appropriate entry for the playing technique you want into the popover.

    For example, enter pizz or non vibrato->.

    When you start entering a playing technique into the playing techniques popover, a menu appears that shows valid playing techniques containing the letters/words you enter, which you can select.

    • To give the playing technique duration, add -> at the end.

    • To input a hidden playing technique, enclose its entry in parentheses, such as (pizz).

  5. Press Return to close the popover.

    Open-ended playing techniques, such as non vibrato->, automatically extend during note input as you continue inputting notes, or if you advance the caret by pressing Space or clicking Advance Caret in the Keyboard, Fretboard, or Drum Pads panel toolbar.

  6. Optional: During note input, stop open-ended playing techniques by opening the playing techniques popover again and entering one of the following entries:

    • To end the current playing technique with another playing technique, enter that playing technique. For example, enter vibrato. This joins the current playing technique to the following one with a continuation line.

    • To end the current playing technique with another open-ended playing technique, enter that playing technique followed by ->. For example, enter vibrato->. This joins the current playing technique to the following one with a continuation line.

    • To end the current playing technique without inputting another playing technique, enter ? into the popover. This leaves the current playing technique with a duration line rather than a continuation line.

Result

The specified playing techniques are input. They are considered voice-specific by default, meaning they only apply to the voice indicated by the caret indicator during step input or the selected voice when adding playing techniques to existing notes. They are automatically placed above the staff for up-stem voices and below the staff for down-stem voices.

Adjoining playing techniques, or playing techniques that were input together or in sequence, are automatically grouped together, both during note input and when adding playing techniques to existing notes.

During note input, playing techniques are input at the caret position on all staves across which the caret extends. If you included an open-ended playing technique with duration, it extends automatically when you advance the caret or input notes.

Playing techniques added to existing music are input according to their playback technique and your selection:

  • If you selected a single item on each staff, a playing technique without duration is input on each staff at the corresponding rhythmic position.

  • If you selected a range of items on each staff and input a playing technique with an Attribute playback technique, a playing technique is input at the rhythmic position of either only notes or any items in the selection, according to your item input position setting.

  • If you selected a range of items on each staff and input a playing technique with a Direction playback technique, a playing technique with duration is input that spans either only notes or any items in the selection, according to your item input position setting. For playing techniques whose continuation type is set to show lines, the appropriate continuation line is shown.

After Completing This Task

  • You can move playing techniques within playing technique groups, lengthen/shorten playing techniques, and hide/show playing technique duration lines.

  • You can enable independent voice playback for individual instruments to hear different playing techniques in different voices simultaneously.