Note tools popover

The note tools popover allows you to add notes above and below existing notes, transpose existing notes, and transform the pitches and rhythms of selected notes.

It makes much of the functionality provided by the Add Notes Above or Below, Transpose, Reverse and Invert Pitches/Rhythms, Rotate Pitches/Rhythms, Map Pitches, Map Scale, and Repeat Pitches dialogs accessible directly via the keyboard.

You can open the note tools popover in Write mode in any of the following ways when notes are selected, including during note input:

  • Press Shift-I.

  • In the Notations toolbox, click Popovers Popovers button, then Note Tools Note Tools button.

  • Choose Write > Add Intervals.

The icon on the left-hand side of the popover matches the corresponding button in the Notations toolbox on the right of the window.

Figure 1. Note tools popover with an example entry
Figure 2. Note Tools button in the Notations toolbox

The following tables contain examples of what you can enter into the note tools popover to transform selections, transpose notes, or add notes above/below existing notes.

Intervals

Interval or quality

Popover entry

Interval degree

Unison, second, third, fourth, fifth, and so on, up to two octaves

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on, up to 15

Major

M, maj, or major

Minor

m, min, or minor

Perfect

p, per, or perf

Diminished

d, dim, or diminished

Augmented

a, aug, or augmented

Diatonic

diat or diatonic

[n] octave divisions in any tonality system

[n] d, [n] div, or [n] divisions

[n] half-steps (semitones) in 12-EDO

[n] s, [n] st, [n] semi, or [n] semitones

[n] quarter tones in 24-EDO

[n] q, [n] qt, or [n] quartertones

Note
  • You must include an interval degree before a specified total number of octave divisions, such as 5 8 div. Together, they specify the desired note name and accidental.

  • M and m entries for major and minor are case-sensitive.

Note additions

Type of addition

Popover entry

Add notes a third above

3 or 3rd

Add notes a fourth below

-4 or -4th

Add notes [n] octave divisions above, using the note name a fifth above

5 8 div in any tonality system

5 8 st in 12-EDO

5 16 qt in 24-EDO

Add notes [n] octave divisions below, using the note name a sixth below

-6 9 div in any tonality system

-6 9 st in 12-EDO

-6 18 qt in 24-EDO

Add chords containing multiple notes

3,6 or -3,3,4

Add notes only to the top notes in chords

top

Add notes only to the bottom notes in chords

bottom

Note
  • When adding multiple notes, you must separate notes with commas, not spaces.

  • If you do not specify the interval quality, the interval degree follows the prevailing key signature. For example, in C major, if you enter 3 to add a third above a D, the added note is an F. You can specify the interval quality by including it before the interval degree, such as maj3.

Example

  • To add notes a major second below and minor third above the bottom notes in the selected chords, enter -M2,m3 bottom.

  • To add Gs above Cs in 24-EDO, enter 5 16 qt.

Transposition

Example transposition

Popover entry

Transpose notes upwards by a third

t3

Transpose notes downwards by a sixth

t-6

Transpose notes upwards by [n] octave divisions, using the note name a fifth above

t 5 8 div in any tonality system

t 5 8 st in 12-EDO

t 5 16 qt in 24-EDO

Transpose notes downwards by [n] octave divisions, using the note name a sixth below

t -6 9 div in any tonality system

t -6 9 st in 12-EDO

t -6 18 qt in 24-EDO

Example

To transpose C upwards by nine quarter tones in 24-EDO, you can enter t 3 9 qt for E or t 4 9 qt for F.

Inversion

Type of inversion

Popover entry

Invert pitches within the range of the highest and lowest notes in the selection

inv, invert, inversion, or mirror

Specify the central pitch for inversion

For example, C4, E4, F5, G6, and so on

C4, eb4, F5, g#6, and so on

Specify the central octave division for inversion

For example, D4 or A5 in 24-EDO

d1/24 4 or A-3/24 5

Specify root of prevailing key as central pitch for inversion

Note

In open keys or music without key signatures, C is used.

root

Specify first note as central pitch for inversion

first

Specify top note in first chord as central pitch for inversion

top

Specify bottom note in first chord as central pitch for inversion

bottom

Diatonic inversion

diatonic or diat

Chromatic inversion

chromatic or chrom

Example

To invert pitches around E4, enter inveb4.

Reversal

Type of reversal

Popover entry

Reverse the selection, including pitches and rhythms

retrograde, ret, reverse, or rev

Specify pitches only

pitch or pt

Specify rhythms only

rhythm or rm

Reverse and invert pitches

Tip

You can also include additional specifications for the inversion.

ret invert, rev inv, and so on

Include additional items belonging to the same player as the selection

player

Include only items belonging to the same voice as the selection

voice

Example

To reverse the pitches and items in the selected voice only, enter rev pt voice.

Rotation

Type of rotation

Popover entry

Rotate the selection, including pitches and rhythms

rotate or rot

Specify pitches only

pitch or pit

Specify rhythms only

rhythm, rhy, or rm

Specify number of steps forwards

1, 2, 3, 4, and so on

Specify number of steps backwards

-1, backwards 2, bw 3, prev 4, and so on

Example

To rotate only the rhythms of the selected notes backwards three steps, enter rot rm bw 3.

Repetition

Type of repetition

Popover entry

Repeat the first two pitches in the selection across the selection

repeat 2 pitches

Repeat the first eight pitches in the selection across the selection

repeat 8 pitches

This list is not comprehensive as you can repeat any number of pitches. It is intended to illustrate how you can structure your entry.

Pitch mapping

Type of pitch mapping

Popover entry

Specify source and destination pitches

For example, to map C4 to E4, F4 to G4, and A4 to B4.

Note
  • Separate source and destination pitches with equals signs, and pairs of pitches with commas.

  • The octave number is optional.

c4=eb4,f4=g4,a4=bb5

Include enharmonic equivalents of specified notes

* after note name and octave, if specified

Specify that destination pitch is higher than source pitch

up

Specify that destination pitch is lower than source pitch

down

Example

To map As and enharmonic equivalents, including Bs, to the G below, enter a#*=Gdown.

Scale mapping

Type of scale mapping or scale

Popover entry

Scale mapping structure

[source scale] to [destination scale], such as c M to c m or Fmin to Dmaj

Snap pitches outside the source scale to the nearest pitch by interval in the destination scale

snap

Specify snapped pitches should be raised

up or higher

Specify snapped pitches should be lowered

down or lower

Respell notes to the specified scale

spell [scale], such as spell Cmaj

Snap notes to the specified scale

snap [scale], such as snap cmin

Scale roots

c, Db, e, f#, g, and so on

Alterations

#4, b6, and so on

Major

maj or M

Minor

min or m

Ionian major

ion maj or ion M

Harmonic minor

harm m or hmc min

Melodic minor (ascending)

me m or mdc min

Dorian

dor or drn

Phrygian

phryg, phry, or phr

Lydian

lyd

Mixolydian

mixlyd, mlyd, mixo, mix, or ml

Aeolian or natural minor

aeol m, aeo m, aln min, or nat min

Locrian

loc

Super Locrian (altered scale)

super loc, sup loc, or spr loc

Major pentatonic

pent maj, 5tonic M, or 5ton M

Minor pentatonic

pent min, 5tonic m, 5ton m

Major blues

blue maj or bls M

Minor blues

blue min or bls m

Whole tone

wholetone, whole-tone, wtone, wton, whole, or wt

Half-whole diminished

half whole dimin, halfwhole dimin, hw dim, half-tone dimin, half tone dimin, halftone dimin, htone dim, hton dim, half dim, or ht dim

Half-whole octatonic

half whole octa, halfwhole octa, hw oct, half-tone octa, half tone octa, halftone octa, htone oct, hton oct, half oct, or ht oct

Whole-half diminished

whole half dimin, wholehalf dimin, wh dim, whole tone dimin, whole-tone dimin, wholetone dimin, wtone dim, wton dim, whole dim, or wt dim

Whole-half octatonic

whole half octa, wholehalf octa, wh oct, whole tone octa, whole-tone octa, wholetone octa, wtone oct, wton oct, whole oct, or wt oct

Locrian 7 or harmonic major mode 7

loc maj mode7 or harm M mod7

Super locrian 7 or harmonic minor mode 7

sup loc min mode7 or spr loc m mod7

Note
  • You can use scale type entries in any combination, such as me min, me m, mdc min, and mdc m.

  • M and m entries for major and minor are case-sensitive.

  • You must separate roots from M and m with a space, such as c M.

Example

To respell all Fs in a selection as Es, and snap As to As, enter spell snap Cmaj.