Alphabetic and Step-Time Input

This document provides instructions for using alphabetic and step-time input methods in Sibelius. It explains that alphabetic input allows entering notes by typing letter names from A-G on the keyboard. Numbers on the numeric keypad select note durations. Step-time input involves clicking at points in time to enter notes. The document then provides a step-by-step example of using alphabetic input to enter notes into the clarinet staff from bars 66-68 of a score.

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Alphabetic and Step-Time Input

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Alphabetic and Step-time Input

If you are starting from this section of the project, you should open the example score called Project 1 and make the 5 Alphabetic and
step-time input version into the Current version by choosing Review > Versions > Edit Versions. Select this version in the list and
click Make current.

Now let’s finish inputting the notes into the clarinet staff; you’re going to learn two more ways of creating notes in Sibelius. You’ll need
the printout of the score that you made at the start of this project in order to read the music from it.

Alphabetic Input
You can input notes into Sibelius by typing the pitches using the letters A–G directly from the computer keyboard, and make chords us-
ing the numbers 1–9 on the main keyboard (not the numeric keypad). You can also make chords by selecting notes with the mouse and
choosing Note Input > Intervals > Above and Note Input > Intervals > Below. Using the computer keyboard is much quicker than
mouse input once you’re used to it.

Add music to the clarinet part from bar 66 to bar 68:

1 Click the little bar rest rectangle in bar 66 of the clarinet staff, so that it goes dark blue—this tells Sibelius where to begin. From now
on, do not touch the mouse.
2 Press N (the shortcut for Note Input > Note Input > Input Notes). The caret appears.
3 Press F7 to see the first Keypad layout (if it isn’t showing), then type 3 on the numeric keypad to choose an eighth note. You must
choose a note value, so that Sibelius knows how long you want the notes to be.
4 Type F. Sibelius will automatically input pitches so that they are the smallest possible interval from the preceding notes, but in this
case the F is an octave too low, so type Command+Up Arrow (Mac) or Control+Up Arrow (Windows) to move the note up an octave.
5 Type C A and then Command+Up Arrow (Mac) or Control+Up Arrow (Windows) to move the A up an octave. Notice that the caret
moves after every note you input, showing you where the next note will be added.
6 Type F C A (using Command+Up Arrow (Mac) or Control+Up Arrow (Windows) to move the C up an octave).
7 Type 5 on the keypad to select a half note.
8 Type D 4 (on the numeric keypad) C A. This inputs a D half note, C and A quarter notes.
9 Now, to input a B natural, type 7 (on the numeric keypad) to select the natural.
10 Type B G to input the B natural and a G quarter note.
11 Press Esc twice to stop creating notes and deselect the last note, as you’ve stopped adding notes for the moment.

You should end up with this:

     
 

Just as notes are only created by the mouse when you actually click in the score, with alphabetic input, a note is only actually created
in the score when you type the letters A–G. Any buttons chosen on the keypad are merely preparing what will happen when you type
A–G or click the mouse. So, as with mouse input, you need to type any accidentals, articulations, or other Keypad markings before typ-
ing the letter. (If you forget, you can always go back afterwards and edit the note.) The only exception is adding ties (by pressing Enter)
which is done after creating the note (just because it feels more natural as the tie is after the note).

Once you get used to changing the durations with one hand, use the numeric keypad and input the pitches with the other hand, use the
letters A–G and R. You’ll find this a very fast method of entering notes.