Fast note entry

Dorico
1

Hi, all

I’m trying to get quick with note entry, but I can’t find a way to keep my hand in the same area of the keyboard - if I use numpad numbers, every tie means moving over to T, and if I use regular numbers, I need to move my hands for the right arrow (to create rests) and to create tuplets. What am I missing here? Is there a way to use one hand on a MIDI keyboard, and the other on the computer keyboard without having to move it all the time?\

Thanks!

2

You could use the Space bar to enter rests. Your right hand over the numbers, with a thumb on the space bar and little finger on tuplet duty works well.

I have my MIDI Keyboard directly behind my QWERTY keyboard, and so my left hand is playing the notes, and will jump down if I need to press a key on the keyboard.

Don’t forget that you can create a tied note over the bar line just with a single duration, so enter a dotted quarter for a quarter - tie - eighth.

I tend to do “several passes” – so I’ll enter the bare notes the first time, then add slurs and dynamics; then lyrics; then anything else. That helps to reduce errors, because everything’s been looked at more than once.

3 Likes
3

I’m using a MIDI keyboard and a full computer keyboard with numpad. And after testing many things to keep my hand in the same area eventually I changed this:

  • Space mapped to Num 1 (I’ve never written a 128th note in my entire life)
  • T mapped to Num = (but rarely used)
  • OPT-SHIFT-Arrow left mapped to F16
  • OPT-SHIFT-Arrow right mapped to F17

and also the keys representing ♭♯♮ to Num -, Num + and Num 0.

Except Num 1 all assigned keys on the numpad are not used by Dorico.

2 Likes
4

As @vadian indicates, judicious key remapping can be your friend, once you figure out what you need.

2 Likes
5

Thanks a lot!! This looks good, I’ll try it out (I too don’t remember using a 1/128 note in the last 40 years…)