Composer->FAQ  [ Editing | Play & Sound | Import & Export | Printing | Troubleshooting | Misc | Search]

Getting Started, User's Guide, Keyboard Shortcuts

One of the best places to go first is the Help file's  Getting Started section. This area will guide you in setting up for play back, creating new songs, and working in the score editor.

The User's Guide starts out with a tutorial on How to Notate Jingle Bells.

Most note and symbol entry in NoteWorthy Composer can be done from the computer keyboard with quick keys. Once you learn the shortcuts, notating will be faster than using the menus and the mouse.

A list of keyboard shortcuts can be found:

• In the NoteWorthy Composer program, under Help: Keyboard Reference.
  
• In the NoteWorthy Composer Online Help:  Keyboard Guide.
  
• In the file keyboard-guide.pdf which is a printable reference divided into categories and listed by action.
  

Other Shortcuts

• Quick Keys in a Property Dialog Box with Tabs – Commands such as Tools: Options and Staff: Staff Properties include several tabs. To move through the tabs without using the mouse, use these shortcuts.
  
  

  To perform this action	Press
  Advance to the next tab	Ctrl+Page Down
  Advance to the previous tab	Ctrl+Page Up
  Jump to the first tab	Alt+Home
  Advance to the next tab	Ctrl+Tab
  Advance to the previous tab	Ctrl+Shift+Tab

  
  
• Quick Keys for Command Menus - Across the top of the NoteWorthy Composer work space each command menu heading has an underlined letter. The quick key for each heading is Alt+the underlined letter. For example, Alt+F will open the File Menu.
  
  From there, you can again use a quick key to select the command. The underlined letter of the command is the quick key when the menu list is open. For example, with the File menu open, to access Print Preview, the underlined letter V is the quick key. So pressing V will access Print Preview.
  
  
• Right Mouse Click - Some commands can be accessed with the right mouse click. While working in a staff, you can right click to access the commands – Note, Rest, Chord Member, Bar Line, MIDI Control, Notation, Staff Properties. If you have an item selected, the right click will display a list of commands available for that item.
  

Selecting

Some quick keys in NoteWorthy Composer can only be used after items (notes, rests, tempo, etc.) have been selected. For example, cut (Ctrl+X) and beam (Ctrl+B) cannot be executed until items are selected. Also, accessing properties for an item with Alt+Enter

If the item has no width, Preserve Width was not checked, then the diamond will need to be selected instead of the item itself. See faq #7 for more on Preserve Width.

To select an item with keyboard shortcuts:

• Place the insertion point to the left of the item, hold down the Shift key and press the right arrow key to highlight the item.
  
• Hold the Ctrl key at the same time to select the entire measure.
  
• Use Shift+End to select to the end. Shift+Home to select to the start.
  

Once an item has been selected, the item will appear highlighted with a different background color. Or, if Preserve Width is not used and the diamond must be selected, the diamond will appear highlighted.