reference.book Page 75 Monday, August 31, 2009 2:47 PM
2.1 Accidentals
2.1 Accidentals 1.1 Note input.
When you create a note using mouse or keystrokes, you can give it an accidental at the same time by choosing one from the first or sixth Keypad layout (shortcuts F7/F12) before putting the note into the score. (You can also add articulations, rhythm dots, tremolos and non-standard beaming from the Keypad at the same time.) Accidentals are automatically created when you input from a MIDI keyboard.
Adding accidentals to existing notes Select the note(s) in question, then choose an accidental from the first or sixth Keypad layout. To add accidentals to all the notes in a chord at once, double-click one of the notes in the chord and then choose an accidental.
Removing particular accidentals Select the note(s) in question, then choose the accidental from the Keypad again, to switch it off. Alternatively, the slow and fiddly way is to select the accidental(s) with the mouse (taking care
not to select the associated note(s) at the same time), then hit Delete.
Removing lots of accidentals Select the notes in question, then, from the sixth Keypad layout (shortcut F12), choose the 0 key on the numeric keypad or the corresponding button shown on the right.
Hiding accidentals In some situations (such as in passages that use cross-staff beaming – see Cross-staff beams on page 100) you may want to hide an accidental rather than delete it (i.e. you want it to sound as if it has an accidental, but the accidental should not appear on the page). To do this, select the accidental itself (not the notehead), and choose Edit Hide or Show Hide (shortcut Ctrl+Shift+H or H). For more details, 5.9 Hiding objects.
Automatic cautionary accidentals A cautionary (or courtesy) accidental is used to show that a note had an accidental in the previous bar, as a way to remind the player that the note should now be played according to the key signature. Sibelius automatically shows cautionary accidentals under the following conditions: At the start of a bar where the previous note had a different accidental Where any note in the previous bar had an accidental Where a note with an accidental is tied over a barline, any note at the same pitch in the following
bar has a cautionary “cancelling” the accidental Where a previous note in a different octave had a different accidental (e.g. if you write C#5 C4, Sibelius will show a cautionary natural on the C4) 75
Notations
Creating an accidental with a note