Inserting notes on the staff

You can add notes to your composition with simple point-and-click techniques. To help with your composing, Sonar gives you audio feedback as you place each note.

You can insert notes anywhere in the Staff pane, but inserting them at the Now time gives you control over the exact time you want to insert to. The SHIFT+RIGHT/LEFT ARROW command moves the Now Time forward or backward by the amount of the note duration you choose. To specify a note duration for new notes, use the Duration control in the Control Bar’s Tools module. The CTRL+RIGHT ARROW/CTRL+LEFT ARROW commands pages you through the track, sounding each note as the cursor passes over it. You can also page through the track by choosing the Edit > Play Previous and Edit > Play Next commands in the Staff view menu.

Note: You cannot insert notes whose durations are less than the value in the Display Resolution field, which accessed via the View > Display Resolution command in the Staff view menu.

You may want to pick a different snap-to grid value for a particular note. For example, if you want to insert a half note in the last quarter note position in a measure (in order to get two tied quarter notes), you must set the snap resolution to a quarter note. Sonar will automatically convert the half note to two tied quarter notes. The same method can be used to insert a syncopated note, such as a quarter note at an eighth note position.

You may also want to disable the View > Fill Durations and View > Trim Durations options before you enter notes on the staff. This will allow you to see the true durations of all the notes you enter. These options are discussed in Changing the way notes are displayed.

To insert a note on the staff

1.	Disable the View > Fill Durations and View > Trim Durations options in the Staff view menu, if desired (this is usually the best way when you’re entering notes).

2.	Click the Staff view View menu and choose Display Resolution, then choose a resolution that’s as small or slightly smaller than the smallest note you plan to enter.

3.	Select the Draw Freehand tool in the Control Bar.

4.	Select a note draw duration button in the Staff view, or select a value in the Control Bar’s Tools module. You cannot insert a note that’s shorter in length than the note in the Display Resolution field.

Tip: You can click an existing Note event to inherit its duration and apply it to new Note events. For details, see Use note duration value from last touched note.

5.	Move the Now time to the location where you want the new note by pressing SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW or SHIFT+LEFT ARROW. Notice the vertical line that marks the Now time in the Staff pane. The line moves by the duration of the note you selected to enter.

6.	Click the cursor on the vertical line at the pitch that you want.

7.

To add a sharp or flat, select the Smart tool in the Control Bar, right-click the note to open the Note Properties dialog box—in the Pitch field, use the + or - buttons to raise or lower the pitch, and click OK. You can type enharmonic spellings into the Pitch field, such as C#5, E”4. and Fx6. The double quotation mark produces a double flat, and the x produces a double sharp.

Sonar places the new note in the staff. If desired, drag the note horizontally or vertically to a new time or pitch.

The Staff view respects the global Snap to Grid settings for note positioning when drawing notes. For details, see Snap to Grid settings and Defining and using the Snap Grid.