Grace notes

Updated 4 months ago

    Grace notes can be applied to the score from the Grace notes palette.

    Grace notes palette

    For bagpipe players there is a comprehensive range of grace notes in the Bagpipe embellishments palette.

    Types of grace notes

    Grace notes are small (cue-size) notes which ornament a previous or following note. They take their value from this parent note but do not themselves count towards the measure duration.

    There are several kinds:

    • Acciaccatura(): Acciaccatura Usually written with an oblique stroke through the note flag, or through the beam, if there is a beamed series.

    • Appoggiatura: Appoggiatura A stressed note which takes half the value from the parent note.

    • Grace note after (trill endings):

    Adding a grace note to your score

    Note: For standard staves and tablature, the following instructions for adding grace notes work in both note input and normal modes.

    Add grace note with keyboard shortcut

    1. Ensure that the "parent" note is selected (multiple selection is possible in normal mode).
    2. To apply an acciaccatura, press / (slash). For other grace notes use a custom shortcut (see Preferences: Shortcuts).

    Add grace note from palette

    1. Ensure that the "parent" note is selected (multiple selection is possible in normal mode).
    2. Click on the desired symbol in the Grace notes palette.

    Alternatively, you can drag and drop a grace note from the palette onto a note in the score.

    Multiple grace notes

    Sequential grace notes

    You can add a run of grace notes to a selected note by repeatedly applying any of the following:

    • pressing the relevant keyboard shortcut (see above).
    • clicking on a grace note icon in a palette.
    • dragging and dropping a grace note from a palette onto a note.

    Grace note chords

    To apply a chord of grace notes:

    1. Add a single grace note (as described above).
    2. For standard staves use one of the following methods:
      • Press Shift and a note letter, A to G. This will add the corresponding note above.
      • Press Alt+1–9; or from the menu bar, select Add→Intervals and choose an interval from the list. This will add a note at the indicated interval above the selected note.
      • You can add intervals below in the same way, but using a custom shortcut (see Preferences: Shortcuts).
    3. For tablature, select the grace note in normal mode, then add further chord notes using the method of adding intervals in step 2.

    Editing grace notes

    Change duration

    To edit the visual duration, click on the grace note in normal mode, and select a duration from the note input toolbar or by using a keyboard shortcut (see Selecting duration).

    Change pitch

    Standard staves. To change the pitch of grace notes, use one of the methods described in Editing notes and rests.

    Tablature. To change the pitch of grace notes, use one of the methods described in Changing the pitch in normal mode (tablature).

    Changing playback of grace notes

    [To be added?]

    Grace note style

    You can adjust the default size for all grace notes in Format→Styles→Sizes.