StaffPad was designed from the beginning to be used without a keyboard of any kind - it's meant to be a true tablet experience, and we recommend using it as such - both on Windows (in tablet mode), and on iPad. However, even though StaffPad has zero requirement or reliance on a QWERTY keyboard, we know there can be times when keyboard shortcuts can be handy.
The key commands in StaffPad are slightly different between iPad and Windows.
On iOS, you can hold the command key to see a reminder list of available shortcuts for the current screen.
Windows:
Welcome Page:
Just start typing to search scores. Press the Esc key to cancel out of search.
- Ctrl+N = New Score
- Ctrl+I = Import Score
- Alt+S = Show settings
- Ctrl+< or Ctrl+> = flip between tabs
Standard:
- Ctrl+Z = Undo
- Ctrl+Y = Redo
- Ctrl+X/C/V = Cut/Copy/Paste
- Ctrl+S = Save
- Ctrl+P = Print
- Ctrl+A = Select All
- Ctrl+D = Deselect All
- Ctrl+W = Close Score
- Ctrl+Q = Save and Quit
Playback:
- Spacebar = Toggle Play/Pause
- , = Rewind 1 bar
- . = Ffward 1 bar
- 0 = Return to the beginning of the score
- 1-8 = Jump to rehearsal marks
- 9 = Jump to end of score
- M = Mute Staff (under pen)
- S = Solo Staff (under pen)
- C = Toggle Click/Metronome
Score Page:
Press the Esc key to quickly cancel out of any tool, toolbar or dialog.
- I = Instruments control
- V = Versions control
- E = Latch Eraser temporarily
- Shift+E = Toggle Eraser on/off
- A = Show Automation Layer
- P = Open Symbols Palette
- F = Follow score
- G = Glissando
- D = Drawing tools/annotation layer
- T = Insert Text (under cursor)
- H = Hairpin
- O = Octave
- R = Rehearsal Mark
- X = X Notehead tool
- Shift+1/2/3/4 = Switch voice layers
- Shift+C = Change clef under pen
- Shift+B = Change bar line under pen
- Shift+K = Change key signature under pen
- Shift+T = Change Time Signature under pen
- Hold the Alt key to temporarily toggle automation to quickly draw in curves.
Selections:
- Ctrl+A = Select All (once a selection is made)
- Ctrl+Click = Select bar/expand selection
- Ctrl+D = Deselect All* Ctrl+Up arrow = transpose up one octave
- Ctrl+Down arrow = transpose down one octave
- Delete key = delete selection
- Middle-mouse button dragging can be used for panning the canvas
Staffs Control:
Just start typing to search through instruments. Press Esc to cancel search.
- Arrow keys = navigate dialog
- Enter = add instruments to score
- Shift+Click to select multiple instruments for adding/removing
- Shift+Right Arrow = Add to score
- Shift+Left Arrow = Remove from score
- Alt+S = Swap
- Shift+Up = Move up in score order list
- Shift+down = Move down in score order list
- Delete = Remove from score
iPadOS
Welcome Page
- Cmd+N = New Score
- Cmd+O = Import Score
- Cmd+Left/Right Arrow = flip tabs
- Cmd+1/2/3/4/5/6 = flip directly to tab number (e.g cmd+5 will flip to the Store)
- Type anywhere to search the score library
Score Page
- Spacebar = Play/pause
- Left arrow/right arrow key = Rewind/Ffward one bar
- Up arrow/down arrow key = Return to the start / end of the score
- 1-9 = Jump to rehearsal marks
- 0 = Return to the start of the score
- Cmd+S = Save
- Cmd+W = Close score
- Cmd+P = Print menu
- Cmd+Z = undo
- Cmd+R = redo
- Cmd+A = Select All (when in a bar selection)
- Cmd+D = Deselect All
- Cmd+C = Copy (when in a bar selection)
- Cmd+X = Cut (when in a bar selection)
- Cmd+V = Paste (when in a bar selection)
- Shift+E = Toggle eraser
- Shift+B = Change bar line under pointer
- Shift+C = Change clef at the bar under the pointer
- Shift+T = Change the time signature at the bar under the pointer
- Shift+S = Unsolo all staffs
- Alt+S = Show settings
- I = Show Staffs
- V = Show Versions
- D = Show Markup layer
- A = Show Automation
- C = Toggle Click/Metronome
- M = Mute staff (under pointer)
- S = Solo staff (under pointer)
- T = Add text (at pointer position)
- P = Toggle Symbols Palette
- F = Toggle playhead follow
- L = Toggle Lasso select
- Escape (or cmd+period) = cancel selection/return to default state
Staffs control
- Just start typing to search the staffs list
- Arrow keys = navigate list
- Enter = Add staff to score
- Cmd+Backspace = remove staff from list
- Cmd+Enter = Save changes
- Shift+up/down = reorder instruments
- Escape (or cmd+period) = cancel
Additional multitouch gestures (iPadOS only) :
- Three fingers swipe left/right = undo/redo
- Three fingers pinch in = copy
- Three fingers pinch out = paste
- Three finger tap = show undo/redo/copy/paste toolbar