Fermata Friday: Working With the Keypad in Sibelius

Sibelius offers time-saving shortcuts (and many of them!) with keyboard shortcuts. Learn the keypad shortcuts, and you will work much more quickly. Be aware that the numeric keypad doesn't exist on the laptop keyboard, so if you plan to use Sibelius a lot, it is recommended that you get a USB keypad, or a full size keyboard. With an iPhone or iPod touch you can purchase an ap called NumberKey. You can also come and work in the Learning Center with our full size keyboards.

Show or hide Sibelius' keypad palette window with the icon button.


The keypad corresponds to the numeric keypad, so that Enter inputs a rest, 4 a quarter note, 9 a flat accidental and so on. Enter your rhythmic value, then use your MIDI keyboard to choose the pitch.

The strength of the keypad in Sibelius is that there are 6 different layouts that can trigger different items.

Enter in less common notes, tremolos or change beaming, common articulations, jazz articulations and less common accidentals. Use F7 - F12 to change between the layouts.

Once you become proficient with the keyboard shortcuts, you can enter most anything without using the mouse or trackpad at all.

-by LC Tech Blog contributor Chris Fitzgerald