Fermata Friday: Creating Kicks Over Time in Sibelius

If you have any experience using Finale, you’re probably well aware that creating kicks over time is not exactly an intuitive process. Thankfully, Sibelius has a bit of a different approach to this ever so common notation.

To start, select layer 1 on the keypad and enter your “kicks” on the first space above the staff.

Next, switch to layer 2 on the keypad and enter four quarter notes on the middle line of the staff.

Now, select the quarter notes you just entered and hit ⌥⇧3 (option+shift+3).




Voilà! You now have slash notation under your “kicks”. The only thing you may have left to do is select any rests and nudge them up a bit.

-by LC Tech Blog contributor Michal Skrzypek

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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

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