Playing a Score

The bar at the bottom controls playback; the toolbar and the Inspector change how it looks and sounds.

• Playback controls

Playback controls

Play and Pause, skip back and forward by bar, and a progress bar you can drag. The counter shows the bar, beat and time.

Tap the music to jump there. On a Mac, Space plays and pauses, the arrow keys skip bars, Return goes to the start and K turns the metronome on or off.

Practice Speed slows a piece down or speeds it up without changing the pitch. Type any percentage from 10 to 400 in the box, or use the slider (50 to 150).

The tempo is the score's own (from its printed metronome mark) unless you set one: typing a BPM, tapping it or matching a backing track makes it your own, and the Custom Tempo switch under the tempo goes back to the score's. Tap Tempo: tap the tempo (the note and number beside the metronome) and a pad opens with a big Tap key. Tap it in time with the beat; the tempo appears from the second tap and updates with every tap, and a few more make it steadier. It is set as you tap. With a keyboard, the space bar taps while the key is focused. The same pad is under Tempo in the Inspector.

Loop: in the Inspector, Loop plays the bars you choose over and over, to practise a hard passage. On a Mac or with a keyboard, [ slows the practice speed and ] speeds it up.

Count In plays a bar of clicks before the music. Lead-in Bars sets how many bars of introduction come before bar 1, so a backing track with an intro lines up. The Metronome clicks on every beat.

More on this topic

• Play, pause and skipThe bar at the bottom has Play and Pause, skip by bar and a progress bar you can drag.
• Start from any barTap the music to jump to that point, or drag the progress bar.
• Playback keys on a MacSpace plays and pauses, arrows skip bars, Return goes to the start and K toggles the metronome.
• Slow down or speed up without changing pitchPractice Speed runs from 10 to 400 percent and keeps the pitch the same.
• Tempo and Custom TempoThe tempo is the score's own unless you set one; Custom Tempo goes back to the score's.
• Tap the tempoTap the tempo, then tap the Tap key in time with the beat and the tempo follows you.
• Loop a hard passageIn the Inspector, Loop plays the bars you choose over and over.
• Count In and Lead-in BarsCount In plays a bar of clicks first; Lead-in Bars sets how many bars of introduction come before bar 1.
• Use the metronomeThe metronome clicks on every beat and can be turned on and off, with K on a Mac.
• Transpose for your instrumentTransposing typesets the score again in the new key, rather than just labelling it.
• Set your instrumentSetting your instrument to B flat or E flat in the Inspector shows the written note in the tuner.
• Automatic page turningThe page scrolls or curls over like a real book exactly when you need it.
• Notes and bars that light upNotes glow as they sound and a soft wash marks the bar; this needs the Performer plan or above.
• The InspectorThe Inspector holds tempo, practice speed, loop, key, instrument and backing tracks.