Writing & Editing Music

The score editor changes the notes in a MusicXML score. A PDF is first read by the app, and the editor works on a copy of what it read. Open it with Edit Score (the music-note-list button; in Simple mode it appears for scores you created).

• The nine modes

The nine modes

The strip at the bottom of the editor has one mode for each kind of job, so the controls for a job are together. Swipe the strip for the rest.

Notes: touch a rest and slide up or down to choose the pitch; lift to put a note there, as long as the length chosen below. Drag a note up or down to move it. Scribble back and forth over a note to rub it out. Select a note, then tap a length to change how long it lasts.

Rests: tap a note to turn it into a rest of the chosen length. Tap a rest to select it and change its length, or use the bin to take it off the page (the bar keeps its length).

Marks: tap a note, then add a sharp, flat or natural, tie it to the next note, or give it staccato, accent, tenuto, marcato or a fermata. Tap one again to take it off.

Dynamics: tap a note (the dynamic goes at that note) or a bar (at its start), then choose ppp to fff. Crescendo and Diminuendo put a hairpin over the bar; Longer and Shorter stretch it over more bars.

Bars: repeat signs, and adding or deleting a bar. Expand Repeats writes the piece out as it is played.

Form: first and second time bars, jumps (Segno, Coda, To Coda, D.C., D.S., Fine) and tempo marks.

Medley: drag across bars to choose them, then Copy, Cut, Paste, Duplicate or Delete, or Insert from Score to take bars from another score in your library.

Erase: touch or drag over notes and rests. A note becomes a rest; a rest comes off the page. Double-tap Apple Pencil to switch to the eraser and back.

Draw: write over the music with Apple Pencil, with pen, marker, pencil and colour tools. The ink stays on the page.

More on this topic

• Open the score editorEdit Score opens the editor, which works on MusicXML scores and on a copy of what the app read from a PDF.
• The nine editor modesOne strip of nine modes at the bottom of the editor: Notes, Rests, Marks, Dynamics, Bars, Form, Medley, Erase and Draw.
• Notes mode: add and move notesSlide on a rest to choose a pitch, lift to place a note, drag to move one, scribble to rub it out.
• Rests modeTurn a note into a rest, change a rest's length, or take a rest off the page.
• Marks mode: accidentals, ties and articulationsAdd a sharp, flat or natural, tie notes, or give a note staccato, accent, tenuto, marcato or a fermata.
• Dynamics modePut dynamics from ppp to fff on a note or bar, and crescendo or diminuendo hairpins over bars.
• Bars mode: repeats, adding and deleting barsRepeat signs, adding or deleting a bar, and Expand Repeats to write a piece out as it is played.
• Form mode: endings, jumps and tempo marksFirst and second time bars, Segno, Coda, To Coda, D.C., D.S., Fine and tempo marks.
• Medley mode: copy, cut and paste barsDrag across bars to choose them, then Copy, Cut, Paste, Duplicate or Delete, or Insert from Score.
• Erase modeTouch or drag over notes and rests to erase them; double-tap Apple Pencil to switch to the eraser.
• Draw modeWrite over the music with Apple Pencil using pen, marker, pencil and colour tools; the ink stays on the page.
• Edit a score that came from a PDFThe app first reads a PDF, and the editor works on a copy of what it read.
• Stop a resting hand changing notesThe setting Edit with Apple Pencil Only stops a resting hand changing notes.