Making The Most of Notation Software

There may be times when you want to capture a screen of notation or something else and paste it into another program or save in a graphic file format. I do a lot of screen capture for my posts on this blog and in my work and teaching. I’ve found that using a 3rd party screen capture application provides advantages. It can make the screen capture process faster and offer you more options for saving and sharing. Another advantage to using 3rd party screen capture is some programs lock out the built-in screen capture (such as SmartMusic www.smartmusic.com).  With 3rd party programs, you can override and take screen captures as needed.

Both Mac and Windows have built-in screen capture options.

• Mac: http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#capturescreen
• Windows: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-xp/help/setup/take-a-screen-shot

Mac Screen Capture

On Mac, I use SnapsPro X for most of my screen capture and video capture needs. It costs $69 and there is a free trial available.
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/

Check out the tutorial video on how to customize your screen capture.
http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/videos/

Windows Screen Capture

On Windows, I use Snagit!
http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.html

Another option on Windows is Jing
http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html

There are other shareware and freeware screen capture software applications.  These are the ones I have found helpful and worth the money.

In a previous post, I discussed the difference between slurs and ties. This post focuses on entering slurs in Sibelius.

Entering Slurs

To enter a slur in Sibelius, you have a couple of options:

1. Select the first note of the slur.
2. Press the letter S. This enters a 2-note slur
3. To extend the slur, press the space bar.

Another option that is very helpful with 3 or more note slurs or when you want to enter a slur over a system break:

1. Select the notes that encompass the slur using click and shift-click.
2. Press the letter S.

TIP: If you forget the shortcut S for slur, press the letter L for the lines menu. This will give you all of the slur options in Sibelius.

Slurs that encompass Ties

When a slur starts on a tied note, the slur should start at the first of the notes that are tied together. Similarly, if a slur ends on a
tied note, the slur should end on the last of the tied notes.

The above is from “Standard Music Notation Practice”
http://icking-music-archive.org/lists/sottisier/notation.pdf

To make slurs more visible, the very ends and the highest or lowest point of the arch should avoid touching a staff line.

Adding Slurs to Lyrics via the Plug-in

If you have a  number of  slurs necessary over the word extensions (the melismas). To save time, you can add these automatically using the Add Slurs to Lyrics plug-in.

1. Select the entire score or passage you wish to add slurs to melismas.
2. Sibelius 7: Choose Text > Plug-ins > Add Slurs to Lyrics
   Sibelius 6:  Choose Plug-ins > Text > Add Slurs to Lyrics.

Before running the plug-in:

After running the plug-in. I manually added the highlights in Sibelius.

Dashed or Dotted Slurs in Vocal Music

Dashed slurs are also used to indicate an editor’s suggestion (as opposed to the composers original markings). And sometimes they are used to indicate singing through a spot without taking a breath.

From: http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/8/86/Feroci_Dextera.pdf

Dashed slurs are sometimes used in songs where the presence of a slur varies between stanzas.
From: http://www0.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/My_God,_I_am_thine;_what_a_comfort_divine_%28Joel_Thorne%29

Entering Dashed Slurs

1. Press the letter L to open the Lines menu.
2. Select one of the dashed or dotted slurs.

Dangling Slurs in First and Second Endings

There are times when you may not want the slurs to attach to the notes such as at first and second endings. See the example, below where the tie is leading to the second ending.

To to this, you want to enter a non-magnetic slur.

1. Press Esc. so nothing is selected.
2. Press the letter S
3. Click the mouse where you want to place the slur.
4. Manipulate the slur using the mouse.

By default, non-magnetic slurs are red. Normal magnetic slurs are blue.

Copying Just the Slurs

1. If you have a lot of passages with the same slurs, you can use the plug-in:
2. Select the slurs you want to duplicate and copy them CTRL+C (Command+C on Mac).
3. Select the passage or passages where you want to paste the slurs.
4. Sibelius 7:  Choose Note Input > Plug-ins > Notes and Rests > Copy Articulations and Slurs.
   Sibelius 6: Choose Plug-ins > Notes and Rests > Copy Articulations and Slurs.
5. Paste the copied slurs to the new passage: CTRL+V (Command+V on Mac).

In a previous post, I discussed the difference between slurs and ties. This post focuses on entering slurs in Finale.

Entering Slurs

1. Click the Smart Shape tool  . The Smart Shape menu appears.
2. Choose Smart Shape > Smart Slur Options. The most common way to enter slurs is to have them set to attach to notes.
3. Double-click to add a 2-note slur.
4. To add an extended slur, double-click the mouse but hold down the second click and drag through the notes.

Slurs Over a System Break

To add an extended slur, double-click the mouse but hold down the second click and drag through the system to the place where you want the slur to end.

Slurs that encompass Ties

When a slur starts on a tied note, the slur should start at the first of the notes that are tied together. Similarly, if a slur ends on a
tied note, the slur should end on the last of the tied notes.

The above is from “Standard Music Notation Practice”
http://icking-music-archive.org/lists/sottisier/notation.pdf

To make slurs more visible, the very ends and the highest or lowest point of the arch should avoid touching a staff line.

Adding Slurs to Melismas with a Plug-in

If you have a  number of  slurs necessary over the word extensions (the melismas). To save time, you can add these automatically using the Auto Slur Melismas plug-in.

1. Choose the Selection tool .
2. Select the entire document or a select portion.
3. Choose (Plug-ins in Windows) > Lyrics > Auto Slur Melismas. Finale analyzes the score and adds the slurs automatically.

Before running plug-in

After running plug-in

Dashed or Dotted Slurs in Vocal Music

Dotted slurs are also used to indicate an editor’s suggestion (as opposed to the composers original markings). And sometimes they are used to indicate singing through a spot without taking a breath.

From: http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/8/86/Feroci_Dextera.pdf

Dotted slurs are sometimes used in songs where the presence of a slur varies between stanzas.
From: http://www0.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/My_God,_I_am_thine;_what_a_comfort_divine_%28Joel_Thorne%29

To enter dashed slurs, choose the SmartShape tool and then the Dashed Slur tool. Enter as you would a normal slur.

Dangling Slurs in First and Second Endings

There are times when you may not want the slurs to attach to the notes such as at first and second endings. See the example, below where the tie is leading to the second ending.

To do this:

1. Choose the SmartShape Tool.
2. Select SmartShape > Attach to Measures.
3. Enter the slur by double-clicking on the Db half note in the 2nd ending and dragging the mouse to the left.

Copying Just the Slurs

1. Click the Selection tool  .
2. Choose Edit > Edit Filter. The Edit Filter dialog box appears.
3. Click Smart Shapes (Attached to Notes) and (Attached to Measures).
4. Select the region containing the Smart Shapes you want to copy.
5. Copy the selection: Edit > Copy.
6. Go to the destination and right-click the mouse and choose Paste or Paste Multiple if you want to enter it in more than one bar.

This post deals with setting an initial tempo marking in a Finale or Sibelius file and then changing it as the piece progresses.

The fisrt step is to indicate the tempo above the first bar of the piece. Then, enter tempo changes where you want them to occur later in the piece.

Sibelius: Setting and Changing Tempos

When you start a new score, in the Quick Start menu,  there is an option to include an inital tempo marking or metronome mark. Doing this will set the tempo to the specific metronome marking or beats per minute.

If you forget to do this when you are creating your Sibelius score, you can add one after the fact:

1. Select the first bar of the piece
2. Sibelius 6: Choose Create > Text > Metronome Mark
3. Sibelius 7:  Choose Text > Styles > Metronome Mark

To enter another metronome mark, you can follow the above steps – select the bar and choose Text > Metronome mark. Another way to go is to copy and paste the metronome mark and then edit it. This saves going to the menu.

1. Select the Metronome mark in bar 1.
2. Copy it
3. Paste it into the bar where you want to change the tempo
4. Double-click on the copied metronome mark and edit the number to the desired tempo.

Finale: Setting and Changing Tempos

When you start a new score, using the Setup Wizard,  there is an option to include an initial tempo marking or metronome mark. Doing this will set the tempo to the specific metronome marking or beats per minute.

If you forget to do this when you are creating your Sibelius score, you can add one after the fact:

1. Choose the Expression Tool.
2. Double-click in the first measure.
3. Select Tempo Marks and then click “Create Tempo Mark.”
4. Choose the note value  from the pull down menu
5. Enter = [the desired tempo marking]
6. Select the marking you created and click assign.

You can enter additional tempo markings as needed.

I have been using an iPad for about a year now and I have found it to be helpful with my notation score creation, sharing and for practice and demonstration. This posts covers how to play back Finale and Sibelius files on the iPad and the app I use to create music notation: Notion. With the fast-changing landscape in the app world, it is hard to keep up with developments. Please post your comments, questions and suggestions about what you are using with regard to notation and the iPad.

PART ONE: Playing back your Sibelius or Finale files

As of this date, there are apps for both Finale and Sibelius so you can play back all of your files. You can’t edit the notation in these apps, but they are handy for playing back music for practice or demonstration.

Avid Scorch for iPad (free):
https://itunes.apple.com/app/avid-scorch/id436394592

The company who sells Sibelius, Avid, maintains a free iPad app that you can download for playing back Sibelius files. Transpose the music to play in any  key;  change instrument sounds;  or convert to and from guitar tab; view the score or individual parts; music stand mode to turn pages quickly. For more information on the app read the Sibelius blog post:
http://www.sibelius.com/products/avid_scorch/index.html
http://www.sibeliusblog.com/news/introducing-avid-scorch-for-ipad/

Finale Songbook for iPad (free): 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id529531809?mt=8

With Finale Songbook for iPad you can open your Finale files and play them back. You can view the score or the part.  The Songbook can also open and display PDF files so you can put lots of music into the app even if it is not a Finale file. The PDF files don’t play back, so use them only for display purposes. Check out the company promo for the latest version of the App as of early 2013:

PART TWO:  Creating notation on the iPad and sending it to Finale or Sibelius via Music XML

If you want to create notation on your iPad, you will need to purchase a stand-alone app. The one app I have used successfully is Notion.

Notion App ($14.99):
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/notion/id475820434?mt=8

http://www.notionmusic.com/products/notionipad.html
Overview:

From Computer to iPad

To get files out of Notion into your computer to use with Finale or Sibelius, export the file on the iPad to Music XML. Then import the Music XML into Finale or Sibelius. To go the other way, export the Finale or Sibelius file to XML and then import it into Notion on the iPad. Sibelius 7 is the first version of Sibelius to be able to export music XML directly from the app.

Moving files back and forth via the Cloud

I find the simplest way to move files from my computer to the iPad is using a cloud app such as DropBox.

Publishers often display a cautionary or courtesy accidental in scores and parts. This occurs when an accidental is in one bar but not in the next. The rule in music is an accidental is cancelled by the barline. However, it is common to include cautionary accidentals.

There are two ways to apply these accidentals in Finale and Sibelius:
manually or  one note at a time or using a global setting to apply cautionary accidentals to the entire document.

Process: Global and Manual

The fastest option is for Finale and Sibelius to automatically apply cautionary accidentals. Then, if needed, I will add the cautionary accidental manually one at a time. Both options are described below.

Sibelius Cautionary Accidentals

(Finale steps below)

Global Settings (Sibelius)

In Sibelius, the global settings are located in the House Styles > Engraving Rules > Accidentals. Currently, the Sibelius 7 default setting is to have the cautionary accidentals appear without parentheses.

So, I change the settings so the courtesy accidentals are placed automatically in parentheses.

Entering Cautionary Accidentals Manually (Sibelius)

There are times when the global settings will not apply a cautionary accidental. For example, if the same note appears a measure or bar later. In these cases, you will need to apply the cautionary accidental manually:

1. Select the note
2. From the last Keypad, choose the “Bracket Accidental” option.

Finale Cautionary Accidentals

Global Settings (Finale)

Finale uses a plug-in to apply the cautionary accidentals to some or all of the score. I usually apply the plug-in when  the score is complete and ready for page layout adjustments and/or printing.

1. Choose the Selection Tool
2. Select the entire score:  Edit > Select All
3. Choose Plug-ins > Note, Beam, and Rest Editing > Cautionary Accidentals
4. Make the adjustments to the plug-in window. These are the settings that I use.
5. Apply the Note Spacing options.

Entering Cautionary Accidentals Manually (Finale)

There are times when the global settings will not apply a cautionary accidental. For example, if the same note appears a measure or bar later. In these cases, you will need to apply the cautionary accidental manually.

Below are the steps to enter a cautionary accidental from the Finale manual.

Finale and Sibelius, as well as other notation and DAW software, can export files in audio format. There are two common uncompressed audio formats: AIFF and WAV. These are the file types used on CD recordings.  AIFF is a Mac format and WAV is Windows. However, both formats are interchangeable and can be read on each computer platform.

What is MP3?

MP3 is a compressed file format. The objective with compressing files is to make them smaller in size so they are easier to download without losing too much of the audio quality. MP3 is approximately a 10-1 compression. So, an AIFF or WAV file that is 10MB (10 megabytes) will be approximately 1MB (1 megabyte) when converted to the MP3 file format. For more information on MP3 go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3.

Audio file size from Get Info of the uncompressed file:

Same file converted to MP3:

Audio and DAW software such as Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase and others can save in uncompressed audio and they typically can convert to MP3 as well. If you own DAW or Audio software including the free program Audacity check the documentation to find out how to do the MP3 conversion.

Sibelius

Sibelius 7 and earlier versions, can export files in uncompressed audio format, however, the conversion to MP3 is not built in to the software. So, you will have to take two steps: save the file in Audio format and then use another program to make the MP3 conversion. See below for converting files using Apple’s iTunes.

Finale

The current version, Finale 2012, has two options for saving audio files. If you set the MIDI/Audio playback engine to “Play Though MIDI” then when you export audio, there will be an option of saving in AIFF/WAV or MP3.

This uses the computer’s build-in sounds so the quality of the audio is not as good as using the samples that come with the program. However, if you use Audio Units to playback the file, then when you export the Audio file you will only have the option of saving in full audio format and using an external program to make the MP3 conversion.

Converting WAV or AIFF files to MP3

There are lots of ways to convert audio files to the compressed 10-1 conversion of MP3. If you own audio or DAW software, you could save the audio from Finale or Sibelius and then open it in this software and make the conversion. If you don’t own DAW software, then you can make the conversion using Apple’s iTunes, a free download for Mac and Windows.

1. Review the steps to set the preferences in iTunes to convert to MP3: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1550. 
2. After you have made the settings in iTunes, you can convert a file or files to MP3.
3. From the iTunes File menu, choose Add to Library or drag the file into the Library window.
4. Select the file you want to convert to MP3.
5. Choose File > Create New Version > MP3.
6. This will create a copy of the file in MP3 format.
7. Select the converted file and choose:  File > Show in Finder (Mac) or Show in Windows Explorer (on Windows). You can also right-click on the file to get this window.
8. This is the location in the iTunes folder where the converted file resides. You can upload it from here or drag it to an email message. Or, if you want to move the file, you can drag it to a document folder or the desktop.

Previously, I did a post on how to create chord symbols from notation that is already entered in Finale. In this post, I address manually typing Chords into Finale and getting the correct chord suffix and playback.

There are two parts to a chord symbol:

The root and/or the root and altered bass. This is represented by the capital letter. For example a C major triad would be entered as:  C
A C major triad with G in the bass would be entered as C/G where the slash indicates an altered bass note.

The second part of the chord symbol is the chord suffix or extension of the chord. For example, if you want to indicate a C dominant 7th chord, it would be entered C7. There are many, many types of chord suffixes and different ways they are notated in popular music. It is not uncommon to see a chord such as C7(#9#11) or Cmin7(b5). To make it more confusing, there are a variety of ways composers and arrangers notate the same chord. For example a minor triad could be entered Fm, Fmin, or F-.

There are two reasons to be sure that you enter the chord root and suffix using the right syntax in Finale. Namely, it will look correct and Finale will play back the correct chord. There is a basic playback option that Finale has built in when chord symbols are entered. This can be turned on or off by selecting the Chord tool and checking or unchecking Chord Playback in the Chord menu. This basic chord playback is designed to be used as a  reference when composing with chord symbols. I often turn this off when I add a piano and/or guitar part to an arrangement.

Typing Chords into Finale

Next, let’s go through the process that I use the majority of the time to enter chords: typing them into the score.

1. Choose the Chord Tool by clicking the icon in the Main Tool Palette or choose it from the Tools menu.
2. From the Chord menu, check to be sure Manual Input is selected. In earlier versions of Finale, there is a “Type into the Score” option. In 2012, the only option is Manual input.
     
3. Go to the staff where you want to enter the chord symbols and click on a note or rest in the bar.
   THE ARROWS or POSITIONING TRIANGLES:  When entering lyrics or chords, Finale displays 4 arrows on the left of the staff. These are for aligning the chords. The left most arrow controls the base line for all staves in the piece, The arrow second from the left controls the baseline for this staff only for the entire piece. The third arrow from the left controls the baseline for this system only and the 4th from the left controls the position of the next chord to be entered. So, drag these arrows with care!
   
4. Type the root – a capital letter. In this example, I want to enter  a D major 7 chord, so I enter a D.
5. Finale has a library of chord suffixes that are loaded each time you create a file. In order to get the correct look and playback, you must be aware of these suffixes. To see the chord suffix library, enter the root and then type colon (:) zero (0), so it looks like:  D:0 and press return/enter. This brings up the chord suffix library. You can click on the suffix and enter it into the score. However, what I would do is get familiar with the syntax of the chord suffixes so you can just type them in to save time. The syntax has to be exact!
6. What will happen if you type in the suffix that does not exist? For example, if you type F- (F followed by a dash) instead of Fm or Fmin for an F minor triad,  since these are the only two suffixes in the standard Finale chord suffix library and minus has not been included,  Finale will give you an error message:
7. Type No and go back and review step 5, above to see what suffix is in the library. The reason is if you click Yes to the above dialog box, you will be asked to enter the playback for the chord. It is a bit confusing and I had to review the Finale Documentation to get this to work. If you do nothing, the minus suffix will play back as a major triad, not minor.  So, my recommendation is to click no and go back and review what suffixes are already in the library for that particular chord.

Chord Font Libraries

Finale comes with several custom chord libraries. These are chosen when you start a new score using the Setup Wizard in the Ensemble and Document Style window. If you click Hand Written, the chord font will be unique and include more popular and jazz type of chord suffixes.

If you select Handwritten in Finale 2012, you will get an entirely different chord suffix font set. Enter a root of a chord and then colon and zero to see the library.

TIP: You can use the metatool numbers to enter chords that you use frequently. For example, if you want to use the diminished 7 marking with the 0. You can enter the root followed by colon (:) 150 and press return. This will also enter the suffix.

3rd Party Chord Libaries

Finale has been around a long time and lots of composers have created their own custom chord fonts. An excellent list of these options is available in the Appendix of the Finale User Manual
http://www.finalemusic.com/UserManuals/Finale2012Mac/Content/Finale/Alternative_music_fonts.htm

TIP: Want to enter chords with something other than letter names?  You can, by choosing the Chord Tool and from the Chord menu choose Chord Style and one of the options. Refer to the Finale manual for more information on fonts. 

For more information on chord entry, consult the Finale User Manual.

Sibelius has a host of text styles. It is important to understand the various categories of text and how they function. For example, some text is designed to be printed on one staff or instrument and others on all of the parts and the score. And, all of the text styles are “smart”  in that they have built-in characteristics such as size, font, play back and more.

Staff Text includes text that is added to one staff or instrument, not necessarily all of the instruments in the score. This includes Lyrics, Chords, Technique Text and Expressions as well as other staff items such as fingerings.

Staff Text Above the Staff

Chords are entered by selecting the note or rest and using the shortcut CTRL+K (Command+K on Mac). Enter the chords and the suffix such as C7, Dmaj7 and so forth. Sibelius will convert the text you type into the closest chord and suffix. If the chord turns red, Sibelius does not recognize the suffix.

TIP: You can respell chord text that has been entered via Text > Chord Symbols.

Technique Text is used for placing text above an individual staff. For example, if you  want to indicate specific mutes in brass or add text such as solo or tutti.  Select the note or bar and choose the shortcut CTRL+T (Command+T on Mac).

Special Staff Text is also preset up in Sibelius. For example, if you are labeling the cymbals on a drum set staff, or indicating fingerings, choose
Text  > Styles >  Techniques. The drum set markings are a smaller text size as are the fingerings and drum sticking.

Staff Text Below the Staff

Lyrics are entered by select the note or rest. Use the shortcut CTRL+L (Command+L on Mac). Then enter the lyrics. Type a dash (-) at a syllable break and press the space bar at the end of a word.

Expressions such as dynamics and other indications such as legato are entered as an expression. Select the note or bar and use the shortcut CTRL+E (Command+E on Mac). Right-click and choose the expression or type it with the mouse. Dynamics appear in a special bold font and should be selected from the contextual menu.

System Text is text that appears over one staff in the score but in all of the parts when they are printed separately. System text can also have a specific playback built in to it.

Tempo and Metronome Marks actually do set the tempo. If you choose Largo or Presto Tempo Text, Sibelius will set an appropriate tempo. For setting a specific metronome marking, use Metronome Mark. So, if you want to change the tempo in a piece, copy the metronome marking from the first bar and change the number accordingly.

Other System Text includes title, composer, DS and DC al Coda and copyright. The DS/DC al Coda must be entered from this text style in order for it to play back properly.

Rehearsal Marks are entered in their own special manner so they will automatically number and renumber if one or more is deleted or added to the score. Select the bar where you want to place a rehearsal mark and use the shortcut CTRL+R (Command+R on Mac).

TIP: Do use the Symbols menu when entering markings the Segno and Coda signs. They will play back. However, most of the symbols in the menu do not play back and should be used  for graphic display only – not playback. 

TIP: Once you enter a specific type of text in Sibelius, you don’t have to go hunting for it in the tabs and menus. Rather, select the first entry and copy and paste it to the next location and then double-click and edit what has been copied.

This post is meant to be an overview of text styles in Sibelius. For more information on the various text styles consult the Sibelius documentation.

In my courses and workshops, one of the most common mistakes that I see is  entering slurs and ties incorrectly in Finale and Sibelius. The reason to get them right is that playback will be off especially if you are entering ties where there should be slurs. And, the look of the items will not be accurate.  See below for the steps to entering slurs and ties in Finale or Sibelius.

Entering Ties in Finale

Ties are entered in Finale using either the Speedy or Simple entry tool. I usually add ties as I am entering the notation. If you are using Finale’s real-time entry HyperScribe or importing MIDI files, you will have to use Speedy or Simple entry to edit the entries that are incorrect.

1. Enter the left note of the tie
2. Press the letter T all by itself or choose Simple or Speedy menu > Edit Commands > Modify Entry >  Tie to next note.
3. To remove a tie, select the left note of the tie and press the letter T.

TIP: The old Speedy note shortcut was the equals (=) sign. This still works to enter a tie but you can also press the letter T. The equals sign does not work as a shortcut in Simple entry.

Entering Slurs in Finale

1. Choose the SmartShape Tool.
2. In the SmartShape palette, click the Slur Tool.
3. To enter a 2-note slur, double-click on the left note.
4. To enter a slur over 3 or more notes, double-click on the first note and hold down the second mouse click.
5. Drag the mouse though the notes to the end of the slur.
6. If the Slur Tool handles are displayed, you can flip the slur by pressing the letter F or choosing it from the SmartShape menu.

TIP: When adding slurs to an existing tie, the slur should encompass both notes.

Entering Ties in Sibelius

Ties should be entered from the first Keypad layout. I usually input ties as I am entering the notation.

1. enter the left note of the tie
2. click the Enter Key on the first Keypad layout. Do not select the tie before you enter the note as it will be assigned to the last note entered.

Entering Slurs in Sibelius

Slurs in Sibelius come from the lines menu. The shortcut to enter a 2-note slur is the letter S.

1. press Esc so nothing is selected.
2. select the left note of the slur to highlight it.
3. press the letter S. You can also select it from the Lines menu.

You can tell is it is a slur or tie by clicking on it. Slurs have handles so you can manually adjust the height and length of the slur. Ties do not.

To enter a 3 or more note slur in Sibelius. You have two options:

1. select the first note of the slur, and press the letter S
2. Then press the space bar to expand the slur

The second option:

1. press Esc  to clear the cursor
2. click on the first note of the slur to select it
3. hold down shift and click on the last note of the slur
4. press the letter S to enter the slur.
5. When the slur is highlighted you can flip it by pressing the letter X.