These are the keyboard shortcuts of ModalJazz. In the app, ? shows the same list, and Cmd-Shift-P finds an action by name.
The default mode. Key commands move the cursor and change the music. Esc always returns here.
Letters type notes. Insert mode pushes the music after the cursor forward; Replace mode types over it.
Motions extend the selection. The edit commands then act on all of the selection.
| Command | What it does |
|---|
:time | Time signature from this measure: 3/4, 6/8, C, C|, 7/8 2+2+3 |
:pickup | Make the first measure a pickup of this length: 1/4 |
:key | Key signature from this measure: Eb, Cm, F#m |
:clef | Clef change at the cursor: treble, bass, alto, tenor |
:bars | Measures: +4 (add at the end), insert 2 (before this measure), insert 2 after, delete |
:barline | Barline after this measure: ||, |., |, dashed, none |
:repeat | Repeat barlines: start, end [times], or both around the selection; off, start off, end off remove them |
:volta | Ending bracket over the selected measures: 1, 2, 1,2 |
:segno | Segno sign at this measure |
:coda | Coda sign at this measure |
:tocoda | "To Coda" at the end of this measure |
:fine | "Fine" at the end of this measure |
:dc | D.C. at the end of this measure: dc, dc al fine, dc al coda |
:ds | D.S. at the end of this measure: ds, ds al fine, ds al coda |
:rehearsal | Boxed rehearsal mark at this measure (the next letter if empty) |
:section | New section at this measure: a new system, numbers from 1, an optional heading ("II."); off removes it |
:break | System break after this measure: on, off (no argument switches it) |
:pagebreak | Page break after this measure: on, off (no argument switches it) |
:numbers | Measure numbers: print none|line-start|all, hint none|all (hints show only on screen) |
:hide | Hide the rest under the cursor, or the rests in the selection |
:show | Show hidden rests again (under the cursor, or in the selection) |
:transpose | Transpose the selection or the score: +M2, -P4 |
:tempo | Tempo mark: q=72, "Andante" q=72, "Swing" q=178 swing, straight, q=q. |
:title | Score title (| starts a new line; {italic} or {small} styles a line) |
:subtitle | Score subtitle (| starts a new line; {italic} or {small} styles a line) |
:composer | Composer (| starts a new line; {italic} or {small} styles a line) |
:lyricist | Lyricist (at the left, on the line of the composer; | starts a new line; {italic} styles a line) |
:arranger | Arranger (printed as "arr. ..."; | starts a new line; {italic} styles a line) |
:copyright | Copyright footer, printed as typed with no prefix: type "© 2026 ..." (| starts a new, smaller line; {italic}, {small} or {full} styles a line) |
:credits | Text under the last system: left|right "Text: ...|Music: ..."; small lines above the title: top "..." (| starts a new line; {italic} styles a line) |
:cover | Page of text before the music, with no page number: add "<text>" [title|large|normal|small] [italic] [tight] (| starts a new line; tight: no blank line above), title (the score title), footer on|off (the copyright), clear |
:new | New score from a template: piano, string-orchestra, full-orchestra, concert-band, jazz-band, choir, choir-piano, woodwind-quintet |
:instrument | Instruments of the cursor's part (or :P3 instrument ... for part 3): add viola (below the part), remove, move up|down, rename "Violin I" "Vln. I" (| starts a new line: "S|A"), brace on|off, barlines split|join|auto, hideempty on|off (off: :set hideempty keeps this part), systemmarks on|off (tempo and rehearsal marks above this part too), group "Choir" "Ch." (name the bracket) |
:w | Save |
:e | Open a file (native or MusicXML) |
:q | Close |
:wq | Save and close |
:export | Export: pdf, parts (a PDF of the score and of each part), musicxml, svg, session (the session history, for a bug report) |
:part | Show the part of one instrument: a part name or number |
:score | Show the full score again (after :part) |
:set | Settings: one setting and its value, from the table of settings (Tab lists them) |
:speed | Playback speed: 80% |
:solo | Play one hand or one part only: rh, lh, a part, off |
:mute | Silence a part: a part name or number, off |
:unmute | Play a muted part again: a part name or number |
:loop | Play the selection again and again |
:chords | Chord symbol entry from the cursor: Space goes to the next beat |
:notation | Notation of this staff: slash (slashes with no stems), standard |
:notehead | Notehead of the selection or this chord: slash (rhythm slashes), normal, x, diamond |
:slur | Side of the slurs that start at this chord or in the selection: above, below, auto |
:artic | Side of the staccatos, tenutos, accents, and marcatos on this chord or in the selection: above, below, auto |
:bow | Bow mark on this chord or on the chords in the selection: down, up, off |
:ornament | Mordent or turn on this chord or the selection: mord, imord (short trill), turn, iturn, dturn (after the note), none; then the small accidentals, above/below: :ornament turn #/b, :ornament mord /# |
:tuplet | Side of the number and bracket of the tuplets on this chord or in the selection: above, below, auto |
:cue | Make the selection or this event cue notes: small, and not played; off makes them normal |
:tremolo | Tremolo on this chord or on the chords in the selection: 1 to 4 (slashes), z (buzz roll), pair (with the next chord; pair 2 for two beams), off |
:hairpin | Side of the hairpins that start at this chord or in the selection: above (on the line of the dynamics above), below, auto |
:text | Order of the texts at the cursor's time: up (the bottom line goes up one line), down (the top line goes down), up 3 or down 2 (line 1 is the top) |
:lyrics | Lyric entry from the cursor: 1 (the first verse), 2, 3; then above or below the staff; then italic or roman |
:tutor | The tutorial: resume, a lesson number, next, previous, restart |
| Setting | What it does |
|---|
:set follow|nofollow | The view follows the playback line (app window only) |
:set sound|nosound | A note sounds when you write it, change its pitch, or move to it (app window only) |
:set minimap|nominimap | A small map of the pages in a corner of the window (app window only) |
:set speed N | Playback speed in percent of the tempo, 10 to 400: speed 80% (app window only) |
:set pedal bracket|mixed|text|open|plain | The style of new pedal marks: a bracket line, "Ped." then a line (the default), "Ped." and "*", a line that resumes after a notch, a plain line (app window only) |
:set view page|scroll | Pages, or one long line of music (app window only) |
:set pages column|pairs | The page view shows the pages in one column, or in pairs side by side as in a book (app window only) |
:set firstpage left|right | The side of page 1 in a book; each page number is at the outer edge of its page |
:set font bravura|leland | The music font (default leland) |
:set staffsize N|default | Staff space in mm, 0.8 to 3 (default 1.82); with no value, the message shows the value |
:set staffdistance N|default | Smallest distance between the staves of a system, in staff spaces (default 7) |
:set systemdistance N|default | Smallest distance between systems, in staff spaces (default 8) |
:set hairpin N|default | Height of the open end of a hairpin, in staff spaces (default 1.5) |
:set fingering sans|glyphs|italic | The look of the fingerings |
:set names full|short|none | The part names at the systems: full then short names, short names only, or none |
:set chords maj7|M7|Δ|m|mi|-|standard | The spelling of the chord-symbol suffixes: a major-seventh sign, a minor sign, or standard |
:set keynaturals all|few | The naturals at a key change: for each dropped accidental, or only for a change to C major or A minor |
:set copyright all|first|last | The pages that show the copyright footer |
:set paper letter|a4|tabloid|a3 | The paper size |
:set mmrest|nommrest | Multimeasure rests for runs of empty measures |
:set octavecourtesy|nooctavecourtesy | A courtesy accidental after the same letter in another octave |
:set brackets|nobrackets | The group brackets across parts |
:set hideempty|nohideempty | Each system after the first leaves out the staves that have nothing in it |
:set repeatwings|norepeatwings | Wings on the repeat bar lines |
:set concert|noconcert | Concert pitch, or written pitch, for transposing parts |
:set splash|nosplash | The splash screen at startup (app window only) |
:set agent on|off | Agents can change the open scores through the agent socket (app window only) |
