Tuplets (Simple Entry)
The word tuplet describes a class of irregular note divisions such as triplets, quintuplets, or septuplets. Simple triplets are easy to create using the Simple Entry tool. If you want to do duplets, septuplets or other tuplets, you’ll need the Simple Entry Tuplet Definition dialog box. For more complex tuplets, such as ratios or nested tuplets, see the Tuplet tool 
.
- Choose the Simple Entry tool
. The Simple Entry palettes appear.
- Choose the icon representing the desired note’s duration. Click any accidental tools, if desired.
- Choose the Simple Tuplet tool
on the Simple Entry palette.
- Click the staff. A note appears where you clicked with rests filling out the rest of the triplet. By default, the triplet will use the duration of the first note to define the triplet. If there isn’t enough room to create the full tuplet or you click within an already existing tuplet, PrintMusic will enter a note of the duration you selected.
- After entering a note or rest with the caret, press 9 (or numpad 9) to begin a triplet on the note just entered. PrintMusic adds rests to complete the triplet. Then, enter the next two notes to replace the rests.
- Double-click the Simple Tuplet tool on the Simple Entry palette.
- Click on the first note in the tuplet. The tuplet is removed and the notes are restored to full value. If there is not enough room in the measure for the full value of the tuplet notes, nothing will happen. Remove the extra notes first, then remove the tuplet definition.
By default, the triplet will use the duration of the first note to define the triplet. If you want to create an eighth note triplet starting with a quarter note, you’ll need to use the below technique.
- Double-click the Simple Tuplet tool on the Simple Entry palette.
- SHIFT-click where you would like to add a tuplet (or with the caret press 9). The Simple Entry Tuplet Definition dialog box appears.
- Specify the rhythmic composition of the tuplet. PrintMusic is asking, “How many notes of what rhythmic value are to fit in the space normally allotted to how many of what value?” Enter the number of each rhythmic value in the text boxes. Specify the rhythmic value itself by selecting the rhythmic-value from the drop-down menu.
For example, to define a standard eighth note duplet, you could fill out the values as “2 (eighths) in the space of 3 (eighths).”
- Click OK. A note appears where you clicked with rests filling out the rest of the tuplet.
- After entering a note with the caret, hold down CTRL and press 9 (or numpad 9) to open the Simple Entry Tuplet Definition dialog box. Define the tuplet as described above and click OK. A tuplet appears based on your settings.
