INFORMATION KEYSTROKES
The following list details the keystrokes which can be used to retrieve information about score items and open the most commonly used Sibelius Access dialogs.
- F1 opens the PDF manual that comes with Sibelius. As with all large PDF documents, you may find it difficult to navigate with speech. You should also be aware that this manual contains pictures and special fonts which JAWS will not recognise correctly.
- JAWS+F1 displays screen sensitive help for the current control in dialogs. This information will be displayed in the virtual viewer so that you can use the arrow keys to read it.
- Ctrl+F1 opens the Sibelius Access menu. This contains options that are specific to Sibelius Access.
- Ctrl+Shift+F1 optimizes the tool windows so that they will not interfere with each other. You will only need to do this if the playback, properties or keypad windows are overlapping.
- Alt+F1 opens the verbosity dialog. This allows you to change how items in the score are described as you navigate.
- F2 gives general information about the staff at the current position. The message could include the following facts:
- The number and initial name of the staff. (This name may not be the same as the text which appears to the left of the staff if instrument changes have been used.)
- The clef which is currently being used.
- The key signature which is currently being used. This could be either a system key signature (applying to all staves) or a staff key signature (applying to this staff only).
- Ctrl+F2 describes the instrument which is making use of the staff at the current position. The message could include any of the following facts:
- The name of the instrument. (This will not be the same as the staff name if an instrument change has been used.)
- The number of semi-tones which the written notes are transposed by. E.G. “written 2 semitones higher” means that a pitch heard as C4 will be written as D4.
- The number of strings of a fretted instrument and their tunings. (Tab staves only.) These are listed from the lowest pitch first.
- The number of lines in the stave which the instrument uses.
- The pitch of each line of the staff if it is used by an unpiched percussion instrument. The pitch of the bottom line is spoken first.
- The professional and comfortable ranges of the instrument.
- Shift+F2 speaks the following facts:
- The current tempo. The BPM (beats per minute) will be spoken if no tempo directions can be found, e.g. “100 beats per minute”.
- The current time signature.
- The key signature which is applied to the system. This may not be the same as the key on the currently selected staff.
- Ctrl+Shift+F2 gives brief descriptions of all the system items in the current bar together with there rhythmic positions.
- Alt+F2 opens a dialog which contains a list of all the system items in the score. Pressing enter on the selected item in the list will close the dialog and select that item in the score. Pressing Escape will close the dialog without changing the selection.
- F3 speaks any text items in the filtered text style which are near to the selected note or rest. Tapping this key stroke twice spells the same text. The filtered text style can be set through the filtered text dialog (Alt+F3). (Note that any text matching the filtered text style will be spoken before any other items when navigating, regardless of whether the text comes before or after those items.)
- Shift+F3 reads any text in the filtered style over the last ten bars. This is especially useful for reading lyrics in context.
- Ctrl+F3 reads any text in the filtered style over the next ten bars. This especially useful for reading lyrics in context.
- Ctrl+Shift+F3 speaks any staff items which are near to the selected note or rest. No items will be spoken if the selected item is not a note or rest. Nearby items are classed as being items which begin at the same time as the selected note or before the selected note ends. If the selected note is at the end of a bar then other items which come immediately before the bar line, such as key signatures, will also be spoken.
- Alt+F3 opens the filtered text dialog
This dialog only contains one list and a close button. The list displays all of the staff text and lyric styles which are being used in the score. When the close button is pressed, the selected style will be made the filtered text style, and any text or lyrics which match this style will be given priority in all announcements. Selecting “none” in the list will prevent any text from being treated in this fashion.
- F5 describes the selected item in full as though the verbosity settings were all turned on. The only information which is not spoken is the rhythm of the object and its live playback properties. When a note in a chord is selected, all of the notes in that chord will be spoken. The color, size and hidden status of the item is also spoken.
- Ctrl+F5 speaks the concert pitches of all the notes in the chord. (Concert pitches are the pitches that are heard and may not be the same as those which are written in the parts.) If a text item is selected, the text style will be described.
- Shift+F5 speaks the selected note or notes in the chord in isolation. The position of the note within the chord is also spoken. If a text item is selected, the text within the item is spelt.
- Ctrl+Shift+F5 speaks the concert pitches of the selected notes in the chord in isolation. If a text item is selected, the text will be spelt together with any formatting..E.G. bold, italic, font changes, etc.
- F6 speaks the rhythmic position and duration of the selected item. (Note that text items cannot have a duration.) If a passage is selected the start and end points of the selection are spoken. More information on passage selections can be found in the topic of the same name.
- Ctrl+F6 speaks the live playback positions of the selected notes. Tapping F6 twice speaks the positions of all the notes in the current chord.
- Windows+F6 speaks the live playback durations of the selected notes. Tapping F6 twice speaks the durations of all the notes in the current chord.
- Shift+F6 speaks the live playback velocities of the selected notes. Tapping F6 twice speaks the velocities of all the notes in the current chord.
- F7 speaks the position of the playback line in both bars and beats, and in hours, minutes, seconds and frames.
- Ctrl+F7 speaks the playback tempo in beats per minute and describes the position of the tempo slider as a percentage of the tempo which is written in the score at this point.
- Alt+F7 toggles the metronome.