Keyboard Shortcuts & Tips
Quick reference for shortcuts, drag-and-drop, auto-save, and power user tips.
A quick-reference guide for getting the most out of Nitesong. Bookmark this page — it covers every shortcut, interaction pattern, and useful behavior that power users should know.
Tab Editor Navigation
The guitar tab editor is a 6-string grid. Each row is a string (low E at the bottom, high e at the top) and each column is a position in the tab.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Move between cells | Arrow keys (up / down / left / right) |
| Move to the next position | Tab |
| Move to the previous position | Shift + Tab |
| Enter a single-digit fret (0–9) | Type the digit |
| Enter a two-digit fret (10–24) | Type both digits quickly (e.g., 1 then 2 = fret 12) |
A few things to keep in mind:
- Every cell edit saves automatically — there is no save button. Just type and move on.
- The grid supports common tab lengths: 8, 16, 32, and 64 positions. Pick the length that fits your riff from the toolbar above the grid.
- Arrow keys wrap naturally within the grid, so you can navigate the entire tab without reaching for the mouse.
Drum Sequencer Shortcuts
The drum sequencer is an FL Studio-style step grid. Rows are samples (kick, snare, hi-hats, etc.) and columns are steps in time.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Toggle a step on/off | Click the cell |
| Clear a step | Right-click the cell |
| Switch view mode | Click the Note / Velocity toggle in the toolbar |
| Cycle velocity level (velocity mode) | Click the cell repeatedly — cycles through 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% |
| Hide a sample row | Click the x icon next to the sample name |
| Restore a hidden sample | Click the + button below the grid |
| Clear everything | Click the Reset button — clears all steps and restores all hidden samples |
Velocity levels at a glance
| Level | Opacity | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25% | Ghost note / quiet |
| 2 | 50% | Soft |
| 3 | 75% | Normal |
| 4 | 100% | Full accent |
In Note mode you see filled/empty cells. Switch to Velocity mode to see the numeric levels and fine-tune dynamics.
Piano Roll Shortcuts
The piano roll is a MIDI-style note editor. Rows are pitches (one per semitone) and columns are time steps.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Place a note | Click on the grid at the desired pitch and time |
| Extend a note's duration | Drag the right edge of the note |
| Delete a note | Right-click the note |
| Preview / audition a pitch | Click a piano key on the left side |
| Shift visible octave range | Use the up/down arrow controls in the toolbar |
Additional details:
- Notes snap to the step grid, so placement is always quantized.
- When Highlight Scale is enabled, in-scale rows get a lighter background so you can see at a glance which pitches belong to the song's key.
- The piano roll supports up to 4 octaves of visible range. Use the octave controls to scroll to the register you need.
Drag-and-Drop
Drag-and-drop is used throughout Nitesong for reordering and moving content. Here is where it works:
| What you're dragging | Where | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Section tabs | Tab bar | Reorder sections (drag left/right) |
| Elements | Within a section | Reorder elements vertically |
| Elements | To a different section tab | Move or duplicate the element (a dialog asks you to confirm) |
| Chords | Within a chord progression | Reorder chords in sequence |
| Songs | Between kanban columns | Change the song's status (Idea / In Progress / Finished) |
| Project tabs | Project tab bar | Reorder projects |
| Songs in project sidebar | Tracklist | Reorder songs within a project |
All drag operations use grab handles where available — look for the grip icon on the left side of the draggable item.
Auto-Save
Nitesong auto-saves your work as you go. Different editors save at different speeds depending on the type of content:
| Editor / Field | How it saves |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | Saves shortly after you stop typing |
| Drum patterns | Saves shortly after your last change |
| Piano roll | Saves shortly after your last change |
| Tab cells | Saves immediately on each cell edit |
| Song notes (sidebar) | Saves about a second after you stop typing |
| Inline badges (status, key, BPM) | Saves the moment you pick a new value |
In practice, the app waits until you pause for a moment, then sends a single save. If you keep editing, the timer resets. You never need to hit a save button.
General Tips
Here are some things that are easy to miss but make a big difference once you know them.
Set key and BPM first
Key and BPM are required fields for a reason. The sidebar tools — metronome, key panel, scale fretboard, scale keyboard — all depend on these values. Set them when you create the song so everything is wired up from the start.
Mix notation types freely
A single element can hold multiple notation types at once. Add lyrics and chords and tab to the same element if that is how the part works. Use the Add Notes menu on any element to layer them up.
Explore keys with the Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths sidebar tool is interactive. Click any key to see its relationship to your current song key, and use it to find modulation paths to related keys (relative major/minor, dominant, subdominant).
Scale tools update automatically
When you change the song key, the sidebar fretboard and keyboard tools update immediately to show the new scale. No need to refresh or re-open the tool.
Export MIDI from drums and piano roll
Both the drum sequencer and the piano roll support MIDI export. Look for the export button in each editor's toolbar. The exported files are compatible with any DAW.
Use tap tempo
Not sure what BPM your song is? Open the Metronome in the sidebar and use the Tap Tempo feature — tap along with the feel you have in mind and let Nitesong calculate the BPM for you.
Chat @mentions for everything
The sidebar chat supports @ mentions for three types of targets:
| Mention target | What it does |
|---|---|
| @user | Notifies the mentioned collaborator |
| @section | References a section by name (e.g., @Chorus 1) |
| @element | References an element with section context (e.g., "Verse 1 > Guitar Riff") |
Start typing @ in the chat input to see the suggestion popover with all available targets.