Tabula is designed to be driven from the keyboard. This is the full reference; you can also open it inside the app at any time by pressing ?, and search every action — with its shortcut — from the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| 0–9 | Fret digit on tab / drum piece on drums (toggles on drums) |
| A–G | Pitch letter on a notation staff (nearest octave) |
| Enter | Commit pitch / chord tone without advancing |
| N | Enter a rest |
| → | Advance to next beat (commits a pending fret) |
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| ← / → | Previous / next beat |
| ↑ / ↓ | Active string up/down (tab) · step pitch (notation) · walk staff (drums) |
| Home / End | First / last beat of the measure |
| Ctrl+← / Ctrl+→ | Previous / next measure |
| Ctrl+↑ / Ctrl+↓ | Previous / next staff within a grand staff |
| Page Up / Page Down | Previous / next visible track |
| Shift+Tab | Switch between tab and notation staves |
| Shift+← / Shift+→ | Extend selection |
| Ctrl+A | Select all (current track/voice) |
| Alt+↑ / Alt+↓ | Nudge pitch one semitone (add Shift for an octave) |
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| Q W E R T Y | Whole · half · quarter · eighth · 16th · 32nd |
| Numpad 7 6 5 4 3 2 | Same durations (Sibelius/MuseScore numbering) |
| . | Toggle dotted |
| + / − | Step armed duration shorter / longer |
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z | Redo |
| Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V | Copy / cut / paste |
| Ctrl+Shift+C | Copy all tracks (whole bars) |
| Delete | Remove note on active string / drum piece on active line |
| Shift+Delete | Delete the whole beat |
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| I / Shift+I | Insert beat before / after |
| Ctrl+I / Ctrl+Shift+I | Insert measure before / after |
| Ctrl+Delete | Delete measure |
| [ / ] | Toggle repeat-start / repeat-end barline |
| Shift+] / Shift+[ | Increase / decrease repeat count |
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| H | Hammer-on / pull-off to next |
| B | Bend (cycle preset) |
| / | Slide to next |
| = | Tie to next |
| P / L / M | Palm mute / let ring / dead note |
| V | Vibrato (cycle) |
| Alt+T | Open the technique wheel |
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl+K | Insert chord by name |
| Ctrl+Shift+K | Insert chord symbol |
| Ctrl+L | Insert lyric |
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| Space | Play / pause |
| Esc | Stop |
| Keys | Action |
|---|
| ? | Open the keyboard reference |
| Ctrl+Shift+P | Open the command palette |
When you can’t remember a key, the command palette is the fastest way back in — type what you want to do and it shows the action and its shortcut:
