How to Use MusEdit to write Drum notation

1. Create a new, empty MusEdit score by clicking on the New File button (or hit Ctrl+N):
   
    
2. On the Insert menu, choose Other Staff Line | Drums (or hit Shift+Alt+D):
   to insert a drum line:
   
    
3. Close any open toolboxes, then from the Toolboxes menu choose the three most useful for drum notation:
   Common Musical Symbols:
   
   Drum Symbols:
   
   Note Styles:
   
    
4. Go to Help | Drum Percussion Symbols to show the Drum Symbols Legend:
   
   You can use this dialog to define your own system of note shapes and positions for drum sounds. Clicking on a drum sound from the list at right will highlight that sound's symbol on the staffs. Clicking on a different staff/position will redefine the combination for that sound to match your own preference or the system used in a transcription you might be copying. If you wish, drag the edges of the window to shrink it to the minimum size you'll need:
   
    
5. Although you can drop symbols on the staff with the mouse, it can be quicker to use the arrow cursor to click on the staff to mark where a symbol will be entered, and then click on the symbols toolbox to enter the symbol. To switch to using the Arrow cursor, select that option from the Options menu:
   
    
6. The first symbol to be entered will be the "C" ("Common time") time signature. Do this by clicking on the Time Signature button, then select the "C" time signature in the time signature dialog:
   
   Result:
    
7. To enter additional symbols, click the mouse where you want the symbol to be entered, then click on the symbol to enter - in this case, an upstem 16th note:
   Click to position caret:
   then click on the symbols toolbox:
   
    
8. Continue with the next few notes, positioning the caret, then clicking on the symbols toolbox. To enter an X shaped note, click on the X note style, then click on the note type (16th note):
   
   Result:
    
9. Continuing...
   
   
   Use the Drum symbols toolbox to enter the L / R indicators:
   
    
10. Because music often has repeated patterns, MusEdit has provided several shortcut to speed up re-entering previous patterns. Like most other software its easy to select, copy, and paste sections of music. But MusEdit has shortcuts to make it even easier to re-enter:
    • chords ( Ctrl + n means re-enter the nth previous chord )
    • beamed note clusters ( Ctrl + Shift + n means re-enter the nth previous joined group of notes )
    • whole measures ( Alt + n to enter the nth previous measure )

    Drum notation is ideal for these kinds of shortcuts. For example, in this case the second note cluster is a repeat of the first, so it can be entered simply by hitting Ctrl+Shift+1: