How do you enter triplets in editable notation? e.g. The current song I'm working on is 4/4 even 8's. I want a measure with 2 quarter notes followed 3 quarter-note triplets to fill out the measure.

1: Right-click this location
2: Set the resolution to 3 beats

I think John may want three quarter notes played over two beats.

The default resolution depends on the style. Since you say your song has even 8ths, it is what BIAB calls an even style as opposed to a swing style. John, I assume your selected style appears in the Style Picker as Even8 or maybe Even16. For either, the answer is the same. If my assumption is wrong, please write back.

What I do, which may not be the most efficient way but it works, is the following:

In Editable Notation Mode, there are four vertical dotted lines per beat, for a total of 16 vertical dotted lines per measure. I enter my first two quarter notes on the first and fifth vertical line. Then for the triplet, I enter a note on the 9th, 12th, and 15th line.

It looks bad, but wait, we're not done.

Then I right-click on what will be the middle note of the triplet, line 12, and change the timing from x(measure), 3 (beat) 97 or some number like that, to 80 for the last number, which they call the tick. Why? There are by default 120 ticks in a beat, so 80 is 2/3 of that. Continuing, I right-click on the final triplet note and change the tick number from 67 or so to 40. 40 is 1/3 through the final beat. This makes it a quarter note triplet.

This will now SOUND correct.

If it's important that it LOOK correct, you can click on the Opt. icon, 5th row down, far left, and select Triplet Resolution. It will be Unchecked, since you had selected a style that is NOT Swing. Then in Leadsheet Mode, you will see actual quarter note triplets.

If all that sounds tedious, what I do when I have this figure occurring many times in a song is copy that measure to the other locations, and change the pitches if needed. Not so bad.

At the risk of confusing you further, there is an FAQ about this with more information, and they take a different approach. https://www.pgmusic.com/techfaq69.htm#25

How did you make out?

Thanks for your reply. That isn't what I was looking for, but I'm sure to make good use of it down the road. Cheers!

Hi Matt. When I checked the box in Opt. for Triplet Resolution it affected the entire song. This changed one passage where I intentionally had 2 sixteenths then an eighth, it was changed to a 3-eighth-note triplet.

I read the FAQ and it said "Quarter Note triplet display will not work well if you are using an even feel style." which is true. C'est la vie!

Thanks for taking the time. Cheers!

Ok, I understand.

So I take it that the notation is an important outcome for you. I export from BIAB as Music XML to my choice of notation program, and print from that.

Interesting. What is your choice of notation program?

I use Notion 6 by Presonus. I’m a beta tester. Before that I was a beta tester for Encore for decades. I’ve also tried just about every other program including Finale and Sibelius. I hate most parts of all of them but I can function best with Notion. I’ve written for everything from solo trumpet to brass choir, jazz sextet, jazz ensemble (big bands), chamber orchestra (my present gig) and full symphony orchestra.

Notion- I'll check it out. Thanks!

I think it's mostly great. If you read about it, you may be told it is abandonware but that is not true, although it does need an update that we hope will be soon.

The new mobile version is actually free. It works very well on an iPad with an Apple pencil.

Notion uses instruments recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, and supports VST but not VST3 yet.