You may experience some difficulty getting the program to display syncopated 
figures exactly the way you want them.  
For example, you want to enter a figure that looks like this: 
   
   
   
and it comes out looking like this: 
   
   

Here's exactly how to go about putting that figure on the staff:

1) If eighth notes are the shortest note duration you will be using, go to
   Options > Note Entry Options and set the "Maximum Step Value" to Eighth.  

2) Enter your figure like this:  Select eighth note duration and put your
   first eighth note on the second beat - a quarter note rest will 
   automatically appear.  Enter the next two eighth notes.

3) Select quarter note and using pencil tool, put note right on top of
   eighth note rest.  It will be shown (temporarily) as a tied eighth note.
   Select an eighth note and click it in on the last beat of the measure; 
   since there's only room for an eighth note, it will be put in the right 
   place.

4) Where you entered the quarter note there should now be a pair of tied
   eighth notes.  Using the arrow tool, draw a box around those notes only 
   and the edit menu will pop up.  
   
     
 
  
   Go to "Ties" and select "No".  
  
 
     
   

   The eighth notes are now one quarter note.


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