Adding notes in Vocaloid is done through the piano roll editor, where you click to place notes at specific pitches and timing

Vocaloid's note entry happens in the piano roll, a grid that shows time horizontally and pitch vertically. To add a note, you click on the grid at the pitch you want and the beat where you want it to start. The note appears as a colored bar that stretches across the grid — the longer the bar, the longer the note holds. This is the core method for building any melody in Vocaloid, whether you are using Vocaloid 5, Vocaloid 6, or an earlier version.

The piano roll sits in the center of the Vocaloid editor window. On the left side, you will see a keyboard showing note names (C, D, E, F, and so on). The top of the window shows a timeline marked in beats and measures. Once you understand where to click and how long to drag, you can build a complete vocal line.

Key Takeaways

  • Click on the piano roll grid to place a note; the vertical position sets the pitch and the horizontal position sets when it starts.
  • Drag horizontally to set how long the note lasts — a short drag makes a quick note, a long drag makes a held note.
  • Double-click an existing note to open the note properties panel, where you can adjust pitch, timing, and duration without dragging.
  • Use the pencil tool (draw mode) to place multiple notes quickly without switching tools between each click.
  • Delete notes by right-clicking them and selecting delete, or by selecting them and pressing the Delete key.

Clicking and dragging to place your first note

Start by locating the piano roll in the main editor window. On the left edge, you will see a vertical keyboard showing all the notes. Find the pitch you want — if you are unsure, middle C is usually near the center. Now look at the timeline at the top and decide where in the song you want the note to begin.

Click at the intersection of your chosen pitch and beat, then drag to the right. As you drag, a colored bar appears and grows longer. Release the mouse when the bar reaches the length you want. That bar is your note. The pitch is locked in by where you clicked vertically; the start time is locked in by where you clicked horizontally; and the duration is locked in by how far you dragged.

If the note is the wrong length, you can adjust it by hovering over the right edge of the note bar until your cursor changes to a resize arrow, then dragging left or right to shorten or lengthen it.

Using draw mode for faster note entry

Clicking and dragging works, but if you are entering many notes in a row, switching between the pointer tool and dragging becomes slow. Vocaloid offers a draw mode (sometimes called pencil mode) that lets you click once per note without dragging.

To enable draw mode, look for a pencil or brush icon in the toolbar at the top of the editor, or press the keyboard shortcut (usually D or P, depending on your Vocaloid version). In draw mode, click once on the grid to place a note. The note appears with a default length — usually one beat. Click again at the next pitch and timing to place another note. When you are done entering notes, switch back to the pointer tool to adjust lengths or move notes around.

Draw mode is especially useful when you are transcribing a melody from sheet music or a recording, because you can focus on pitch and timing without managing the mouse drag each time.

Adjusting note properties in the note editor panel

Double-clicking a note opens the note properties panel, a dialog box where you can set the exact pitch, start time, and duration using numbers instead of dragging. This method is more precise if you need a note to start at a specific beat or last for an exact number of milliseconds.

In the properties panel, you will see fields for start time (usually shown in beats or milliseconds), duration, and pitch (shown as a note name like C4 or D#5). Type the values you want directly into these fields. Some versions also show a small piano keyboard in the panel so you can click to hear the pitch before confirming.

This approach is slower for entering many notes at once, but it is the best way to fix a note that is slightly off-pitch or off-beat, or to match a note to a specific timing requirement in your song.

Selecting and moving multiple notes at once

Once you have placed several notes, you may need to move them together — for example, to shift an entire phrase earlier or later in the song. Click and drag a selection box around the notes you want to move, or click the first note, then hold Shift and click additional notes to select them all.

With multiple notes selected, click and drag any of the selected notes to move the whole group. The notes stay in the same relative positions to each other but shift in time. If you need to move them up or down in pitch instead, hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) while dragging vertically.

You can also copy selected notes by pressing Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C), then click where you want to paste them and press Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V). This is useful for repeating a melody phrase without re-entering each note.

Deleting notes you no longer need

To remove a single note, right-click it and select Delete from the context menu. Alternatively, click the note once to select it, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.

To delete multiple notes at once, select them using a selection box or Shift+click, then press Delete. If you delete notes by mistake, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z) to undo the deletion.

Understanding note timing and the grid snap feature

The piano roll has a grid overlay that helps you align notes to the beat. By default, notes snap to grid lines, which keeps them aligned to the song's tempo and time signature. If you try to place a note between grid lines, it automatically snaps to the nearest line.

If you need to place a note at a timing that does not align with the grid — for example, a note that starts slightly before the beat for a more natural feel — you can disable snap. Look for a Snap button or toggle in the toolbar, usually showing a magnet icon. Turn it off to place notes freely, or adjust the snap resolution (how fine the grid is) to allow more precise timing without fully disabling snap.

Most users keep snap enabled while learning, because it prevents timing mistakes. Once you are comfortable, you can experiment with disabling it for specific notes that need to fall between the beat.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I change the pitch of a note after I have placed it?

Click the note once to select it, then drag it up or down on the piano roll. The pitch changes as you move it vertically, while the timing stays the same. Alternatively, double-click the note to open the properties panel and type the exact pitch you want.

Can I draw notes freehand instead of clicking on a grid?

Vocaloid does not support true freehand drawing like some DAWs do. You can disable grid snap to place notes more freely, but you still click to place each note individually. Some users find that turning off snap and using a graphics tablet makes the process feel more natural.

What is the difference between a note and a phoneme in Vocaloid?

A note is the pitch and duration you place in the piano roll. A phoneme is the individual sound (like "ah" or "ee") that the Vocaloid voice sings during that note. You set notes first, then adjust phonemes in a separate panel to control how the voice pronounces the lyrics.

How do I make a note shorter or longer without deleting it?

Hover your mouse over the right edge of the note bar until the cursor changes to a resize arrow, then drag left to shorten or right to lengthen. You can also double-click the note and change the duration value in the properties panel.

Can I copy a note and paste it at a different pitch?

Yes. Copy the note with Ctrl+C, paste it with Ctrl+V, then drag the pasted note up or down to the pitch you want. This is faster than entering the same rhythm at a different pitch from scratch.