# Controls

You can control the playback of the song using the toolbar buttons (image below), [keyboard shortcuts](/user-guide/playback-control/midi-remote-commands.md), bar or song part's [popup menu](#popup-menu-controls), or [MIDI remote commands](/user-guide/playback-control/midi-remote-commands.md).

![Playback-related buttons](/files/KU7RJvxEtsdVVyTGWQSc)

## Keyboard shortcuts

{% hint style="warning" %}
The shortcuts are given for Windows and Linux. Some of them might need to be adapted for Mac.
{% endhint %}

|                                                 |                                                     |
| ----------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| <mark style="background-color:blue;">Key</mark> | <mark style="background-color:blue;">Command</mark> |
| space                                           | Start / Pause / Resume                              |
| shift-space                                     | Stop                                                |
| ctrl-space                                      | Start from the selected bar or song part            |
| ctrl-shift-space                                | Play only selected bars or song parts               |
| F1                                              | Jump playback to previous song part                 |
| F2                                              | Jump playback to next song part                     |
| F3                                              | Jump playback to song start (restart)               |
| J or -                                          | Decrease tempo                                      |
| K or +                                          | Increase tempo                                      |
| L                                               | Toggle loop mode                                    |

## Popup menu controls

This lets you start playback **from the selected lead sheet bar or song part** (ctrl-space).

You can also play only the **current selected bars or/and song parts** (ctrl-shift-space), possibly looped if [loop mode](#loop-mode) is active.

<figure><img src="/files/2RKYK1ZP3OrSGxvgFQGi" alt=""><figcaption><p>Play from selected bar</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="/files/CA9oxmlt8ARxiXW7gZ08" alt=""><figcaption><p>Play from selected song part</p></figcaption></figure>

## Loop mode

When **loop mode** is activated, the playback restarts from first bar when playback reaches the end (the end of the song, or the end of the selection if **Play selection** was used).

<figure><img src="/files/RgZvlrRDr3Q3DH4YLvaI" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Loop restart bar

You can define a **loop restart bar** which is different from the first bar.&#x20;

{% hint style="success" %}
This feature is useful for simple practice songs meant to be repeated endlessly (loop mode is activated), but you have an intro which must not be repeated -and you don't want to create a specific song structure.
{% endhint %}

To set the **loop restart bar** select a bar and use its popup menu. The loop restart measure is represented by 2 vertical bars on the left, as shown below.&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/UBSD4YpFduKL16cf8hUv" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
Loop restart bar is ignored when using **Play selection**.
{% endhint %}

## Click settings

The **metronome** and **precount mode** can be configured via the **Click** panel in the **Options menu**.

<figure><img src="/files/q3MOlSY9QLtRuUSfGgxL" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Precount mode** can also be directly changed from the toolbar button using **shift-click**.

<figure><img src="/files/VS5WBGRYGMKDxr0wBVot" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


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