Synaptic Sound 

10

56

BASICS

How to Use the FL Studio Piano Roll

10

56

Synaptic Sound » FL Studio Tutorials » How to Use the FL Studio Piano Roll

Table of Contents 

How to Use the FL Studio Piano

Roll
FL Studio is known for having one of the most user-friendly and intuitive scoring

systems. The FL Studio piano roll adds significantly to that reputation for a

number of reasons. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the FL Studio piano roll

and it’s tools, including the Riff Machine. I’ve also included an FL Studio Piano Roll

Shortcuts spreadsheet at the very end to streamline your production further. Let’s

get started!
 Finding the FL Studio Piano Roll

First, we need to know how to find the piano roll window. There are a few ways we

can do this, outlined below:

Intel® Xeon®
Platinum
Prozessor

Sind Sie auf der

Suche nach
10 einem Server?

PowerEdge Mx840C
56

Jetzt kaufen

In the channel rack, toggle between step sequencer and piano roll overview.

Then, just click the gray space next to a channel to open up the piano roll for

that specific channel. The piano roll displays what channel it’s associated with

near the toolbar.

10

56

Click the View piano roll button on the top toolbar. This will open the piano roll

for the currently selected channel. The keyboard shortcut is F7, and has the

same effect as clicking the toolbar button.

10

56

OK, now on to the fun stuff…

FL Studio Piano Roll Functionality

In the picture below, I’ve labeled each button and area of the piano roll with a

number. As we go through the list, I’ll talk about some of the more important

features and how to use them.

10

56

1. Piano Roll Options

From here, we can save and load score presets, access editing, selection, and view

options, toggle visual aids and helpers, create note groups, add time markers, and

set target channels and target controls for the piano roll. There are a few options

listed here that are also present as toolbar buttons. These will get their own sub-

section later on.

Under File, you can Open score/Save score preset files (.fsc files).

Editing operations and shortcuts – See the FL Studio Piano Roll

Shortcuts spreadsheet at the bottom

 View has mostly aesthetic settings, such as changing grid color, grid

time demarcations, note appearance, keyboard appearance, etc.

Under Helpers, you can toggle on ghost notes and scale highlighting. Scale

highlighting highlights notes in the piano roll that are part of the scale you

choose from the list. This is a great tool for making melodies and chords.

10

56

Select operations and shortcuts – See the FL Studio Piano Roll Shortcuts

spreadsheet

Group – link selected notes together, they behave as one when moved around

or operated on.
 Zoom – zoom in, zoom out, and a few nice zoom preset settings. Shortcuts are

on the spreadsheet.

Time markers – it can be useful to add these when keeping track of long

patterns

2. Tools

10 This button is also part of the Piano Roll Options menu. There are 18 different

56 tools here.

Riff Machine (Alt+E)

We can use this tool to automatically create our own melodies and riffs in the

piano roll. It’s arranged into 8 different steps where we can choose .fsc score files

and customize settings for each step. Each step can also be bypassed if needed by

toggling the aqua green button next to the step name.

Step 1: Choose a Note Progression

 In the first step, we can either choose a .fsc file from the FL Studio presets in the

“Riff machine step 1” folder, or create our own note progression.

10

56

Toggle between the preset .fsc file progression and your own progression by

clicking “Work on existing score” button. The time multiplier knob will change the

length of the notes when a preset is activated. You can also change the length of

the entire progression using the Length ticker. Click the Chord tab at the top to

proceed to Step 2.
10

56

Step 2: Choose a Chord Progression

In Step 2, choose a .fsc file from the “Riff machine step 2” folder. This adds more

notes to your note progression to form chords, and makes the pattern sound a

little more interesting. If you’re versed in music theory, you can choose to use your

own chord progression in this step too.

Step 3: Add Arpeggiation

In Step 3, choose an arpeggiation .fsc file from the Riff Machine folder (FL Studio

12\Data\Patches\Scores\Arpeggiator\Riff machine). This adds further complexity

with arpeggiation. You can also change the arpeggio range, gating (note length),

time multiplier, and tinker with a few other options.

Step 4: Add Mirroring/Flipping

 This step allows you to flip the pattern you have so far vertically or horizontally.

Experiment with the buttons to hear what sounds good to you.

Step 5: Add Humanizing Effects

Step 5 is the randomizer tool (Alt+R). It takes other note properties like velocity,

panning, and pitch, and applies a randomization algorithm. This makes the

pattern sound less machine-like.

10

56
 The Seed arrows will change the algorithm, and the Levels knobs will change the

average amount of level deviation from the default. The Bipolar button will give

you mood swings, depression, and a host of other mental problems. Just kidding

it, allows you to toggle whether or not the levels deviate above and below the

default, or just above the default.

Step 6: Art

10

This tab can add further humanization by randomizing the note lengths. The
56
Variation knob will add random deviation to the note lengths, and the Seed

button will mix things up a bit just like in the previous step.

Step 7: Add Groove

In this step, choose a .fsc file to add groove and swing to the pattern. These score

files are located in the Quantization folder under Riff machine. You can also use

the Start time knob to change the start time of some of the notes in your pattern.

Step 8: Fit

The final riff machine step adds key and scale restriction. This means your pattern

will only play notes in a specified scale and key, which you choose from the drop-

down menus. You can also transpose the entire pattern up or down. The last thing

to do is click Accept to finalize your melody.

 OK, now let’s cover the other tools…

Quick Legato (Ctrl+L)

Legato simply means that there is no space or silence between notes. The quick

legato tool will extend or chop all selected notes until there are no spaces or

overlaps.

10

56
 Articulator (Alt+L)

The articulator tool does the same thing as the Art tab in Step 6 of the Riff

Machine. This tool allows us to randomize the note length and change the amount

of space between notes.

Quick Quantize (Ctrl+Q)

10
The quick quantize tool will make all note lengths the same and fit them into
56
whatever grid snap intervals you have set your piano roll to. You can see this in

action below. I recorded a few notes using my keyboard, and added quantization

with a couple of different snap settings.

10

56

Quick Quantize Start Times (Shift+Q)

Quick quantize start times takes all notes and moves them to the beginning of

whichever grid snap interval they fall in.

Quantize (Alt+Q)

Quantize brings up more detailed quantization options. It’s just like Step 7 in the

Riff Machine (see above). You can choose a .fsc file to quantize and add groove to
 your Piano roll pattern. Check out the in-depth quantization tutorial for more

details.

Quick Chop (Ctrl+U)

Quick chop will cut up notes based on the current grid snap interval setting. Any

part of a note located on the piano roll grid interval line will get chopped up along

that line.
10

56
 Chop (Alt+U)

The chopper tool lets us use a .fsc file as a chopping template. Just choose a

template from the Chopping .fsc directory and change the multiplier until you

have the desired effect.

Glue (Ctrl+G)

10
Glue does the opposite of quick chop. It fuses adjacent notes together. The notes
56
need to be touching for this to work.

Arpeggiate (Alt+A)

The arpeggiate tool does the same thing as Step 3 in the Riff Machine (see above).

Just choose an arpeggiation .fsc file and change the arpeggio range, gating (note

length), and time multiplier, to your liking.

10

56

Strum (Alt+S)

The strum tool staggers the start times and velocities of notes that share a start

time in a chord to create a strumming effect. This tool is great for plucked synths

and can add realism to your track.

10

56

Flam (Alt+F)

Flam is a drum rudiment where one lighter hit comes before the main hit. They are

played very close together and almost sound like one long drum hit. We can use

the flam tool with percussion instruments to create a similar effect.

10

56

Claw Machine (Alt+W)

The claw machine removes, adds, or shifts notes to create new and more complex

patterns. It’s easier to get the swing of by just experimenting and tinkering with. I

suggest you use it with percussion. It’s a great tool for programming hit

progressions in snare rises.

Limit (Alt+K)

The limit tool does the same thing as Step 8 in the Riff Machine (see above).

Choose a scale and key to restrict your pattern to those notes only.
 Flip (Alt+Y)

The flip tool does the same thing as Step 4 in the Riff Machine (see above). You

can flip and mirror your note pattern to gain some inspiration.

Randomize (Alt+R)

The randomizer tool allows you to randomize note levels using an algorithm. It’s
10
usually used to add humanizing effects to your notes. The randomizer tool is the
56
same as Step 5 in the Riff Machine (see above). Check out the separate tutorial on

velocity randomization for more details.

10

56

3. Snap to Grid

Let’s zoom back out to our numbered picture. Number 3 is the magnet-shaped

snap-to-grid button. If you missed it from earlier, this will let you change your

piano roll grid snap intervals. The Main snap option in the piano roll will apply the

overall Main snap setting. You can find the Main snap setting in the FL Studio

toolbar up top.
10

56

4. Stamp

This button prompts you to choose a chord or scale from a menu, which can then

be used like a chord or scale stamp in the piano roll. Toggle the “Only one” option

at the very top of the menu on or off to choose whether not to keep stamping

after the first one is done. Very handy.

 5. Draw

The pencil icon allows you to draw single notes. Change the length of a note by

hovering over the end until you see the double arrow. Then click and drag. The

note length will change by whatever interval your piano roll grid snap is set to.

Click on a note to copy it’s length properties. Now, all notes drawn after that will

have the same length.

10

6. Paint
56

Paint lets you draw multiple adjacent notes in a row, with no spaces in between

and all with the same length. Just click and drag.

7. Paint In Drum Sequencer Mode

This does the same thing as Paint, but restricts the note length to 1/16th notes. It

works well as an alternative to the Step Sequencer, especially if you want to

change the tone of drums as they are played.

8. Delete

This button is muy importante. Click on it and then click on notes to get rid of

them. A very handy alternative to this is just right-clicking and dragging over

which notes you want to delete.

10

56

9. Mute

This button allows you to mute individual notes. Just click the button and then

click notes you want to mute. To unmute a note, just click it again. Muted notes

will be grayed out in the piano roll.

10. Slice

Slice is a more precise version of the Chop and Quick chop tools. Click on the box

cutter icon, and then click and drag vertically across a note to chop it in two. The
 slice line will automatically snap to the nearest piano roll grid snap interval line.

You can also slice through multiple notes.

10

56

11. Select

The select button allows you to select multiple notes. Just click the button and

then click and drag to form a box around notes you want to select. There are also

a few select shortcuts, which I have included in the FL Studio Piano Roll Shortcuts

spreadsheet at the end of the write-up.

10

One selection shortcut I use very often is Ctrl+Click and drag. This is a faster way
56

to achieve the same thing. I also use Select All (Ctrl+A), Copy (Ctrl+C), Paste

(Ctrl+V), and Cut (Ctrl+X) pretty often.

12. Zoom

The zoom button allows you to create a box to zoom in on. A quicker alternative to

this is by either clicking and dragging in the Change note size box (number 16) or

hovering in the time marker bar (number 17) and scrolling with he mouse wheel.

There are also zoom shortcuts, which I have added to the FL Studio Piano Roll

Shortcuts spreadsheet at the very end.

13. Playback

This button give you control of the time sweeper. Click on it and then click and

drag to sweep over the notes in your piano roll.

10

56

14. Play/Pause Pattern

Pretty self explanatory. It plays whatever note pattern is in your piano roll.

15. Target Channel

This section displays which channel’s piano roll you are working in. Click the arrow

to reveal the drop-down menu listing all your channels. If you click one, it’ll let you

edit that channels piano roll.

 16. Change Note Size

Click and drag in this box to change the displayed height of the notes in the piano

roll. This WILL NOT effect the lengths or any other properties, it’s just a view

setting. If you center wheel click in the box, it resets the notes to their default

heights.

17. Time Marker Bar

10

56
This gives you a sense of how long your notes are. Each number represents one

bar (unless you’ve changed time signatures). Hover here and scroll with the mouse

wheel to quickly change the zoom.

18. Change Color/Toggle Note Portamento & Slide

This button allows you to change the color of new notes. It also allows you to

specify whether or not the new notes will have portamento or slide properties.

Note Portamento

Portamento in this situation is a very subtle carrying-over of pitch from one note

to the next. A portamento note will bend up from the prior notes pitch to it’s own

in a very short period of time at the beginning of the note. Portamento notes have

a small curved line icon in their top right corners.

10

56

Note Sliding

Note sliding is also a pitch-shifting effect. For this to work, we need a normal note

to come first, and a slide note to be played on top of the normal note. Rather than

playing both notes, the piano roll will smoothly shift the pitch of the normal note

to the slide note linearly over the course of the slide notes length.

Once the pitch has reached the slide notes level, it holds the tone until the next

normal note is played. Slide notes have a small triangle-shaped icon in their top

right corners.
 When sliding chords, the topmost note in the chord will reach the slide notes

pitch, and the notes below the top note will follow the same pitch shift while

maintaining the same difference in notes that characterize the chord. You can

assign each note in the chord to a corresponding slide note by matching their

colors.

10

56

In the above example, purple D#6 slides to D7, green G6 slides to D7, and green C7

slides to G7. Here’s what it sounds like. Notice how the slide note length effects

the sound:
 00:00 00:00

19. Piano Roll Grid

If you haven’t figured this out yet, this is where all of your notes go.

20. Event Editor

10

Last but not least is the piano roll events editor. Events are similar to automation
56

clips in that they automatically control a parameter without the user actively

engaged. The events editor in the piano roll allows you to program automated

control for a list of parameters for the target channel.

We can control individual note properties or the entire channel’s properties here.

To change the target control parameter, just click on Control and choose from the

drop-down menu. Here are the parameters that can be controlled:

Note Properties
 Note panning – this is the panning for each individual note. Left is down and right

is up. Center pan is right down the middle.

10

56

Note velocity – this is the volume level of each individual note, from 0 to 100%.
10

56

Note release – how long the individual note will take to reach zero volume. High

release means it will take longer to decay to zero.

 Note modulation x & y – this can be linked to and control properties in the target

channel plugin.

Note fine pitch – you can change the pitch of individual notes too.

These note properties can also be adjusted by double-clicking on any note in the

piano roll. The note properties window will open and you’ll see knobs that control

each of the parameters above.

10

56

We can also change the note length, make the note a slide or portamento note,

and change the color from this note properties window.

10
Channel Controls
56

The second section of the control target menu contains controls for the entire

channel. From here we can edit channel pitch, channel volume, and channel

panning. The events editor will control corresponding knobs in the channel rack

and on the plugin window.

10

56

To delete the Event data, just find the event in the Browser/plugin picker under

Current project → Patterns and then choose the pattern you want to remove Event
data from. Right-click the event from the list, click Edit events, and then in the

new Events window hit Ctrl+A and then Delete.

10

56

LFO & Scale Levels Tools

Two tools I saved for this section are the LFO and scale levels tools. We can

activate these tools when editing events and levels in the piano roll events editor.

The LFO tool (Alt+O) opens up the piano roll LFO window. Here, we can define an

LFO that is linked to the target control parameter in the events editor.
10

56
 We can also use the scale levels tool (Alt+X) to change all note properties all at

once while maintaining the relative differences between them.

FL Studio Piano Roll Shortcuts Spreadsheet

OK, we’ve covered how to find the piano roll, the riff machine, and many of the

tools, options, and operations for the FL Studio piano roll. As promised, here is the

FL Studio Piano Roll Shortcuts spreadsheet I put together:

10

56

Spread the Love

 10 56

119

10

56

RELATED ARTICLE

FL STUDIO TUTORIALS

Using Ghost Notes in FL Studio

RELATED ARTICLE

FL STUDIO TUTORIALS

Pitch Automation in FL Studio

 RELATED ARTICLE

BASICS

10 How to Use the FL Studio Mixer

56

 There are currently no comments.

Add your comment here...

Name (Required)

Email (Required)
 Website URL

POST COMMENT

10

56

Synaptic Sound

ABOUT SYNAPTIC SOUND

Synaptic Sound was founded in April 2018 as an educational and informational resource for

electronic music producers, DJs, and enthusiasts.

SITE LINKS

Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

Affiliate Disclosure

Contact Us

About
 Copyright © Synaptic Sound. 2023 • All rights reserved.

10

56

report this ad