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With a suitable microphone you can enter notes by singing or by playing an acoustic instrument such as a guitar or violin.
Input methods
You can input in various ways, and all of these methods are available simultaneously - you don't need to pick one or the other.
The basic rule is that whatever input method you use, a symbol will be entered in the active staff at the current insertion point only if you have chosen a note or other symbol. If the cursor is the arrow tool the appropriate key will highlight on the screen piano but no symbol will be entered in the staff. So if you want to just play but not enter notes, choose the arrow tool.
You can enter notes directly on the staff, or indirectly by playing notes on the screen piano, letter keys, external MIDI keyboard, or even the microphone. You can enter then note by note (making good use of copy-and-paste), or you can enter music by recording it in real time, playing a keyboard in time with the metronome.
Input directly on the staff using the mouse
Choose a note or rest tool by clicking on the appropriate tool box and then click in the staff where you want it to go. Note that there are some very useful keyboard shortcuts to change the value of the note or rest, or to add or remove an accidental or dot, without having to click again on a tool. Clicking a symbol tool into a staff (or clicking any symbol in that staff with the arrow tool) causes that staff to become the active staff that would receive input from letter keys or MIDI or the microphone.
Input via the screen piano or fretboard
You can play notes by clicking the mouse on the keys of the onscreen piano (or the onscreen fretboard). If the cursor is shaped like a note or rest that symbol will be entered at the current insertion point of the active staff.
The menu in Options/Keyboard has a number of choices that include a plain piano, a fretboard like that of a guitar, a piano with labeled keys, and the "enharmonic" keyboard whose keys are divided into specific sharps or flats.
The piano keyboards have a range of four octaves, but you can move the range up or down an octave by pressing the period or comma keys (< or >) on your computer's letter keyboard. A small yellow triangle above the piano keys will mark the current position of "middle c," the c that is between the treble and bass clefs.
Input via the letter keys
Your computer's letter keys act like a simple piano in Songworks. The middle row represents the white keys beginning on c, and the upper row provides the black keys. The letters "f" and "g" just happen to come out playing the notes f and g (pure coincidence). The "w" key would play c#, and so on. The letter keys piano of course has a limited range, but you can move it up or down an octave with the period and comma keys (< and >). If you play notes on the letter keys when the cursor is shaped like a note or rest, those symbols will be entered at the current insertion point of the active staff. If you play two or more notes at once, they will be entered as a chord or interval (two or more notes on the same stem). There are some technical limitations on computer keyboards, however, that can cause certain key combinations not to work simultaneously. Generally you won't encounter such combinations. (The number keys 1-7 can be used to play live chords along with whatever you're playing on the letter keys - see the page about chord tools for more information).
The microphone icon is at the left side of the screen piano, .
With a suitable microphone you can enter notes by singing or by playing an acoustic instrument such as a guitar or violin.
Any inexpensive computer microphone is adequate for this purpose. We often recommend the Labtec, which connects to your computer's USB port and works with both Macintosh and Windows computers, but there are many others.
If the microphone you purchased came with "driver" software you'll need to install that and restart the computer before you can proceed. Plug in the microphone and then go to your computer's sound settings control panel and specify the external microphone as your input source. Once you've done that this choice should "stick" for future use unless someone changes it.
With your microphone plugged in, click the microphone button to turn it on, 
,
and try singing a few notes. If your sung note is clear enough to be understood you should see the corresponding
piano key highlight on the Songworks keyboard.
Microphone input is not fast enough for "real-time" recording, however. If you want to sing a melody we suggest that you use a form of step-entry: choose the quarter note tool, then carefully sing each note of your melody and watch the notes appear on the staff. If you make a mistake you can delete any notes that are wrong. Once you have the right notes, use the "Record New Rhythm" command (Staff menu) to tap the desired rhythm for this melody. As you tap, you'll hear your notes play in the rhythm you are providing. The notation will be changed accordingly. Play carefully in time with the metronome, and if you make a mistake use the "undo" command (command-z) to try again.
Input via MIDI
MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) provides the most convenient method of playing notes into a computer. This doesn't require expensive equipment - for well under $100 you can obtain a small MIDI "controller" keyboard that connects to your computer's USB port. A controller doesn't make sounds of its own but can be used to trigger the sounds of the computer itself. And of course if you happen to have a MIDI device that does make sounds you can use that, too.
If you play notes on the connected MIDI keyboard when the cursor is shaped like a note or rest, those symbols will be entered at the current insertion point of the active staff. If you play two or more notes at once, they will be entered as a chord or interval (two or more notes on the same stem).
MIDI devices will often come with driver software that needs to be installed before they can be used. Remember also that you need to plug in the device and turn it on before starting the program, so that Songworks will notice that the input is available when it's starting up.
If using a MIDI device that is just a controller, be sure to open Songwork's Sound/MIDI Settings window (Options menu) and click the box titled "MIDI device is a controller." That tells Songworks to play a sound on the output instrument whenever it hears one coming in from the controller. For a controller you can continue to use the QT (Mac) or SYN (Windows) output instrument chosen at the right side of the onscreen piano, but if you're using the MIDI device for sounds then chose the MIDI instrument for output.
If you have a MIDI device plugged in when Songworks starts, and you haven't changed any of your settings, you should find that you automatically have MIDI input in the program. If you don't, check here for more information.