The small txtmus editor includes an other way to enter the ABC music. This is done changing the keyboard mapping of the characters. The leftmost key of the keyboard, usually the backquote (`), toggles between the normal input and the ABC input.
When the ABC input is active, the (lowercase) letters in the left side of the keyboard are translated to natural notes with pitches, and the characters on right side (keypad) define the duration of the notes. The keypad can also insert rests and single measure bars. The middle keys "PageUp" and "PageDown" are used to insert the sharp and flat accidentals. The other keys and also the shift and control characters are not mapped.
Adding a note or rest after the text caret is done inserting first a possible accidental and then the note pitch or the rest. The last duration is implicitly added. This duration may be replaced using the keypad. Note that, with US keyboards, broken rhythms, ties, slurs, natural signs... may be entered using their usual keys.
| swi | c' | d' | e' | f' | g' | a' | b' | c'' | d'' | e'' | - | = |
| c | d | e | f | g | a | b | c' | d' | e' | [ | ] | |
| C | D | E | F | G | A | B | c | d | ; | ' | \ | |
| C, | D, | E, | F, | G, | A, | B, | , | . | / | |||
| space | ||||||||||||
| ^ | ||
| _ | ||
| ↑ | ||
| ← | ↓ | → |
| / | * | z | |
| 2 | 4 | 8 | | |
| / | // | /// | |
| (def.) | dot | ||