You can ask for the parameters from the URL explicitly using url_param() instead of param(). There is no way to have them taken into consideration implicitly – that’s a deliberate design decision.

Makeshifts last the longest.

There is no way to have them taken into consideration implicitly...

<nit type="pedantic">
There is, although it's not a good idea. Look in the source of CGI.pm for the comment

# Some people want to have their cake and eat it too!
[download]

and uncomment the lines below it....
</nit>

Update
The word "implicitly" just sank in. Nevermind....

Do not rebuke them with harsh words ... but rather lead them gently - with URLs - so that they may learn wisdom.

Okay, I didn’t know that; but considering that any module can be made to do anything if you patch it, I don’t regard that as pertinent. I certainly wouldn’t want to rely on a feature in a patched module – what if I copy the script to another machine? What if I need to upgrade the module?

Makeshifts last the longest.

Don't you think this would be better?

<form action="http://someurl" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="p" value="first" />

...
[download]

L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L--
-R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR
B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B--
H---H---H---H---H---H---
(the triplet paradiddle with high-hat)

Maybe the missing quote around "first" is causing trouble.?