Creating a New Song File

The easiest way to create a new song is to use a song template. Composer includes many song templates for common ensembles (eg, Small Rock & Roll Band), as well as for individual instruments (eg, Piano), and also for duets (eg, Voice and Piano).

If there is not a song template that exactly matches the ensemble for which you are starting a new song, then you may find it helpful to use a song template that has a list of instruments that fairly closely matches those of your ensemble. Then you can add or remove instrument parts. At that point, it is a good idea to save your work as your own customized song template that exactly matches your ensemble. Then, the next time you start another song, you will have exactly the song template you need for your ensemble.

Even if your songs are just for a single player-- voice or an instrument-- you will probably still find it useful to create a template for the single player.

Instead of using a song template, you can also create a song by selecting a particular instrument sound from your MIDI device, as described in the second procedure below.

After you have created a new song, that might be a good time for you to add the song title and author information.

To start a new song using a song template:

1.      Choose the New command in the File menu.

-- OR --

Type CTRL+N, which is the standard Windows shortcut for File Open.

-- OR --

Type "qfn" for Quick File New.

     Composer will display the first step of a four-step New Song Wizard.

2.      In the first step of the New Song Wizard, specify how many measures there will be in the song. However, if there are meter changes in the song, then specify just the number of measures with the first meter. If the first measure is a pickup measure, then count it as one of the measures.

3.      In the second step of the New Song Wizard, specify the meter (time signature).

If the meter is irregular, such as 5:8, then specify whether the beaming of the measures should be in groups of 3 eighth notes followed by 2, or 2 eighth notes followed by three. Note, you can change the beams in individual measures.

4.      In the third step of the New Song Wizard, choose the option "Select instrument or ensemble from list below", and choose from one of Composer's pre-defined score templates:

If the list of instruments does not exactly match those for your ensemble, then after completing the New Song Wizard, follow the procedures for Adding New Tracks and Deleting Tracks.

5.      In the fourth and final step of the New Song Wizard, choose the key signature for the song.

Note, if you will be recording the first notes of the song from your musical keyboard, then Composer will determine the initial key signature of the song by analyzing the harmonies of the notes you play.

Following the above procedure, if you chose 3:4 as meter, and a key signature of two flats, Composer would create a new score which looks like this:

To start a new song by selecting an instrument sound for the first track:

1.      Follow the same procedure as above, except in the third step of the New Song Wizard, choose the option "Select instrument from MIDI device".

When you hit the Next button for the third step, Composer will display the Track Setup dialog box.

2.      In the Track Setup dialog, select the MIDI device, bank, and patch that you want to use for the instrument sound.

This is the same dialog box that you can later use to add more tracks to the song, or to edit the name and sound of the track. For details about this dialog box, see Changing the Instrument Sound of a Track and Editing Instrument (Track) Names.

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