Cleaning up the Performance and/or Notation after a Recording

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After you have made a recording, it is likely that there will be details in your performance that you will want to change-- both the sound and the notation. A wealth of tools are available in Composer to "clean up" your recording. Listed below are some of the most common tools you might want to use.

Some of these tasks are best done through trial and error. If you try a certain way to clean up the performance and are not happy with the results, just use the Undo command, and try something else. Your original performance will not be lost.

 

prcarrow To adjust the barlines, meter(s) and notation for a newly recorded performance done without using the metronome ("metronomeless" recording):

B897The first step you should do after you have recorded a "metronomeless" recording is to use the Rebar feature to set the proper barlines and meter(s) for your score.  This feature will move your score much closer to a readable piece of music.  You can then use the following tips to fine-tune the score.

 

prcarrow To clean up the notation of a newly recorded performance if you have used the metronome or have finished using the Rebar feature to set the proper barlines for a metronomeless recording:

B897If the notation looks too complicated, with too many ties, overlapping notes, dotted note values, and small rests, try using the "Reduce number of ties" and "Remove rests smaller than" options in the Re-Transcribe command. You might be able to eliminate other overlapping notes by choosing the "Split (Upper and Lower) Voices" option in the Re-Transcribe command.
B897If grace notes, trills, or tremolos are written-out in difficult-to-read detail, then use the Transcribe Ornaments option in the Re-Transcribe command so that the efficient short-hand music symbols for these ornament are displayed rather than the written-out notes.

You can also convert individual written-out short notes to notated grace notes. You can convert individual written-out trills or tremolos to notated trills or tremolos.

B897If you accidentally played a few extra notes very lightly or with very short durations, you can easily remove them with the Remove Silent Notes command.
B897If you played some incorrect note pitches, you can change them by dragging the notes or type P + Up (or Down) Arrow. For details, see Editing Note Pitch.
B897If Composer spells the pitch and accidental of a note differently than what you would like, then you can change the enharmonic spelling by selecting the note and typing E + Up (or Down) Arrow.
B897If you played a note too early or late, you can shift its notated and performed attack at the same time. Or, if you are happy with the as-performed timing of the attack of the note, but want to change its notated location so that it is lined up on a stronger beat, then you can shift only the as-notated attack. For details, see Editing Note Location (Attack).
B897If you played the note with a longer or shorter duration than you intended, you can change the notated and performed duration of the note. Or, if you are happy with the as-performed duration of the note, you can change just the as-notated duration without affecting the performed duration of the note. See Editing Note Duration.

 

prcarrow To clean up the actual performance of a new recording if you have used the metronome, or have used the Rebar feature on a "metronomeless" recording:

B897If you would like your performance to have a more crisp, on-the-beat sound, then you can "quantize" the performance to match the notated locations(attacks) of the notes. You can quantize the note attacks while preserving their as-performed durations. Or, you can also quantize the performed duration of the notes. For details, see Quantizing the Performance of Notes.
B897If your recording lacks expressiveness because you were performing in synchronization with a fixed metronome tempo, you can graphically edit the tempo, to add such features as pauses (fermatas) and accelerandos.
B897You can graphically edit the overall volume throughout the staff.
B897You can edit the individual loudness of specific notes.
B897As mentioned above, if you accidentally played a few extra notes very lightly or with very short durations, you can easily remove them with the Remove Silent Notes command.

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