Using Step-Time Recording and Sequential Note Entry Method Together |
Composer's Step-Time Recording feature enables you to enter notes from you music keyboard at your own pace, without having to keep a rhythm. Composer's Sequential Note Entry Mode enables you to quickly enter sequences of notes with varying durations. In this mode, you do not have to specify a note duration value in the Note Duration Palette, or type a note duration shortcut, such as "4", before you add a note with a different duration than the previous. Both the Step-Time Recording and Sequential Note Entry Mode features alone are quite useful. They can also be used together! There is an extra benefit in using the Step-Time Recording and Sequential Note Entry Modes together. As you enter notes or chords from your music keyboard, Composer will remember the duration of the most recently entered note, and will advance the cursor by that amount for the next to-be-added note. This is quite convenient for adding, for example, runs of eighth notes or sixteenth notes. When the run of same-duration notes is broken by a different note duration value, you can either move the mouse to the position of the next note, or you can use the or key to move the cursor one or more positions in the Beat Ruler. The following exercise illustrates how this works. To practice using the Step-Time Recording and Sequential Note Entry Modes together:
-- OR -- Type S + Enter. That is, while holding down the "S" key, hit the ENTER key. Composer will automatically display the Note Duration Palette if it is not already displayed.
The palette will then change to the Beat Ruler Palette, and the Sequential Note Entry button will be shown in the "down" position:
At this point, the red to-be-added note cursor will not automatically advance, because there is no previous note for Composer to determine what the duration for the anticipated sequence of same-duration notes should be.
-- OR -- Hit the key one or more times. The red to-be-added note cursor will advance one Beat Ruler mark per each click. You can also use the key to move the cursor to the left.
Here is what the example looks like after you have hit the key once:
-- OR -- Type "cut". The mouse cursor will change to a razor shape.
That ends the exercise. Now just play around some, adding sequences of notes from your music keyboard with the same durations as well as differing durations. In a short time you will likely find this to be an efficient and fun way to enter notes. |