All Windows/Play, Rhythms and Bounce/Tempo/Tempo Dial - Preferences (Ctrl 223)
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Controls Common to Many Windows
Screen Shot (More)
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This is what you get in the More version of this window (you use the More button to show it).
Tempo Dial - Preferences
Various Tempo Dial Options including UP and DOWN ARROWS Step through LIST OF TEMPI AND RHYTHMS, also configure what to show the tempo for
For the UP / DOWN arrow keys normally they adjust the tempo up and down by one notch, but you can also set them to cycle through a preset list of tempi and time signatures...
Also go here to configure whether to play sound for the tap for tempo and other tempo options - see More version of the window for more options
Tempo dial shows Part: (Alt + A)
Choose the part to show the tempo for in the Tempo Dial and elsewhere in Bounce Metronome...
This also changes the selection of which part to edit in Beats volumes and times (Ctrl + 76) and which part is highlighted in the main window (they are all synchronised together).
Each part may have a different tempo as the tempo depends on the number of beats to the bar for each part.
EXAMPLE
If the rhythm is 6/8, and the tempo for the quavers is 60 then the tempo for the dotted crotchets (two to a measure) is 20 and the tempo for the bar beat is 10.
So the tempo dial will show 60, 20 or 10 depending on which part you show it for.
The tempo dial is colour coded. The colour corresponds to the colour of the bouncing ball also to the colour for the parts row in the blocks display below the bouncing balls.
For an overview of all the parts, go to Show All Parts (Ctrl + 9). You may want to switch on "Show beats for parts" (same window) to help you see which part is which - if it isn't switched on already.
Tempo dial shows Part: - SPIN
Increase or decrease number for the part for the tempo dial and tempo fields
Each bar has
Number of beats per bar in this notation - often set to number of beats in first part - or to 4 for polyrhythms - gets set automatically...
How to use
Select the desired type of note in the drop list e.g. crotchets or quavers. Then enter how many of them there are in a bar.
Gets set automatically whenever you change the rhythm.
For most rhythms best choice is the number of beats in the first part counted as crotchets or quavers.
For the Drum & Dance or Flamenco metronomes, then you can use same notation you use to enter the notes.
Best choice for polyrhythms is usually 4
For polyrhythms then 4 works well here (or 8 or some power of 2).
Then you get an unadorned crotchet (or whatever it is) for any parts with 4 beats per bar, and for other numbers of beats per bar, you get the note shown in n-tuplet notation.
That way all the rhythms in a polyrhythm can be shown with exact note sizes. Best way to do the polyrhythms at present.
If you use other methods, e.g. the number of beats per bar in the first part - then the other parts in a polyrhythm will show approximate note sizes in square brackets.
show tuplet durations
This may make it a little easier to read the more complex polyrhythm notations....
Example, crotchets with 3:2 (normal triplets 3 in space of 2) or 7:4 (7 crotchets in the space of 4).
Or: quavers with 9:8 (9 in the space of 8 quavers) or 5:4 (5 in space of 4 same as 10 in the space of 8).
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuplet to find out more about this notation.
Show Tempi for ALL OTHER PARTS AS WELL - extra pointers on dial
Adds extra pointers to the dial for the tempi for all the other parts - this is useful if you want to keep track of the tempi for all the parts at once...
In the More (twice) version of Tempo Dial - Preferences (Ctrl + 223) you can choose whether to show these extra pointers for silenced and for hidden parts. Preset is to show them for all the parts.
The width and length of the pointers is configured in the More (twice) version of Set Tempo Dial Range, Tempo Names and Design (Ctrl + 252)
Show SAME TEMPO for all parts - as:
Shows the same tempo, for the same note value - no matter which part is selected. Preet to ON for DRUM METRONOME and MIXED METERS, otherwise OFF...
So for instance you can use this to display the tempo as crotchets even when none of the parts actually play crotchets as such.
This is sometimes a useful thing to do:
Preset to ON for Drum & Dance, Flamenco, and mixed meters
More useful for those metronomes. Not so useful for polyrhythms and ordinary metronome type rhythms.
For instance with the drum metronome, the rhythm uses smallest notes in the rhythm, e.g. semiquavers, and uses skips to make up larger beat sizes such as crotchets and quavers.
With this option switched off you will see the tempo for semiquavers (say). It is rare that you will want this - more often you want the tempo for crotchets.
So this is particularly useful for the complex drum and dance rhythms or mixed meters which make extensive use of skips - and so is preset to switched ON for those metronomes.
Preset to OFF for most rhythms
This option can be confusing for some rhythms, or it may be better switched off.
E.g. if the polyrhythm has 5 beats to a bar in one part and 3 in another. These are preset to show 4 crotchets per bar - even when none of the parts actually plays crotchets in 4/4 time - to make the note symbols easy to read e.g. quintuplet type notation for the 5 beats to a bar polyrhythm.
So this is switched off for polyrhythms.
Also for time signature only type rhythms, then you often are interested to see the tempo for each of the parts.
E.g. in 6/8 it is good to have the choice, to show the tempo for the quavers or for the dotted crotchets as desired just by selecting the part of interest to show in the tempo dial.
So it is switched OFF for time signature only type rhythms
BACKSPACE tempo tap even when you use TEXT FIELDS
Lets you tap at desired tempo with BACKSPACE key even in TEXT fields. Shortcut key ALT + BACKSPACE to switch this feature on or off...
Why BACKSPACE?
The BACKSPACE key was chosen because it is usually a large key, often the third largest key on the keyboard after space bar and return key - so easy to tap e.g. while practicing an instrument.
Should I switch this on or off?
If you leave it on, then it will probably cause no problems. If it does, you can switch this feature on or off at any time with ALT + BACKSPACE.
When switched on, normal use of BACKSPACE for editing will be disabled. However this is less of an annoyance than you'd think as you can still use backspace if you press any other key first.
If you press any other key temporarily, this re-enables backspace for that particular TEXT field until you navigate away from it.
When switched off permanently, you can no longer tap at tempo with the BACKSPACE key if the keyboard focus is set to a text area (e.g. if you see the text caret flashing). But you can still tap at the tempo with the BACKSPACE key when the keyboard focus is set to other types of control, e.g. a check box, or button etc.
Step through list of tempi with UP or DOWN ARROWS
when SELECTED, you use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to go back and forth through the list of tempi, also HOME to go to first in list, END to go to last in list...
when UNSELECTED, then the Up / Down arrow key changes the tempo by one notch on the tempo dial
When you use this option - note that your list of tempi is used always for the tempo of the main beat in the rhythm, no matter what you have the tempo dial set to show.
Step through list of tempi with UP or DOWN ARROWS
Enter all the different tempi you want to cycle through with the Up and Down arrows...
These tempi are normally used for the tempo dial part, whichever it is, so could be used for the main beat of the rhythm, subdivisions, bar beat etc. depending on what the tempo dial shows.
For Up / Down arrow key also changes time signature
If you have it set to change the time signatures as well, then the tempi here are used for the tempo of the main beat in the new time signature (or first main beat for polyrhythms).
E.g. for 3:2 i.e. 3/4 with 2 subdivisions the tempi here are used for the 3 beats per bar, not the subdivisions or the bar beat.
What happens if there are more tempi than time signatures or vice versa
If there are more tempi than time signatures, then the last time signature in the list is repeated as needed.
If you have more time signatures than tempi the last tempo is repeated as needed until the end of the list of time signatures is reached.
UP & DOWN ARROWS also change time signature
When selected, the UP and DOWN, HOME and END keys also change the rhythm as well as the tempo
UP & DOWN ARROWS also change time signature
Enter all the rhythms you want to use with the special rhythm notation - see the rest of this tip for details...
Make sure you have no WHITE SPACE within the rhythm notation
Make sure you enter each rhythm without any spaces e.g. 6/8 not "6 / 8" because white space is used as a separator to separate the rhythms in the list.
Ordinary time signatures=
Just enter the number of beats per bar such as 2 (for 2/4) and 3 (for 3/4). There is no need to add the /4 though it does no harm.
The complete time signature is useful for compound time signatures.
Esample: 6/8, 9/8 etc. This will emphasize the extra beats e.g. the middle beat in 6/8.
Polyrhythms
Enter all the numbers of beats to the bar separated by :
Example:2:3:5 for the polyrhythm 2 over 3 over 5.
Cycles of Polyrhythms
You can do these as e.g.
2:3+4:3+:7:5
To repeat each bar use e.g.:
2:3+4:3+:7:5measures3
(still all one word with no spaces)
to repeat each bar three times (you can use the word bars instead of measures if you prefer)
Subdivisions
For time signatures with subdivisions add an 's' after the time signature followed by the desired number of subdivisions
Eamples: 3s4 for 3/4 with four subdivisions.
Polyrhythms with subdivisions
Same as for ordinary time signatures, add an 's' followed by the desired number of subdivisions. But you can add more than one number of subdivisions, e.g.
3:5s2:3 for 3 over 5 with 2 and 3 subdivisions respetively,
If you prefer, use & for the subdivisions
3:5s2&3
However, you can't at the moment use the s subdivisions notation for the cycles of polyrhythms. Instead for e.g. 3:4+3:2 with two subdivisions of each part you would do as 3:6:4:8+3:6:2:4 i.e. add in the extra parts for each number of subdivisions e.g. add in :6 for two subdivisions of 3
Additive rhythms (Mixed meters)
Use a + e.g. 2+3+2 for the additive rhythm 2+3+2/4
Comparison of Polyrhythm and Time Signature notations
Note that 6/8 is the same as 6:2 I.e. the time signature 6/8 has same effect as playing 6 beats to the bar over 2 beats to the bar.
Set Up Example
The tempi to cycle through in bpm, separated by white space
Or tap at tempo here (Alt + M)
Tap here to set the tempo to the tempo of your taps
LEFT & RIGHT ARROWS tempo adjust even when you use TEXT FIELDS
Lets you use the left, right up and down arrow keys to adjust the tempo even in TEXT fields. Shortcut key ALT + any ARROW key to switch this feature on or off...
When switched on, normal use of the ARROW keys for moving the cursor within the text is disabled.
However you can still use the arrow keys if you press any other key first - pressing any other key temporarily re-enables arrow keys for that edit field until you navigate away from it.
When switched off permanently, you can still use the arrow keys to adjust the tempo when the keyboard focus is set to other types of control, e.g. a check box, or button etc.
