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"How To" Pages

Adding an Introduction

Contents:


Listening for the introduction

It is common to use a short portion of the end of a hymn as the introduction. Often it will be four or eight measures. It is fairly simple to see where it begins on a sheet of music. Unfortunately, the Jazz++ sequencer does not display music in a notation format that is easy to read. As a result, the easiest way to find the beginning of an introduction is to play the MIDI file and watch for where the introduction begins.

Start playing the MIDI file and watch the cursor bar move across the screen. You will see that a standard introduction for "O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing" begins at measure 8. It should look something like this:

Listening for Introduction

Notice that there is a heavy, black, vertical line running down the screen one measure before measure 9. Now you simply count the number of blocks remaining and you will know how much space to leave for an introduction. There are six measures from measure 8 to the end of the piece (be sure to count measure 8 as the beginning of the introduction).


Making space for the introduction

There is not enough space at the beginning of the MIDI file for the introduction. We have to move all of the music over. This is very easy to do. Simply click your mouse at the top-left of the music and drag it to the bottom-right to highlight it like this:

Hymn Selected

Note that the very first measure is not selected. That is the space to leave ahead of the pickup note. Now go to the "Edit" menu and select "Cut." The notes should disappear, just like this:

Music Cut from the Screen

All of the music is now in your computer's "clip board." We need to paste it into the new position, so go to the "Edit" menu again and select "Paste." When you move your mouse over the music grid, it should have become a hand with a pointing finger. Point the hand at the beginning of the first measure where you want the music to appear. Since the music had started in measure 2 and we need to add 6 measures for introduction, you should point at measure 8. Click the mouse and your screen should look like this:

Verse Pasted in New Position

Good job! Now there is room for the introduction.


Copying and pasting the introduction

Remember that we needed the last six bars for the introduction. I find it easy to select this music by clicking the mouse one measure past the top-right of the music and dragging to the bottom-left so that I can count the measures back from the end. You should highlight the music like this:

Introduction Selected

This time we want to leave that music where it is and also add it to the beginning as an introduction. Go to the "Edit" menu and select "Copy." Now the introduction is in your computer clip board. We want to paste it into the beginning of the hymn. Go to the "Edit" menu and select "Paste." Now position your mouse so that the hand points to measure 2 of the Melody track (remember the space before the pick-up note?), and click. Now your introduction is in place. It should look like this:

Introduction Pasted

Now that you have an introduction, you should save your work again. If you want more verses, then continue to the next page, Adding Verses, or you can return to the Table of Contents.


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