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Modifying a symbol locally

Subjects covered:

• Local modifications
• Examples of local modifications

Watch also the following video:

• Playing the score expressively (10'55) - Flash - Quicktime

Local modifications [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist]

When you use a symbol in the score, it will often be useful to slightly modify the associated sound effect. By placing for example a mezzo forte (MF), it is useful to influence it according to the sound used on your synthesizer.

Many symbols require the possibility to modify their value without affecting the original symbol (as for example the exact moment where the effect starts, the duration of a crescendo or an accelerando, the value of a volume…).

Pizzicato automatically associates local parameters for each instance of a symbol in the score. You can modify these parameters via the local parameters dialog box.

• Start Pizzicato, open the score view and the Main Symbols palette. Select the following symbol:

and add it on the score to get:

• By holding down the control key, click on the symbol in the score. The following dialog box appears:

This dialog box is used to modify the value of the velocity associated with this instance of the symbol. The library symbol is not affected. A similar dialog box appears according to the type of MIDI effect (tempo, transposition…)

• Click the Full editor... button. The local parameters dialog box appears:

This dialog box contains all local parameters that can be modified. In 99 % of the cases, the simplified dialog box is sufficient. This full dialog box groups a series of parameters from the symbol definition dialog boxes. Most parameters only concern the Midi effects. By opening it the first time on a symbol, it contains the original values which define the Midi performance. You can then modify these values to moderate a Midi effect, to modify it or cancel it.

If you close and open again this dialog box on the same symbol, you will see that your modifications are memorized. By placing another symbol of the same type and by calling this dialog box, you will observe again the original values of the parameters. The local values are separately associated with each instance of the symbol.

When Pizzicato finds a symbol, it first searches if local values are associated with it. If not, it will take the original values in standard library.

• You can also open this dialog box when you add the symbol. Hold down the control key while adding the symbol.

The upper part contains 12 text boxes used to modify the graphic aspect.

The first two specify the horizontal and vertical position of the original symbol, in relation to the top left corner of the measure. These parameters are adapted if you move the symbol with the mouse, but you can also modify the position of the symbol by changing these values.

Just below, you find the horizontal and vertical scales. You can modify them with a better precision than with the mouse.

Below you find the text boxes to specify the horizontal and vertical oblique shifts.

The six text boxes located on the right modify the coordinates of a curve, only if the symbol is a curve.

A check box makes a symbol invisible. The other elements relate to the Midi play.

The first menu is labeled Effect and changes the effect of the symbol. You can change the type, but it you need to keep types compatible. The exceptions are the note sequences and the Midi data, which cannot be exchanged with other effects.

The next menu modifies the start of the effect. The 3 choices are Position in measure (proportional to the graphic position of the symbol), Attached note (exactly when the associated note starts) or Start of measure (the first beat of the measure).

The Duration may be Fixed or Proportional. If the choice is Fixed, the 3 text boxes just below define this duration in measures, beats and units (480 units is equivalent to one quarter note). The Proportional choice determines the duration in proportion to the graphic width of the symbol compared to the measure. The choice selected in the original symbol does not matter, you can modify it here and adapt the duration of the effect to this particular symbol.

To the right, Change specifies if the symbol is a unique or multiple value. The Parameter text box is used to specify the number of the Midi controller, only if the type of the effect is a controller.

When the value is unique, it is specified in the Unique value text box. This box is probably used the most for local changes. Most of the time, a local change is done to adjust the main value of the effect, like the tempo, the velocity, the volume…

The Relative change check box specifies if the values (unique or multiple) are relative or not to the preceding value of the effect in the score.

The check box labeled Local change determines if the value is only local (and thus cancelled after the duration of the effect).

Six text boxes modify the values of a progression, only if the symbol contains a multiple change. The first three boxes are labeled V-1, V-2 and V-3. They are the first three values of the progression. The next ones, V-n-2, V-n-1 and V-n represent the three last progression values. Only the used values can be modified. If the progression contains only 2 values, only V-1 and V-2 will be used. By modifying these values, you can thus influence how the effect will vary with time throughout its duration.

The left lower part of this dialog box only relates to the note sequences. The time scale and the number of repetitions can be directly modified here. The main use of this is to adapt the speed of a trill compared to the tempo or simply to the musical context in which it is used.

The first three pitches of notes (which are practically always relative pitches in relation to the value of the associated note) can be modified directly. It is useful to define the type of a trill (1/2 tone higher, lower, 1 tone higher or lower…) or the value of an appoggiatura.

All parameters found here are in fact of parameters which are in the symbol definition dialog boxes. Let us review some common cases of local modifications.

Examples of local modifications [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist]

• Open the Ex071 example. Open the score view and activate the reference marks tool. You get:

• Call the local parameter dialog box for the accent located on the first note. It locally influences the velocity of this note by adding 30 units to it. You can modify this value to increase or decrease the accentuation of the note. Click OK.

• Call the dialog box for the next symbol. This double forte imposes a velocity of 96 on all notes that follow. According to the context and the instrument, it could be necessary to change this value. Click OK.

• Do the same with the dot located on the next note. The effect is to reduce the duration of the note to 50 % of its normal value. This value can be modified if you find it too short or too long, according to the instrument, to the context and to the desired effect. Click OK.

• The next symbol is a slur. This symbol locally set the duration to 100 % of the note values. You can modify it according to the context. You can also adjust the duration of this symbol by selecting a fixed duration and by indicating for example 3 beats, to be sure that the second note is also included (because it begins 2 beats later) and so that the third note is not included in it (it begins 4 beats after the start of the symbol). Click OK.

• The next symbol proposes a relative progression of velocity between 0 and 30 over a duration of a full measure. You can modify the intensity of the progression by changing the value "30". In this precise case, with the full dialog box you can change the type of effect to act on the sound volume (controller 7) instead of the velocity. The number "7" must then be specified as parameter and the type of the effect must be MIDI Controller. The velocity is only used at the time of the attack of a note, with the result that the crescendo would not be effective. By exploiting volume, you can really create a progressive increase of the sound volume. Click OK.

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