Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual
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Working with symbols Adding symbols to the score 1221 RELATED LINKS Using the guitar library on page 1221 Using the guitar library The above method is fine if you only want to add a few chord symbols to your score. If you need a lot of chord symbols, or if you are using chord symbols in a lot of different scores, you can gather all your chord symbols in a “guitar library” instead. This way you do not have to recreate the same chord symbol over and over again. Defining chord symbols PROCEDURE 1. In the Symbols Inspector, double-click on one of the symbols on the Guitar Symbols tab to open the guitar library. Alternatively, you can open the Score Settings dialog on the Project page and select the “Guitar Library” subpage. 2. To add a guitar chord symbol to the library, click the New button. A chord symbol appears in the list to the left. 3. To edit the chord symbol, double-click it in the list. This opens the Guitar Symbol dialog, as when editing a chord symbol in the score. • The symbol you create is also “interpreted” and its name is displayed to the right of the fretboard symbol. This can also be edited by double-clicking if you like. • To sort the available symbols in the library according to their root notes, click the Sort button. • To remove a symbol from the library, select it in the list and click Remove. • To save the current library as a separate file, select “Save…” from the Functions pop-up menu. A file dialog appears, allowing you to specify a name and location for the file.
Working with symbols Adding symbols to the score 1222 • To load a guitar library file, select “Load Current Pane…” from the Functions pop-up menu. In the file dialog that appears, locate and open the desired guitar library file. IMPORTANT Loading a guitar library file replaces the current library! There are also two additional checkboxes in the Guitar Library dialog: RELATED LINKS Using Make Chord Symbols on page 1248 Inserting symbols from the library Apart from the “Use for Make Chord Symbols” option above, there are two ways to insert symbols from the guitar library into the score: • Use the Functions pop-up menu on the Project–Guitar Library subpage in the Score Settings dialog, when creating or editing guitar symbols. • Right-click on a guitar symbol in the score and select a chord symbol from the Presets submenu on the context menu. Adding an image file You can insert image files as symbols into the Score. This allows you to import logos, copyright symbols, images of finger positions, etc. PROCEDURE 1. In the Symbols Inspector, open the Other tab. Image files can be inserted on all three layers. Option Description Use for Make Chord SymbolsWhen this is activated, and you use the “Make Chord Symbol” function, the program inserts guitar symbols as well as regular chords (if any fitting guitar symbols can be found). If there are several guitar symbols for a certain chord in the guitar library, the first one is used. Small Display If this is activated, the chord symbols in the list is displayed in the size they get in the score. If it is deactivated, the symbols are displayed in a larger size, for easier editing.
Working with symbols Adding symbols to the score 1223 2. Click the Image File button to select the Draw tool. Click in the score at the position where you want to insert the file. A file dialog opens. 3. Locate and select the image file you want to insert. The lower section of the Import dialog contains the following settings: • To copy the referenced file into the Project folder, activate the “Copy to Project folder” option. This is recommended as it makes it easier to manage all files used in a project. • If you modify your score, by adding staves for example, the position of an inserted image file changes. If this is not what you want, activate “Stick to Page” to keep it at a fixed position in your staff. • The Transparency parameter allows you to set the desired transparency of the image. 4. Click Open to insert the file. RESULT The image file is inserted. Its size depends on the printer resolution. However, you can scale the image by dragging its handles. To restore the printer resolution, right-click on the image to open the context menu and select “Snap to Printer Resolution”. You can modify the settings you made on import by right-clicking the image and selecting “Properties” on the context menu, to open the Image Properties dialog. RELATED LINKS Background: The different layers on page 1206 Using layout symbols Layout symbols and texts are inserted on the layout layer. When you are editing a layout containing several tracks, you can have inserted layout symbols and texts automatically copied to any combination of tracks in the layout. You decide which staves should display layout symbols and texts by ticking their “L” column in the Score Settings dialog, on the Layout page.
Working with symbols Selecting symbols 1224 • Any editing you perform to layout symbols and texts is automatically duplicated in the other tracks. • The display of layout symbols and texts for different tracks can be deactivated at any time. • Layout symbols and texts can be copied between layouts, by using the Get Form function on the Functions pop-up menu on the Layout page of the Score Settings dialog. One example of how to use layout symbols and texts: Let’s say you are editing a full orchestra score, and want rehearsal marks inserted for more than one staff (typically, above each instrument group – brass, strings, percussion, etc.). Now all you need to do is insert the rehearsal marks for one of the tracks. To do so, open the Score Settings dialog on the Layout page, tick the “L” column for the desired tracks/staves, and click Apply. Using Project symbols Project symbols are part of the project layer and therefore appear in all layouts. The project layer also contains changes to bar lines (e. g. repeats and double bar lines) and bar number offsets. Typically you use Project symbols when you know you want these shown for all combinations of tracks. NOTE You can also use Project symbols in combination with the Arranger mode to have the program play back according to the score, e. g. repeats, Da Capos and endings. RELATED LINKS Scores and the Arranger mode on page 1314 Selecting symbols Almost all symbols can be selected by clicking on them. For symbols that have a length or size, one or more handles appear.
Working with symbols Selecting symbols 1225 A selected crescendo An exception to this are the slurs and ties which can be selected by clicking on the end points or by drawing a selection rectangle. Using the lock layers Sometimes it can be very hard to click on a symbol or other object in the score without accidentally selecting other symbols nearby. To remedy this, you can assign different types of objects to different “lock layers” (up to three) and instruct Cubase to “lock” one or two of these layers, making them “unmovable”. Furthermore, you can lock the layout and project layers separately if needed. Setting up the lock layers PROCEDURE 1. Open the Preferences dialog and select the Scores–Note Layer page. 2. Assign each event type to a layer (1, 2, or 3). It is a good idea to specify different layers for event types that might conflict “graphically”. For example, you might want to assign bar numbers and note symbols to different layers, if you find that you accidentally move bar numbers when editing note symbols and vice versa. 3. Click OK to close the dialog. Alternatively, you can right-click on one of the Layer buttons (1-2-3) on the extended toolbar to bring up a pop-up menu, showing which object types are associated with that layer. A checkmark for an object type means it belongs to that layer. If no checkmark is shown, you can select the object type from the pop-up menu to move it to that layer.
Working with symbols Moving and duplicating symbols 1226 Locking a layer To “lock” a layer, click on its lock layer button. In this figure, layer 2 is locked. Event types assigned to layer 2 cannot be selected, moved, or deleted. Visual indication of the layers Objects belonging to locked note layers are “grayed out” in the score. This makes it very easy to find out which object belongs to which layer – perhaps especially useful for the layout and project layers. For example, to quickly spot all objects in the layout layer, lock all other layers by clicking their buttons. Now, only layout layer objects are shown normally; all other objects are grayed out. Moving and duplicating symbols There are four ways to move and duplicate symbols: • By dragging them with the mouse (see below). • By using the computer keyboard (moving only). • By using the bar handles. • By using the Paste Attributes function (duplicating note symbols only). RELATED LINKS Moving by using the computer keyboard on page 1229 Moving and duplicating with the bar handles on page 1229 Copying settings between notes on page 1188 Moving and duplicating by using the mouse This is done much as with other objects in Cubase. The following rules apply: • Note symbols and note-dependent symbols move with the notes/chords they belong to. In other words, if you move the note/chord, the symbols move with it/them. • Note symbols (like accents and lyrics) can only be moved vertically. Other symbols (like braces and brackets) can only be moved horizontally. • All other symbols without handles can be moved freely. If you hold down [Ctrl]/[Command], movement is restricted to one direction only. • If the symbol has one or more handles when it is selected, do not drag it by the handles, or you change its shape instead of moving it.
Working with symbols Moving and duplicating symbols 1227 • Slurs and ties are an exception, as they can only be moved by first dragging one handle and then the other. However, if you use the Layout tool to move the notes they belong to, or if you change the measure width, they are adjusted automatically. • Duplicating is done by moving with [Alt]/[Option] pressed, as always in Cubase. Slurs, ties, and bar lines cannot be duplicated with this method. There are two features to help you position symbols (and other score objects) correctly: the rulers and the Position Info window. RELATED LINKS Graphic moving of notes on page 1198 The rulers Unlike other editors, the Score Editor does not have a meter/time position-based ruler. Instead, its rulers are “graphical”, i. e. they indicate the actual x-y position of objects (with “zero” at the upper left corner). • The current pointer position is indicated by thin lines in the rulers. • To hide the rulers, right-click on a ruler and select “Off”. This pop-up menu can also be found above the scrollbar at the far right. • To display the ruler again, open the pop-up menu above the scrollbar at the far right and select one of the units (inches, centimeters, or points). This setting also affects the units used in the Position Info window (see below). The Position Info window If you need to fine-tune the graphical positions of symbols and other objects, you should use the Position Info window. This makes positioning easier in two ways: • You get a numerical indication of the exact position of the mouse pointer (and any object you are dragging). • You can move objects or staves by typing in position values. You display the Position Info window by clicking in the ruler.
Working with symbols Moving and duplicating symbols 1228 The window contains the following settings and values: Measure in Click this label to change units for the Position Info window. You can toggle between Inch, cm, and pt. This choice also affects the units used in the rulers. Abs. Pos./Rel. Pos Click this label to select whether X-Y position values are “absolute” (referring to the upper left corner of the current page) or “relative” (referring to the upper left corner of the active staff). X, Y When a single object is selected, these values show the horizontal and vertical position of this object. When no objects or several objects are selected, these values show the current horizontal and vertical position of the pointer. When a single object is selected, you can click on these values and type in a new position for the object. dX, dY When you are moving an object, these values indicate the horizontal and vertical distance you have moved it. You can click and type in values to move the object(s) by the specified distances. Sel. Staff If “Abs. Pos” is selected (see above), this value shows the distance from the top of the score page to the top of the active staff. You can click and type in a value to move the active staff. If “Rel. Pos” is selected, this value is always 0, since vertical positions are related to the top of the active staff! To Prev Staff The distance between the active staff and the staff above it. Clicking and typing in a value moves the active staff. To Next Staff The distance between the active staff and the staff below it. Clicking and typing in a value moves the staves below the active staff. Dragging symbols across staves If you drag a symbol across the staves, you can see how the “active staff” indicator to the left follows the mouse pointer. Use this as an indication to make sure that symbols end up in the correct staff. • If you are editing several tracks at the same time, and want to make sure that a symbol is not accidentally moved to another track when you drag it vertically, activate the Lock “L” button on the extended toolbar.
Working with symbols Moving and duplicating symbols 1229 When this is activated, you cannot move symbols across staves by dragging. Moving by using the computer keyboard In the Key Commands dialog, you can assign key commands for moving symbols, notes, or rests graphically. The commands are found in the “Nudge” category and are called “Graphical Left”, “Graphical Right”, “Graphical Top”, and “Graphical Bottom”. Selecting an object and using one of these commands is the same as dragging them with the Layout tool, but this method offers higher precision. Moving and duplicating with the bar handles This function allows you to move or copy the contents of a whole bar to one or several other bars. You can select which elements in the bar will be included in the operation. PROCEDURE 1. Make sure that the filter bar is visible. If the filter bar is not visible, click the “Set up Window Layout” button on the toolbar and activate the Filters option. 2. On the filter bar, make sure that the “Bar Handles” option is activated. Now, each bar in the score is shown with a handle in the upper left corner. Bar handles 3. Double-click on the handle of the bar from which you want to copy or move symbols. The Bar Copy dialog appears. 4. Make sure that only the symbol types that you want to move/copy are checked.
Working with symbols Moving and duplicating symbols 1230 5. If you have several subsequent bars to which you want to copy symbols, set the “Repeats” value to this number of bars. If you only want to copy symbols from one bar to another, make sure that “Repeats” is set to 1. This option is only available for copying, not for moving. 6. If you want this dialog to appear every time you perform the move/copy operation, activate “Show Dialog”. 7. Click OK to close the dialog. 8. To copy the specified event types to another bar, hold down [Alt]/[Option], click on the bar handle of the first bar and drag it to the “target” bar. To move the event types instead of copying them, drag the bar handle without holding down [Alt]/[Option]. If you activated “Show Dialog”, the Bar Copy dialog appears, allowing you to confirm your settings. Click OK to close the dialog and perform the operation. RESULT If you activated “Note Symbols”, the note symbols are copied from the “source” bar and pasted onto notes at the same positions in the “target” bar. If there is a note symbol for a certain note in the “source” bar, but no note at the corresponding position in the “target” bar, the symbol is ignored. The actual positions of notes are used as a basis for this operation – not the displayed positions. If you copy the note symbols from the first bar to the second bar… …only symbols that find corresponding note positions in the second bar are copied. • If you activated other types of symbols, these are simply moved to the same graphical position in the “target” bar. • If you set “Repeats” to a number larger than 1, the same symbols are pasted into that number of bars (starting from the one you drag the bar handle to). • If you do not hold down [Alt]/[Option] when dragging the bar handle, the symbols (and other event types specified in the dialog) are removed from the “source” bar. IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT If there already are symbols (or other objects) of the specified types in the