Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual
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Working with symbols Symbol details 1241 • To have these symbols actually affect playback, insert them on the Project layer and use the Arranger mode. RELATED LINKS Settings for other fixed text elements on page 1268 Scores and the Arranger mode on page 1314 Endings There are two types of endings, closed (“1”) and open (“2”). Both can be stretched to any length or height by dragging the handles. You can also double-click or right-click the existing number and enter any text you like. You can insert endings in all layers. Which one to choose depends on the score; while it is handy to insert endings once and for all as Project symbols, this does not allow you to make individual adjustments for the different parts. • You can right-click an ending symbol and select the “Extend (+)” or “Reduce (-)” command to extend the symbol to the next chord or to reduce it. Tempo Indicator symbol This symbol allows you to insert the current tempo according to the tempo track. In other words, to make this symbol display a certain tempo, insert the value on the tempo track. Normally this symbol shows the number of beats (quarter notes) per minute, but if you double-click or right-click it, you can select any note value. The number then changes accordingly. Tempo change according to note values symbol This symbol allows you to specify a tempo change as a change from one note value to another. The example above would mean “lower the tempo by a third”. To change the note value for either symbol, double-click or right-click it and select the desired note value from the context menu.
Working with symbols Symbol details 1242 User Symbols The User Symbols tab lets you create your own graphic symbols and use these in the score. Creating a user symbol Initially, the User Symbols tab is empty. To create symbols you use the User Symbols editor: PROCEDURE 1. Double-click on the empty symbol field on the tab. The User Symbols editor opens. You can also right-click on an empty symbol field and select “Edit…” to open the same dialog. 2. Open the Functions pop-up menu and select the desired zoom factor from the View submenu. Often you want to work at a reasonably high zoom factor when drawing and editing symbols. 3. Use the tools and functions to draw a symbol. The available tools are listed in the table below. When you are finished, you can close the editor and insert the symbol into the score, or you can create more symbols: 4. Select “New Symbol” from the Functions pop-up menu. An empty symbol field appears in the section to the left of the drawing area – this section corresponds to the actual User Symbols tab, showing all symbols that you have created. 5. Click the new empty symbol field on the left to make sure that it is selected. The drawing area is cleared. 6. Continue creating new symbols this way.
Working with symbols Symbol details 1243 • You can edit existing symbols at any time by selecting them to the left and using the tools and functions. Any changes you make are automatically stored in the User Symbols tab for the project. You can also export symbols for use in other projects, see below. • To insert a user symbol into the score, click on it on the tab and then click at the desired position in the score. The User Symbols editor – tools and functions The toolbar contains the following tools and settings, from left to right: Object Selection Use this to select objects – press [Shift] to select more than one. Click and drag to move objects – press [Ctrl]/[Command] to drag vertically or horizontally only or press [Alt]/[Option] to copy. To delete an object, select it and press [Backspace] or [Delete]. Line Draws a straight line. Rectangle Creates a rectangle. You can fill this with the Fill button if needed. Polygon Creates a polygon – click where each corner of the polygon should be and close the figure by clicking outside the drawing area. Circle Creates a circle. You can fill this with the Fill button if needed. Ellipse Creates an ellipse. You can fill this with the Fill button if needed. Arc Creates an arc. Text Allows you to insert text objects. Clicking with this tool in the drawing area opens a dialog where you enter the text, specify font, style, etc. You can double-click on a text object you have inserted to change its text or settings. Symbol Clicking with this tool brings up a dialog where you can select any of the existing score symbols and incorporate this (at the desired font size) into your own symbol.
Working with symbols Symbol details 1244 Set Color of Frame When this is selected, the Color pop-up menu is used to select the color for the object frame. Set Color of Fill When this is selected, the Color pop-up menu is used to select the fill color for objects (if Fill is selected). Fill Click this if you want the object to be filled – you can then select a Fill Color for it from the Color pop-up menu. Don’t Fill Click this if you do not want the object to be filled. Color Selects Frame or Fill Color for objects. The “Select Colors…” menu item brings up a standard color dialog. Line Width Allows you to change the line width used for the selected object. The Note Linked pop-up menu lets you create symbols linked to note positions. This affects the whole symbol, not a selected graphic object: Not Linked The symbol is not linked to notes. Linked/Left The symbol is linked to a note, appearing to the left of the note. Linked/Center The symbol is linked and centered to a note. Linked/Behind The symbol is linked to a note, appearing to the right of the note. The Functions pop-up menu contains the following items (some of these can also be accessed on the context menu for the User Symbols tab): New Symbol Adds a new empty symbol to the tab (and to the symbol list to the left in the editor). Delete Symbol Deletes the current symbol from the tab. Export User Symbols… Allows you to save the current tab with all available symbols as a separate file on disk.
Working with symbols Symbol details 1245 Import User Symbols… Loads settings for a complete tab from disk. Note that this replaces the current settings. Export/Import Symbol… Lets you save or load individual symbols to/from disk. Importing a symbol replaces the current symbol on the tab. Delete Deletes the selected object(s). Select All Selects all objects in the current symbol. Transform – Scale Symbol Lets you scale (resize) the selected object by specifying a percentage. Transform – Mirror horizontal/vertical Mirrors the selected object along the horizontal or vertical axis. Transform – Flip ±90 Rotates the selected object by + or – 90 degrees. Draw – Group Groups the selected objects so that they are treated as one. Draw – Ungroup Ungroups the selected group. Draw – Bring To Front/Send To Back These items let you arrange the objects by moving them to the front or the back. Align – Left/Right/Top/Bottom/Center Vertically/Center Horizontally Aligns the selected objects to each other. Display Sets the zoom factor for the drawing area.
1246 Working with chords About this chapter In this chapter you will learn: • How to enter chord symbols manually and automatically using the “Make Chord Symbols” feature. • Which settings can be made for chord symbols. Inserting chord symbols To insert chord symbols in the score, you can insert them manually by using the Chord Symbol button in the Inspector. You can also let Cubase analyze an existing recording and create the chord symbols. Manually To specify and enter a chord symbol, proceed as follows: PROCEDURE 1. Open the Other tab and select the Chord Symbol button. 2. Click in the score at the position where you want to insert the chord symbol. The Edit Chord Symbol dialog opens. 3. Enter the root note in the Root Note field. You can either type in a chord letter or step through the chord letters using the up/down arrows to the right.
Working with chords Inserting chord symbols 1247 4. In the “Chord Type” field, specify a chord type. You can either enter it directly (for example, by typing a “7”) or select an option from the pop-up menu (click the arrow button to open it). 5. If you wish, specify a tension in the Tension field. Again, this can be done by typing or by using the pop-up menu. However, there are some special display options which you can only get by typing (see the table below). You might also want to add some text here (such as “no third”). You can also select the basic tensions from the pop-up menu, and then add special options by typing. 6. If you want to have a special bass note (e. g. a C major with a D bass note), set the Bass Note pop-up menu to this note (this cannot be the same as the root note). The program “remembers” the relation between root and bass note, so that if you change the root note, the bass note follows. 7. If you want the root note to be displayed in lower case, activate the “Root Note in Lower Case” checkbox. 8. If needed, activate the “Enharmonic Shift” option. 9. Click Apply. The chord symbol appears in the score. To open the Edit Chord Symbol dialog for an existing chord, double-click the symbol. You can also right-click the symbol and select “Properties” on the context menu to open the dialog. Tension Field Character Description Example Result () The tensions are enclosed in brackets. / The tensions are separated by a slash sign. | The tensions are placed above one another. You can also combine several options. This is a combination of two options, along with a space to put the “9” above the “5”. Note that only one “(“ sign is needed when the “|” option is used.
Working with chords Inserting chord symbols 1248 Using Make Chord Symbols If you have already recorded the chords for a project, Cubase can analyze them and create chord symbols: PROCEDURE 1. Open the recording in the Score Editor. If you want the chords to be inserted on another track, you can create an empty part on that track and open it along with the recording. 2. If you like, make display settings for the chords. These settings are available in the Score Settings dialog, on the Project page (Chord Symbols subpage). You can change all these settings after you inserted the chords as well. 3. Select the notes for which you want chord symbols to be created. If you want chord symbols to be created for all chords on the track, use the Select All function on the Edit menu. 4. Use the arrow keys to make the desired staff active. This should be the staff on which you want the chord symbols to end up. 5. On the Scores menu, select “Make Chord Symbols”. The chords appear. They can be moved, duplicated and deleted as any other symbol. You can also double-click on a chord symbol to edit it in the Edit Chord Symbol dialog (in the same way as when creating chords manually – see above). A staff after using Make Chord Symbols. Instead of using the “Make Chord Symbols” menu item, you can click the “Make Chord Symbols” button on the extended toolbar. If the “Use for Make Chord Symbols” option is activated on the Project–Guitar Library subpage of the Score Settings dialog, guitar chord symbols are added as well (if the guitar library contains any guitar symbols that match the chords). RELATED LINKS Adding guitar chord symbols on page 1219 About the analysis The MIDI chords are expected to be played in their most basic inversion. If not, an extra bass note is added. For example, the notes CEG are interpreted as C major, but GCE is interpreted as C major with a G bass note. If you do not want any interpretation of the inversion (i. e. no added bass notes) hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] while selecting Make Chord Symbols.
Working with chords Global chord settings 1249 All selected notes on all staves are taken into consideration. Whenever there is any change on any staff, the notes are reinterpreted and a new chord symbol is added. This means you should probably avoid having the melody track in the Score Editor when you use Make Chord Symbols, or you get a lot more chords than you expect, possibly with strange tensions. In addition to the above, the Quantize value is used. At the most, there is a new chord at each quantize position. There must be at least three notes at a certain position for the program to interpret it as a chord. Also some combinations of notes simply do not make any sense to the program and do not produce any chords. The analysis method is not perfect since the same set of notes can be interpreted differently depending on context. Some editing may be required. If you record the track solely to create chords automatically, play the chord as simple as possible, in the correct inversion, without added octaves, etc. The Current Chord Display Cubase features a handy chord recognition function that helps you identify chords in the Score Editor note display. To find out which chord is formed by simultaneously played notes, place the project cursor over the notes. All notes currently “touched” by the project cursor are analyzed and the Current Chord Display in the status line shows you which chord the notes form. Global chord settings In the Score Settings dialog on the Project page (Chord Symbols subpage), there are several global settings that affect how chords are displayed. These settings affect all chords in the project. NOTE There are several options in the Preferences dialog (Event Display–Chords) that also affect how chords are displayed.
Working with chords Global chord settings 1250 Chord Symbols Chord Symbols Font • Use the four size value fields to select sizes for the root, the type, the tension, and the bass of a chord. You can type in values or use the pop-up menus. Normally, you would want the “Root” size to be the largest and the “Tension” size to be the smallest. Options • If you want the root note to be aligned with the bass note, so that they are both displayed at the same vertical position, activate “Align Bass Note”. • If you want the tensions to be displayed at the same vertical position as the root note (rather than a bit above the root note), activate “Tension Bottom”. • If you want to scale a staff by using the Size setting on the Options tab of the Staff page in the Score Settings dialog and want the chords to be scaled accordingly, activate “Scale Chords”. • If you want the chord symbols to be affected by the Display Transpose setting on the Staff page of the Score Settings dialog, activate “Use Display Transpose”.