Next Steps

This topic wil show you how to:
  1. add bar lines
  2. mark and copy a block
  3. add text
  4. add headings
  5. print your score

Start up Rhapsody again and load the score you saved earlier.

The standard way of doing this is to bring up the Load File Dialog by navigating the 'File > Load existing score ...' menus. Then browse around for the correct file.

An alternative way is to search for the file first and then simply drag it onto the main VBR window. Even easier, just doubleclick on the score. VBR will start up and load the score all in one go.

Adding barlines

So far we have entered the first eight bars of the piece "To a wild rose".

There is just one thing missing - there is no bar line at the end of the score. To add this, position the cursor at the very end of the score, Select the second group of musical symbols (barlines and dynamics) and select the seventh barline in the group. Finally, click on the 'Insert-After' button - the one that looks like this:

(It may be worth pointing out the difference here between the 'Insert-After' button and the 'Insert-Next' button. The former does exactly what it says - it simply inserts the selected item (including notes and rests) immediately after the cursor always inserting a new slot at the same time. 'Insert-Next, however, can only be used with notes and rests and is a good deal more intelligent. It searches for the next appropriate place for the note either placing it in an existing slot or creating a new one if necessary. It also adds barlines automatically where appropriate.)

Marking and copying a block

Her are the next eight bars of the score:

You will see that these bars are very similar to the first eight bars, the only differences being in bars 12, 13 and 14. We can save ourselves a lot of time by simply copying the first eight bars and then editing the notes which need changing.

First mark a block in the following way. Place the cursor at the top left hand corner of the block you wish to mark (in this case the first note on the top stave). Now click on the bottom right hand corner of the desired block (in this case the last rest on the bottom stave) using the RIGHT hand mouse button. The marked block will be shaded like this.

Now place the cursor at the point where you want the copy to go. This is right at the end of the score so put the cursor on the top stave on the final barline. Now go to 'Block > Insert > Everything' and this is what you should end up with:

Apart from the notes which need changing, there is one other problem. We seem to be missing a barline. This is because we were not able to include a barline at the beginning of the block. Normally we would be able to do this. To correct this mistake, put the cursor on the first quaver rest, select the ordinary barline (the first one in the set) and click on 'Insert-After'.

By the way, if ever something goes wrong, VBR has an extremely powerful and essentially unlimited 'Undo' feature. Just press Ctrl-Z to go back a step (and Shift-Ctrl_Z to redo it).

Now the crotchets in bar 12 need moving. The standard method is to place the cursor where you want the new note; insert the new note using the Insert'At button ; then place the cursor over the old note and delete it using the 'Delete' button .

Naturally, there is an easier way: Just place the cursor over the appropriate note and use Ctrl-UP and Ctrl-DOWN to shift the note onto the correct line!

In bar 13 there is a pair of quavers which need to be replaced with a crotchet. The standard method would be to delete the unwanted notes using the Delete button, then enter a new note.

Alternatively, place the cursor over the first quaver and press Ctrl-Q. This shortcut joins two notes together.

Now shift the other notes which need moving (including the minims in the bass part).

Save your work now!

Adding text

Lets add an indication of the tempo. Place the cursor over the time signature on the top stave. Move the red arrows to the top of the yellow box. Select the 'Text and lyrics' symbol group (the one with the letter A on it. ). From the dropdown list, select '\BAndante'. (The \B at the fron is a code for 'bold'.) From the dropdown list of tempi select 'Crotchet =' and then type '60' (making sure that the caret is at the end first). Finally, make sure that the 'Autospace' option is OFF. Click on Insert-At. With a bit of luck your score should now look like this:

Note that what we have added is just text. VBR ignores all text when playing a score. What actually sets the tempo is the tempo indication we eneterd earlier.

Adding slurs and phrasemarks

The appearance of a score is greatly enhanced by the appropriate addition of slurs and phrasemarks. To add a slur to a note, position the cursor over the note as usual, select the 'slur' symbol

and click on 'Insert'At'. ( I might as well let you into a secret here. Tapping the SPACE bar has the same effect as clicking on 'Insert-At' so inserting a whole lot of slurs is a smiple as click-tap; click-tap.). Aim for something like this:

Adding phrasemarks is a bit more complicated. Place the cursor at the start point; select the phrasemark symbol (which is in the third group of symbols):

and insert. Now drag the start and end points to the exact places you want them to be; then drag the open control spots to adjust the curvature of the line. Tou should aim for something like this:

Adding headings

Before we print our score, there is one more refinement to add - Headings. To open the Headings dialog box, go to 'Score > Headings ...'

Click inside the large text box. Type in the name of the piece - 'To a Wild Rose'. Choose a font, style and weight. There is no need to click 'OK' just yet. (Titles typically need a font weight of 72.)

Now open the 'Subtitle' tab and type in 'from woodland sketches'.

Lastly open the 'Composer' tab and enter 'Edward MacDowell|Op 51 No 1'. Note the '|' character being used as a line separator. Click on 'OK' to close the dialog. Nothing apparently changes on the score but the headings will appear when the score is printed.

Printing your score

If you have already looked under 'File' or 'Score' for the familiar 'Print ...' menu item, you will have been disappointed. The reason is that laying out music on a page (a process called 'formatting') is a far more complicated business than formatting a text document. If you want to print out your masterpiece, we must create a format first. To do this, find the 'Format > Create new format ...' menu item.

This brings up the Format dialog box:

Click 'OK'. A new window opens showing the formatted score.

You will notice that, instead of being in one long line, the score has been split int two 'systems' with appropriate clefs and key signatures. The systems have been padded out to fill the lines and the headings are shown at the top.

It may be that what you see on your screen is not exactly the same as the picture above. This is becausethe 'Packing factor' has been adjusted so that the two lines have the same number of bars. You can achieve this effect by going to 'Format > Reconstruct format ...' and entering a figure of 90% for the Packing Factor.

Now to get our hardcopy, all we have to do is go to 'Format > Print this format ...' and away we go. I hope you are pleased with the result.