[sib-access] Re: piano forte and manuals

  • From: "Jean Philippe" <jp.rykiel@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <sib-access@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:30:57 +0100

Dear Dan,
thank you for your very detailed explanation. The sad thing is that Sibelius 
will not take midi velocity into account in step mode. Velocity is only 
recorded in real-time or "flexitime" as they call it. I'm aware that few people 
will want this, but I wrote a word to their technical support to ask them if 
they could include step mode velocity as an option for weirdos like me.
Cheers,
JPR
http://myspace.com/jeanphilipperykiel
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dan Rugman 
  To: sib-access@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 4:40 PM
  Subject: [sib-access] Re: piano forte and manuals



  JPR wrote: I've been looking in vain in the different manuals for ways to
  enter dynamic information such as piano and forte. Instead of telling me how
  to do it, could you please tell me where to look ?

  The relevant sections in the Sibelius Reference are 3.1 and 3.2 but as we've
  noted before, the reference can be difficult to read even after being
  converted into text.  Unfortunately, there is no section on text in the
  access guide yet but it's a high priority - just like everything else!

  In the mean time I'll give you the briefest overview I can.

  There are different text styles which you use for creating types of text.
  EG: expression, lyrics, chords, tempo, figured bass, etc.  (Dynamics are
  created using the expression text style.)  You can find all these in the
  create menu under text.  As you browse the menu, take note of the shortcut
  keys.  The most useful are Control + E for expression, Control + T for
  technique, Control + L for lyrics and Control + Alt + T for tempo.

  Don't confuse these text styles with fonts.  Text styles are far more
  advanced than that, although each text style does have a font associated
  with it.  In other words, each text style will appear in the font which it
  has been assigned.  Most text styles will use a combination of times new
  roman and the opus font which is used for musical symbols.

  Text items can be system items or staff items according to type.  Tempo,
  titles and rehearsal marks are all system items because they appear in all
  staves, whereas expression, technique, lyrics and chord symbols are all
  staff items because they only appear above or below one staff.


  To add a text item you must first select the note which is closest to where
  you want to text to be created.  If you're creating system text then it is
  enough to choose any note which has the same rhythmic position that you want
  the text to have.  For staff items you must select the note in the staff
  that you want to text to appear in.

  Once you've selected the closest note, use the create menu or press the
  shortcut key for the text style.  The text item will be created and an edit
  window becomes active which you use to input the text.

  Once you've finished entering the text press Escape.  The edit window closes
  and you'll be placed back in the score with the text item selected.

  If you want to edit an existing text item you'll need to select it first and
  then press enter to activate the edit window.  System text items can be
  selected using the system items dialog (Alt+F3) whereas staff text can be
  reached by pressing Tab or Shift + Tab when you've selected the note which
  is closest to the text item you need.

  Sibelius will take note of any text you input and adjust the playback of the
  score accordingly.  For this to work you must make sure that you spell words
  properly.  For this reason there's a pop-up menu of common terms which you
  can open by pressing the application key, Shift + F10 or the right mouse
  button.

  The menu of common terms will be different for each of the different text
  styles.  The menu is actually a property of the text style and you can edit
  it to add your own terms if you really feel the need.  There are also
  shortcut keys which you can use within each text style to add a term from
  the menu of common terms.

  One thing to take note of is that some of the common terms use different
  fonts with specific sizes and attributes.  For example, "p", "f" and "rfz"
  all use the opus font.  This font looks like a rather elaborate version of
  times new roman but it is larger, bold and italicised.  On the other hand,
  "dolce", "legato" and "marcato" all use the standard times new roman font in
  italics.

  As a brief example, here's how to add "ff" below a note.

  1. Select the note.
  2. Press Control + E to create an expression text item.
  3. Press Control + F twice to add two "f"s in the opus font.
  4. Press Escape to close the edit field and return to the score.
  5. Press Tab until you have selected the next note in the staff.

  Dan Rugman
   
  visit the new on-line resource for visually impaired musicians and home of
  Sibelius Access.
  www.musicaccess.co.uk

  -----Original Message-----
  From: sib-access-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  [mailto:sib-access-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jean Philippe
  Sent: 03 December 2008 07:39
  To: sibaccess
  Subject: [sib-access] piano forte and manuals

  Hi all,
  I've been looking in vain in the different manuals for ways to enter dynamic
  information such as piano and forte. Instead of telling me how to do it,
  could you please tell me where to look ? As a Sibelius novice, I will be
  asking all sorts of silly questions like this one. This leads me to another
  question.
  The Sibelius reference manual that comes with the software is a real pain to
  navigate through, even after converting it to a text file.  I asked Sibelius
  about an electronic copy of the entire Sibelius user guide but they said
  they couldn't provide it. Is anything like this available from Sibelius
  access?
  Cheers,
  JPR
  http://myspace.com/jeanphilipperykiel


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