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<A NAME="CHILD_LINKS"><STRONG>Subsections</STRONG></A>
<UL>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html66"
HREF="node3.html#SECTION00310000000000000000">Fella Bird, Basic Edition</A>
<LI><A NAME="tex2html67"
HREF="node3.html#SECTION00320000000000000000">Fella Bird, Improved Edition</A>
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<HR>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION00300000000000000000">
A Simple Example</A>
</H1>
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION00310000000000000000">
Fella Bird, Basic Edition</A>
</H1>
<P>
<BR>
<TABLE CELLSPACING=0 Align="Center" CELLPADDING=10 BGCOLOR="#efefef" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD ALIGN="CENTER" BGCOLOR="White">
<B><FONT SIZE="+2">Sheet Music for a Popular Song</FONT></B> <A NAME="eg:birthday"></A>
</TR></TD> <TR><TD Align="Center">
<IMG WIDTH="95%" SRC="mup/fella.png" ALT="Lost Image">
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
<P>
This example piece of music is shown in a ``fake book'' or ``lead sheet''
style. It shows the melody notes, lyrics and chords.
<P>
As a first try at making a MIDI accompaniment file, we have created the
following file:
<P>
<B>// Sample tutorial file
<BR>// Fella Bird, try 1
<BR>
<BR>
Tempo 120
<BR>
Groove Rhumba
<BR>
<BR>
1 F
<BR>
2 F
<BR>
3 C7
<BR>
4 F
<BR>
5 F
<BR>
6 F
<BR>
7 C7
<BR>
8 F
<BR>
9 Gm
<BR>
10 F
<BR>
11 C7
<BR>
12 F
<BR>
13 Gm
<BR>
14 F
<BR>
15 C7
<BR>
16 F / / z!
<BR>
<BR></B>
<P>
After the comments in the file, the first line to note is:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Tempo 120 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
This sets the tempo, or speed, of the piece to 120 beats per minute. You may
have to guess the tempo--very few pieces (especially in ``fake book'' style)
will include a metronome setting. For slow pieces you might want to start with a
tempo setting of ``80''; for faster pieces, like swings, try around ``150''; polkas
and marches, which are really in <B>2/2</B> time, may require fast
sounding tempos like ``250''. Feel free to modify the tempo setting in
the example files--you're not going to break anything.
<P>
Since we are using the standard library which was shipped with
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> ,
we can select one of the predefined grooves:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Groove Rhumba </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
Note that this command also sets up the ``time signature'' to <B>4/4</B>.
Not quite the same as the ``cut'' time indicated, but close enough. And speaking
of ``close enough'', we're using a rhumba rhythm instead of the merengue indicated
in the score.
<P>
Finally, we have the chord information. The first bar (in the sheet music)
indicates an ``F'' chord. So that's what we tell
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> to use:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>1 F </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
We continue in a similar manner for the rest of the song.
<P>
We've simplifed the song a bit and show only one chord per bar.
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> automatically fills out the bars so that each has four chords.
We could have entered the first bar as:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>2 F F F F </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
or, more simply:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>2 F / / / </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
and had the same result. But, who wants to do all that typing?
<P>
In the final bar, the last beat is a rest.
<P>
The line:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>16 F / / z! </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
causes an ``F'' chord to be used on the first three beats, the fourth
beat is completely silent due the to the ``z!''. Note the difference
between a ``z'' and ``z!''--the first silences all but the drum track,
the second silences everything. See the reference manual for more details
on ``z''.
<P>
Now, let's create our first MIDI file! If you are using the standard
distribution, you should find a file ``fella1.mma'' in the tutorial directory.
Change to this directory and type the command:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>mma fella1 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
Your computer should run the python script called ``mma'' and process the
file ``fella1.mma''. The MIDI file ``fella1.mid'' should be created. If this doesn't
happen, please check your python installation, and make sure that you
have installed ``mma'' where your shell can find it. If you are completely stuck,
drop me an email.
<P>
Now, use your favorite MIDI file player to play the song.
<P>
How'd that sound? A piano doing some chords, a jazzy bass line,
and a bit of drumming? Wonderful!
<P>
<H1><A NAME="SECTION00320000000000000000">
Fella Bird, Improved Edition</A>
</H1>
<P>
If you play the MIDI created in the previous section you'll find a number
of things lacking. Certainly:
<P>
<UL>
<LI>It is hard to sing to because there is no aural indication of
when to start,
<P>
</LI>
<LI>The whole piece is the same volume,
<P>
</LI>
<LI>It's a pretty short song, so let's play it twice.
<P>
</LI>
</UL>
<P>
The following example has a number of improvements:
<P>
<B> // Sample tutorial file
<BR>// Fella Bird, try 2
<BR>
<BR>
Tempo 120
<BR>
Groove Metronome2-4
<BR>
<BR>
z * 2
<BR>
<BR>
Groove Rhumba
<BR>
Repeat
<BR>
Volume mp
<BR>
Cresc mf 4
<BR>
<BR>
1 F
<BR>
2 F
<BR>
3 C7
<BR>
4 F
<BR>
5 F
<BR>
6 F
<BR>
7 C7
<BR>
8 F
<BR>
9 Gm
<BR>
10 F
<BR>
11 C7
<BR>
<BR>
Decresc p 4
<BR>
<BR>
12 F
<BR>
13 Gm
<BR>
14 F
<BR>
15 C7
<BR>
<BR>
RepeatEnding
<BR>
<BR>
16 F / / z
<BR>
<BR>
RepeatEnd
<BR>
<BR>
17 F / / z!
<BR>
cut -1
<BR>
<BR>
<BR></B>
Try running
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> on this file and listen to it. Oh my, much better.
<P>
So, let's look at the changes.
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B>Groove Metronome2-4 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
This sets the current ``groove'' to a metronome. To find this groove
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> will automatically process the library file ``metronome''.
<P>
The metronome groove consists of wood-blocks being struck in a
<B>4/4</B> pattern. In order to ``sound'' the metronome, we need
to create an empty bar:
<P>
<TABLE ALIGN="CENTER" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=5 BGCOLOR="OldLace" BORDER=3>
<TR> <TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE><B> z * 2 </B></BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<P>
Mind you, we could have specified a chord here and gotten the same
result (the groove has no definitions for any instruments other than
the wood-block, so nothing else will sound). But, it seems to be more
clear to use a ``z''.
<P>
Okay, we lied. We didn't create an empty bar for the metronome. If
you're sharp you'll notice that the ``z'' is followed by ``* 2''. This
means to play this bar two times. So, you get 2 bars of metronome.
Cool.
<P>
We've not made any changes to the chords, but a few little changes do
help this simple piece. Remember the dull, single volume? Well, have a
look at the ``volume'' directives we've included in this version. We
start the song off at a moderate volume, and increase it in several
steps. And, at the end we use a ``decresc'' to reduce the volume to
``quiet'' over the final 4 bars.
<P>
Please refer to the
<FONT Face="Serif" Color="Navy"><I>MMA</I></FONT> Reference Manual for salient details on the
volume commands.
<P>
One minor change we did make in the chords is in bar 16. Note the
change between this and bar 17. In the first we have a ``z'', the
second a ``z!''. The difference between the two is that we want the
precussion tracks to continue though the ending, but not on the final
beat.
<P>
Finally, to ensure a complete cutoff in the final bar we have added a
``cut'' command. We're sure you'll find these minor changes a great
improvement.
<P>
<P>
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<ADDRESS>
Bob
2006-10-15
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